A Monday Q & A

 

I've been enjoying the comments and questions you've left so much that today I thought I'd respond in a question-and-answer format. There's a really good question at the end from one of you, so try not to get bored.

Q. Do you collect dog figurines?

Why, yes, I do. Actually nobody asked this question exactly, but it enables me to use a picture of my very specific figurine collection: white chalkware or plaster Scotty dogs. If I collected Scotty dogs in general, the collection would be too vast. Black Scotty dogs would be too easy. White chalkware Scotty dogs make it just challenging enough. 
 
Q. How big is Polly? Is she armed?

Several of you asked about my guard cat's capabilities after seeing her on duty:

 

Well, it's kind of like the first Harry Potter book, in which you have to get past a series of obstacles to reach your goal. Before you ever got to Polly, you'd have to get through the entry that's clogged with my daughter's footwear. Then you'd probably be knocked over or deafened by Carson, who likes to greet people by barking and lunging. Once you realized Carson was only being affectionate, you would try to climb the stairs, accompanied by Polly's sister Patch, who would rub against your ankles and probably trip you.  Assuming anyone could get this far, you'd need to slip past Polly, who specializes in jumping into people's laps and immobilizing them. If you try to move, she ever so gently extends her claws. And she's got double toes, so yeah, she's armed. And dangerous.

 
 
Q. Are you enjoying your break from the computer?

Not so much. Some things are best discussed after rather than before the fact, and a week ago I had a couple of surgical procedures.  Medical stuff makes me squeamish, especially when it's performed on me. I'm doing great and count among my accomplishments of the past week getting through almost an entire day without a nap and making my own toast. Apparently my ability to concentrate was removed while I was under anesthesia, because I think this post has taken me about two hours to write. Thank heavens I took lots of pictures beforehand.

Q. What's a napkin girl?

The subject of napkin girls came up when one of you suggested that I did not collect them, and then another of you wanted to know what they were. (I apologize for the lack of links here, but I'm pretty sure that would take me another two hours.) Anyway, picture a ceramic figurine. From the front, it looks like a regular figurine, but the back is molded in a kind of U-shape so it can hold napkins. They can be cute, in kind of the same way that planters and head vases can be cute. Something I might want to collect some day are sprinkler bottles. They've got little sprinkler tops that people used when they ironed. I had one, but it wasn't all that cute, and I think I put it out at my yard sale. If I take up sprinkler-bottle collecting, I will want to be very specific about it. Maybe I'll collect only white Scotty dog sprinkler bottles.

 

Here's a closeup of one of the dogs in the previous picture. It's a souvenir from Auburn, N.Y., which is just down the road from me. Even though it was not a chalkware Scotty dog, I felt I should keep it, since it had a local connection. And then I kept the other Scotty dog that wasn't chalkware to kind of balance it out.

 

These are multicolored Scotty dog charms that I bought from Karla at Karla's Cottage. (There's a link in my blog roll, but everybody in the world knows Karla.) (I seriously need to update my blog roll. It's like a year out of date.) Even though I'm not a jewelry person at all, I like the idea of having a necklace or bracelet with little plastic game pieces. So far I have houses, your standard-issue game markers, and these. And some tiny cowboys, and a bunch of little milk bottles. And some cows and dinosaurs. Actually, I think I have more than enough for this project, now that I start thinking about it.
 
Q. What do you think is the best way for an undiscerning lover of vintage to collect?
 
This question comes from Ruthann, and I just love it. It's really fun to think about what we collect and why we collect it. I think it depends a lot on your particular circumstance. I like to collect holiday items - and mostly just Christmas and Halloween, and not so much any other holiday - because my house is small and it enables me to change things around. I like sewing items because I have happy memories of my mom and grandma and great-grandma sewing. Actually, pretty much anything I collect has something to do with a good memory. There's the school of thought that suggests you collect things that are actually useful, like kitchenware. I can go either way on this: I love kitchenware, but there's already so much stuff I have to have in my kitchen that I can't load it up too much more. (Hence, the dining room.)

Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this: If you were just starting out collecting, where would you begin? Oddly enough, one of the chalkware Scotty dogs was one of the very first things I bought at an antique store, and I have no idea why.

Comments

[Linda @ A La Carte]

I love this post but sorry it took you so long to write. Anesthesia does take awhile to recover from. I think my collections start with something just speaking to me....hard to explain. Then I will see another one and another one and Viola, I have a collection.
Hey Feel Better Soon!
PS I remember sprinke bottle with the little aluminum caps. Now I want one!

[Carol @ Old Glory Cottage]

You're supposed to collect things that are useful? I don't think that a single thing I collect is useful. Except maybe for the picnic baskets, which provide much needed storage. Like you, I think most of what I collect is connected to happy memories, in one way or another. And I'm sorry, but I have no business giving anyone advice on collecting. I need an intervention!
I hope all is well with you, and all of the anesthesia has worn off!
Happy Monday!
Carol
P.S. Polly scares me a little...

[Lisa]

I come from a family that collects, I don't think I had a choice! I just collect all things that I love, but it thrills me when I can add to one of my Mom's or Grandma's collections.

Hope you make a full recovery soon!

