What have you enjoyed collecting?

Over the years I have collected old postcards, mostly from EBay and antique shops. I prefer them to be of places where I have lived. I did collect coins, at one time, but had to sell for some unforeseen bills.

I also have a large collection of old cereal premium gadgets, mostly Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers items.
For awhile I was going overboard on collecting but have narrowed it down to just Hoppy things.
 
About 35 years ago, I got into collecting Santas. I found out that collecting was like a serious psychotic condition......I HAD to have more Santas, more Santas, MORE SANTAS. Eventually my collection grew to be well over a thousand. After my husband died, my interest in the Santas died - bam! A few years ago, I took a booth in an antique shop and sold most of them. I have absolutely no plan to ever collect anything again. Well, except maybe my grey hair, wrinkles and extra pounds collection and I don't have much say about that.
 

jujube said:
About 35 years ago, I got into collecting Santas. I found out that collecting was like a serious psychotic condition......I HAD to have more Santas, more Santas, MORE SANTAS. Eventually my collection grew to be well over a thousand. After my husband died, my interest in the Santas died - bam! A few years ago, I took a booth in an antique shop and sold most of them. I have absolutely no plan to ever collect anything again. Well, except maybe my grey hair, wrinkles and extra pounds collection and I don't have much say about that.
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That at brings up an interesting consideration...is it collecting or hoarding? I'm glad you were able to sell your santas :)

I found this article interesting.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blo...ce-between-compulsive-hoarding-and-collecting
 
Coffee mugs made by artisans from the various places we've traveled. Love the creativity, shapes and colors. I'm up to about 20 or so, enough that I now have to relegate some to a closet. My wife knows I'm always looking to add to the collection. Every morning with coffee I get a little reminder of past trips.
 
I once had a collection of matches to all of the restaurants, bars, hotels or anyplace that had matches laid out for customers to pick up and that had their name on them. I once had over 6 brown grocery bags full. Then, maybe 10 years ago, my wife had a yard sale with her sisters and asked if she could put them out. I told her that nobody is going to want them. So she put a price tag of $10.00 on them and a sign to "make offer." She said they went almost right away. I guess it's true that "One man's junk is anther's treasure."

I also used to take the little bottles of shampoo and conditioner, along with another amenities the hotels would lay out for the people staying in the room. (I always carried my own.) Because I traveled so much as a pilot, I would accumulate hundreds of these little bottles every year. We donated them to a homeless shelter here in the county that we live in and also a nursing home that the county supports for people that cannot pay to go to a private nursing home. They were really appreciative of these little bottles and actually looked forward to receiving them.
 
Figurines, pictures, wooden figures, books, everything imaginable in the image of cats. Some was my mother's too. She only had one living cat at a time, but cats were all over the house. Since getting the pups I've added statues and all of bull dogs too.
 
It would seem I collect tubes of paint and paint brushes, considering how many I have and the little painting I actually get around to doing. I plan to do better this next year and paint again, as I love doing it.

As far as collections I have a lot that other people have collected and I obtained from cleaning up their estates. I have a large plastic bucket (the kind kitty litter comes in) full of matchbooks from the 50s and 60s. I wanted to put them on eBay but I don't think I can mail matches.

I had a few hundred of those collector plates of all kinds that people buy through the mail. Some were vintage and some weren't. I was shocked to find out they weren't going for much on eBay so I put them in a yard sale and sold most of them to a man who came by for $100 as it was Mother's Day and he thought his wife would like them. I wouldn't be surprised if she killed him when he got home. They were still all in there Styrofoam holders and all set up for a true collector. There were a few valuable ones from France which I sold on eBay. She also had a lot of those collector dolls I had to deal with and it was the same thing. They were going for a fraction of what she paid for them.

I used to collect salt and pepper shakers because I think they are so cute but I got tired of dusting them. If I had a big kitchen I'd collect vintage cookie jars, I love those.
 
Art supplies, paints, colored and lead pencils, tons of brushes, paper, books, fabric, vintage lace, case full of vintage buttons, semi precious beads and stones, findings, tools. jewelry, wool, you name it, I've got it. This is what happens when your into art and crafts all your life.
 
Helpful hint-I have a huge plastic tool box. All the compartments and the inner fittings are great for paint supplies. I've got zillions of Apple Barrel bottles.
 
Agree Fur - toolboxes are great for art supplies --- but I have so much that I have devoted a whole dresser to it - and another desk just for tools. Amazing what accumulates over the years and I am loathe to part with any of it -- yet.
 
I collected oil/kerosene lamps at one time. I've got about 15 now. No more! Need to downsize to at most 10. No where to put them all. :)

Like Oldman, I also collected matches and soap bars with names on them, from motels on trips we took when I was a kid. The humidity got to them long ago.
 
Tools,lots of old USA hand made tools and world coins and paper money. I got the hobby of tools as a kid from my grandfather. The coins and paper money came from my father and uncle during WW2. Over the years I have been able to add to them. I am currently collecting old vintage USA made bench Vises. The stuff today from overseas is no comparison...
 
4 O'Clock Somewhere said:
Tools,lots of old USA hand made tools and world coins and paper money. I got the hobby of tools as a kid from my grandfather. The coins and paper money came from my father and uncle during WW2. Over the years I have been able to add to them. I am currently collecting old vintage USA made bench Vises. The stuff today from overseas is no comparison...
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My husband collected tools all his life..you should see our garage...lol.
 
Interesting question, someday if I wanted to downsize and donate rather than sell...what organizations might appreciate a huge collection of cat items?
 
fureverywhere said:
Interesting question, someday if I wanted to downsize and donate rather than sell...what organizations might appreciate a huge collection of cat items?
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just a thought..maybe an animal shelter thrift shop if you have one in the area...and what a nice way to support animal rescue.
 
I used to collect license plates. I had them on the wall in the bedroom that served as my office. They were from 26 countries, all sizes, shapes and colors. We have moved twice since then and my wife has commandeered the spare bedroom as her sewing room. I still have a few.
 
I used to collect old magazines, especially ladies magazines from the turn of the century until the early 1920's. I gave them all away when I moved. Mags in those days were huge in size, full of beautiful illustrations and interesting articles of the day. I had a large collection of books as well, which I gave away.

here is one that I had

Ladies-HOme-JOurnal-1900.jpg
 
Oh we had some of those, I still have a box of movie mags and True Story from the thirties and forties. I have to open and read again sometime...fun fact...Lysol, yep what gets those pesky stains from tub grout...used to be marketed as a heavy duty way to feminine freshness...I kid you not...hurts to think about it.
 

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