some responses I recieved when asking friends: what do you collect?...

jess wrote: i collect vintage fine china teacups and saucers that i rabidly outbid old ladies for at estate auctions...that's right, i go there.

i also collect books and interesting magazines...and words and bits of paper with quotes and scribbles on them.

aiden wrote: My family and I collect coins. Especially really old ones, or ones from across the sea. Euros, Crowns, etc.

heather wrote: I used to collect a lot of things when I was a kid. But not only would I collect, I would put them on display in my room and change around the display every few days. These were things that I had tons of.......
Unicorns.
The Lion King stuff
Toy Story stuff.
Dead butterflies??!!
Smiley faces.
Spice Girls. I had everything... and even stole a sticker from a friend's sister because I was so desperate. (I still feel guilty)
Monkeys
Pictures of Space

Now that I have purged myself of most of those things... I just collect random business cards, or pamphlets, pictures or wrappers or anything to remind me of a trip or of a really good day and just throw it in my closet.
I collect emails and can't let go of some of them.
And I collect history books.

I guess the things you collect just make you happy... and show who you are or what you are interested during that time in your life.

burton wrote: I have a stamp collection. It's pretty freakin sweet. I have these rare princess Diana stamps that were from BEFORE she was dead...I should get them appraised and then sell them to fuel my drinking habits.

nell wrote: Small boxes - I like them because they are small and cute, and I can use them to store small objects like paper clips, elastics, coins, nails, ect... I also collect small glass bottels and little figurines becasue they remind me of my childhood.Then there is teapots- I like them because they are round and their rounded shape is very comforting to look at, like a mother or something.


julia wrote: I collect lunch boxes and have done since I was 18. I've got a total of 22 of them and still collecting more. 4 of them are Betty Boop style, the rest are all random ranging from board game style (candy land and monopoly) to fun character style (harry potter, willy wonka, felix the cat and I love Lucy) to baseball style (blue jays) to even pirate style! (skull and cross bones) Not only can you store your lunch in these fabulous boxes made of tin or plastic, but they can store candles, matches, small books (ie secret diaries) makeup, medicine, guitar pics, coins and many more little trinkets that you love :)

brian wrote: I don't have any hobbies based around collecting, where I'm actively looking to add to my collection just for the sake of having a bigger collection, but when it comes to stuff like art supplies, and like, music i think, i have a hard time throwing stuff out or deleting anything.

I have alot of canvases taking up space in my room which i may never use, as well as all kinds of plasticene and other sculpting type stuff. I can't throw this shit out because I'm really afraid if i do, i'll end up wishing I had it at a later date that I couldnt have forseen.

On the other hand, when I can't find something like that that I know I have, I have a tendancy to just give up and buy more.

I think collecting stuff like that is because they represent potential and it's easy to imagine so many things that COULD be made. I think it feels like i can if i want to, wether I do or not

ashleigh wrote: I have a TON of dolphin figurines (and other dolphin stuff - posters, a bunch of my bathroom stuff, lamps, etc).... it's not a collection based on ME doing the collecting so much as I just like dolphins so my parents (and other people!) find it really easy to give me birthday/Christmas gifts that have dolphins on 'em 'cause they know I'll like 'em. Same goes for Mickey Mouse stuff... I have SO much stuff with Mickey on it, from watches that I wear daily to sheets, to tshirts to a giant poster to stuffed animals, etc.... Same thing there: I don't consiously collect the stuff, but most of it's given to me because people know I'll like it because it has Mickey on it.

broucklyn wrote: I collect sand from every beach i've been to on vacation, while I'm there I buy a little glass jar collect the sand; every jar it different and they are lined up in my room always.

kay wrote: I think its really crazy that kids have albums of stickers. Every single kid has a sticker album! I still have mine.

bonnie wrote: I collect rocks....rocks from the Leslie St spit, rocks from the beaches of Nova Scotia, rocks from the street, rocks from any and all beaches I have ever been to. I now have a HUGE collection of different coloured pebbles from around the world after completing the Reflection Park project. I also have a HUGE collection of rocks from the foundation of my barn. These will be turned into a stone wall that will weave in and out of the 50 ft. spruce trees in my back yard.

I collect glass bits, beach glass, broken tiles, broken dishes for inclusion in panels I create or mosaics.

I have a collection of Barbie dolls - the first one that came out all the way to Skipper and Francine! My aunt would make lovely little gowns for them to wear.
I collect vintage clothing and shoes and fabrics. I love the fabrics so much but I'm always afraid to make anything with them, in case I change my mind or run out half way through or something lame like that.

I collect Santas. I have paper mache Santas from Mexico, wooden Santas, glass Santas, metal santas, santas shaped like stars, santas with long beards, short beards, santas christmas card holders, santa candy dishes! Many, many, many Santas! Enough with the Santas everybody! Buy me jewels!