Of Cats and Collections

[scarlettina]

A while back, I posted a picture of Sophie sitting on top of the cabinet where I display a number of my porcelain cat figurines. The seed of the collection was my mother's Royal Doulton Siamese cat figurine. I suspect the collection began to grow during a period of unemployment when I had far too much time on my hands and very little brain for

Comments

[akirlu]

I think it's awfully useful to have well-defined limits on the criteria for one's collections, if only to keep them a semi-reasonable size. I haven't actively collected tea cups in a while, but the criteria I used were: (1) bone china, (2)gold rims, rather than platinum, (3) matching saucer - no mugs, (4)floral motifs only; ideally, a flower inside the cup as well as outside (5)preference for flowers I don't already have, and (6)exceptions granted for True Love. Even so there was periodically a risk of getting overwhelmed. These days, I don't do tea parties like I used to, having moved too far from my chief partner in crime, but I do still have an awful lot of tea cups packed away, for the day I open my own tea shop, or something.

[criada]

I suspect it also keeps one from becoming "That friend who likes cats/cups/whatever" and therefore being inundated with crap from well-meaning friends at every gift-giving occasion.

[scarlettina]

I think that folks who gift their collector friends with well-intentioned crap just don't understand the collector mindset. I'm always very careful with friends who are collectors. Unless I understand their preferences thoroughly (which is vanishingly rare), I try avoid contributing though I am often tempted.

[akirlu]

You are wise.

[bedii]

I was immunized against Precious Moments figurines by having seen the Tragic Moments figurines on MST3K first.