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

Re: Collecting a PS

[(Anonymous)]

Hope you don't mind a further comment on collecting? The Fisher book is quite common and easily available on www.abebooks.co.uk I used to help out in my friends' bookshop (they've since retired, so I don't do this any longer) and this book was always readily available. And yes, 84 Charing Cross Road is a firm favourite of mine and is a reading list in itself! Mind you, a lot of Hanff's reading was a little more highbrow than what I normally cope with! But books on and about books are also favourites of mine, autobiogs. of publishers, for instance. I had several but I had to make way for other books and parted with them, sadly. An Occupation for Gentlemen by Fredric Warburg was one of them. As for books on collecting, I would mention the books by Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone (Slightly Chipped and Used and Rare). I also think you might enjoy the Lyttelton Hart-Davis Letters (all 6 volumes!) These are the letters of George Lyttelton, father of the late Humph, and publisher Rupert Hart-Davis, father of Adam of TV fame, and journo, Duff. I don't know why these letters of two urbane, erudite English gentlemen appealed to me (written in the 1950s) but they did! Indeed, I found them unputdownable which is something to say for 6 volumes of gentlemanly correspondence! There is also a biog. by Philip Ziegler: Rupert Hart-Davis, Man of Letters.
Margaret Powling

Re: Collecting a PS

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Your comments and hints are welcome, thank you!

Re: Collecting a PS

[(Anonymous)]

The Stanley Fisher book has arrived (via abebooks) and I'm really enjoying reading it. He even mentions the book Antique Dealer by Way, and Thomas Rohan's books such as Old Beautiful (both of which I suggested as further reading.) Also he mentions Lady Charlotte Schreiber whose vast ceramics collection was bequeathed to the V&A (and we saw some of this collection on a visit there several years ago and magnificent it is.) Thank you so much for reminding me of this lovely, entertaining and informative book, Collector's Progress!
Margaret Powling

Re: Collecting a PS

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Glad to have brought back those memories, Margaret!