A potty man: the collecting bug

[callmemadam]

Ransacking my shelves in an attempt to get rid of even more books, I found Collector’s Progress by Stanley W Fisher. This was published in 1957 and is an account of the author’s life as a collector of porcelain. In real life he was a headmaster but seems to have spent every spare minute either fishing or sallying forth on china hunting expeditions; this in spite of having a wife and two children. Though he would have called himself an amateur he amassed (and later sold) two fine collections of porcelain and wrote books and articles on the subject. I enjoyed my second read of it just as much as the first; it’s fascinating to learn about the experts and dealers he met, the collections he examined and above all, the thrill of the chase. He’s quite honest about the desire of every collector to get a bargain by knowing more than other people do.
[Poll #1214638]

So what makes a real collector? I think real collectors are single minded and usually limit their collecting to one area only. They will go without food if necessary to pursue their goal. They can be pretty ruthless. I could obviously never be a real collector. People look at my books and talk about ‘your book collection’ but with the exception of one author it’s really an accumulation. Although I have complete sets of some writers’ books, I’ve picked them up here and there as I found them, rather than actively pursuing them. It’s the same with stamps. I’ve occasionally sought out one to complete a set but on the whole I’m happy to have lots to enjoy, when the sensible thing would be to specialize. Then there’s the question of quality. Your true collector will have only ‘mint in dustwrapper’ first editions of the books he/she wants and stamps/glass/china or whatever only in the best condition.



I always enjoy books which feature antiques or book collecting and I’ve been trying to think of a few. Robert Graves’ Antigua, Penny, Puce, his only light novel, is about sibling rivalry over a stamp. Headlong by Michael Frayn is ‘a question of attribution’. Can anyone suggest more collecting titles?

Comments

[lethe1]

I think the "real collector" you describe is just one very specific type of collector, not necessarily the only true one. To me a collector is someone who as soon as s/he has acquired more than two of something, sees a potential collection. I believe collecting is only a few steps removed from hoarding, the only difference being it is not considered a disorder and the objects collected are usually valuable (to other collectors — I don't think many people would be willing to pay money for my collection of plastic bags, but even stamps are worthless pieces of paper to the unenlightened).

I (used to) collect anything and everything: stamps, books, coins, music, playing cards, the aforementioned plastic bags, matchboxes, DMC embroidery floss, elephant and other animal figurines, key rings, you name it. I have decided to limit myself because I don't want all this attachment to stuff (of course books and music are so much more than that, each book contains a whole world and music is full of emotion, but the rest are simply inanimate objects). One way I have done this is by moving into a small apartment where I simply do not have the space to accumulate lots of stuff. Another way is not to let my collections grow beyond certain limits: I have a collection of Alice in Wonderland editions, and as soon as the shelf I had assigned for them was full, I stopped buying them.

Your true collector will have only ‘mint in dustwrapper’ first editions of the books he/she wants

I think that is only true for people who see their collection as an investment. Personally, as long as a book is in good condition and the text itself has no markings, I rather like an inscription on the flyleaf or an ex-libris, it adds to the book and makes me wonder about previous owners. I've also never understood the "never removed from box" requirement for Barbie dolls, toy cars and the like. If you can't even enjoy your collection because it is wrapped up in a box and not to be touched, what is the point, apart from the monetary value?


Unfortunately the only book I can think of that features (stamp) collecting is a Dutch classic from the 1920s that, as far as I know, has never been translated into English: Kees de jongen by Theo Thijssen.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

That's an interesting comment. I admire your restraint over Alice and your determination not to let stuff take over. It's being forced on me now that I *have* to move to a smaller house. I should see this as a golden opportunity to find out what I really value and can't bear to be parted from.

Like you, I don't necessarily want everything to be in perfect condition and I find inscriptions and annotations interesting. For instance, I have a book of First World War memoirs which has been annotated in pencil, obviously by someone who had also fought in the trenches and so had first hand knowledge of the subject. With stamps, the modern mania is for mint stamps and unaddressed covers. Apart from new British definitives I collect only postally used stamps: that's what they're for! It's sad that labels have taken over from stamps but of course, some people are now collecting them!

Although I don't look on my books as an investment I do sometimes justify a purchase on the grounds that 'I can always sell it again'.

[lethe1]

Oh, that is tough. I'm wishing you lots of wisdom in the decision-making. Your new house will have a garden, I hope?

That book of memoirs sounds interesting. I don't mind annotations in non-fiction books, only in fiction.

I collect both mint and used stamps, but the used ones are much more fun (soaking them off, pressing them) and, as you say, are the real thing. I don't like the artificiality of first-day covers.
Are labels self-adhesives?

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I wouldn't move anywhere without a garden but it may be tiny.

Ooh, I enjoy all that soaking and fiddling, too. By labels I mean the computer printed ones they use now for almost all parcels and packets. Once upon a time if you got a book sent from Australia, the packet would have nice high value Oz stamps on but now it's just a label. It makes me cross that Royal Mail produces more and more stamp issues every year but very few of them get to be postally used. They're just trying to make money out of collectors but I've given up on them apart from the definitives. It's just too expensive. They are also absolutely terrible at postmarks, which are either missing or horrible, smudged things, unlike the Dutch, Swiss or German ones.