[Elaine Richardson]

I, too, come from a long line of collectors! I think it is in the blood. I add to my Mother's collections, as well as many of my own. My most unusual collection I think is nuns....

[April]

Cute Scotties! I love all things Scottie, but don't collect any in particular. (I have a small house, too!)
And I collect vintage Christmas-but who doesn't?

Since I have a 2 year old and one on the way, my perspective has changed a lot on what to buy. Ava is very careful, but it just takes so much time to dust/clean/rearrange, and I'm tired, man!
So mostly I buy useful things, and try to not buy anything new.
That is challenging, fun, and makes the cleaning more fun!

[LiLi M.]

Hope you are doing better every day Barbara. Yes, sigaretten is the Dutch word for cigarettes, you are doing well! In no time I can write my comments in Dutch and next is you're improving my spelling!
I think I collect in pictures: I like something, let's say vintage Barbie. I'll buy some vintage Barbie dolls, but then I need a car too, and there is a vintage road map: I need two male and two female dolls, yep glasses too, wait wait, did I see there are vintage car keys?
Rather than trying to make a collection complete, using a cataloque, I collect as I descibed. I like to collect things that you can actually use too, but I know myself. I end up putting the most lovely things in the back of the cupboard using the less valuable pieces in the front. Silly, I know.

[LiLi M.]

I meant catalogue, of course!

[Into Vintage]

I love this post and have been thinking about what I collect and why - my 'rules.' I too collect things that evoke memories - Christmas ornaments, state collectibles for places I've lived/been, vintage linens (this one actually falls under OCD), and other random things that remind me of happy events. Apparently I tend to 'vintageize' my experiences.

I always learn a lot from your blog. Thanks for that. :-) -amy

[Into Vintage]

PS Hope you're feeling much better every day.

[Maureen]

The colorful plastic Scottie dog charms are so cute. I don't actually have any collections per say, but I do like to purchase individual vintage items. Usually specific items that I remember from childhood that somehow over the years, made their way out of my life. No, I lie. I do collect vintage wedding and baby cards..and vintage photographs of anyone. And I collect dust, all over my house, because I spend so much time looking at all the lovely vintage collector's blogs. ;)
Hope you feel better soon!
Maureen

[Martha]

I don't think one just decides to collect stuff -- it just happens because there's an item you're uncontrollably attracted to. I collect...

vintage fabric (which I actually use to make quilts) - makes perfect sense

vintage quilt & embroidery patterns (I use them & also share them on my blog) - not really weird at all

vintage coloring books (allegedly for embroidery patterns) - makes a little sense, but there's way too many so now it's a little strange

vintage picture books, especially ABC and Mother Goose (no rationale at all here --I just love the illustrations) - really pretty weird, and you can't even display them.

When I'm feeling silly about my collections, I like to think of one of my blog friends who has a lovely collection of vintage fabric, but doesn't sew -- then I feel better.

Sorry to hear about your ordeal, and hope you are feeling much better very soon.

[Shelley G in Iowa]

I suspected your absence was medically related. I don't have anything relevant to add to the Q & A portion, I just want to send my best wishes for a speedy recovery!

[Freckled Hen]

I hope you are doing well and have a speedy recovery. Hopefully you are taking it easy and spending hours organizing future blog posts.
I over-analyze what I collect mostly because we are a military family and move often. Nearly everything I collect reminds me of my Gram in some way or another. I didn't realize this until about a year ago. My childhood wasn't all that childlike, my Gram was a sunny part of it. Somehow this seeped into me collecting gay fad dishes and WWII era airplane toys. It makes me happy to collect stuff. It also makes me happy to read your blog about you collecting stuff!

[Janelle]

Hope you're taking it easy and not overdoing it...it definitely takes a while to bounce back from such things!

I think if I was starting collecting now, I'd collect old maps and old photos and make displays of them. I don't really have much wall room to do that at this point, though.

Have any of you ever just fallen into a collection? I mean, you buy up a box lot or two at an auction and voila--instant collection. That's what happened to me with vintage tablecloths! I am all about the visual appeal; I like old children's books with beautiful illustrations, old globes (love the colors), old holiday postcards...

[laurie magpie ethel]

Glad you are feeling a bit better and your toast making skills are getting a workout. I don't know when i started collecting - as a child I collected postmarks. Now, as you know, I have entered a realm of crazy collections of just about everything. That little game piece bracelet you are thinking about making, may be a good project while you are on the mend. Good to hear from you via blogland!

[Julie]

Hello B - what can I say, my father is Scottish which means collecting (my Mum calls it hoarding) is in the blood (you should see his garage). I just like to say that, unlike my Dad, I know when to quit (I think - hubby might not agree). So for some of us it is an unexplicable habit built into our DNA...and my tastes have certainly changed over the years (I still have a box of Star Trek junk and Dark Shadows paperbacks in the depths of my basement - then there was the momentary insanity of bean babies). I like to think my collections, while still eclectic, are more tasteful now as benefiting a woman of my age (snort). Anyway, I agree with Janelle - I don't go looking for collections, they come lookin for me (that's my story and I'm standing by it). Recover soon my friend! Jewels

[Karla Nathan]

I can't wait to see the plastic charm necklace. And then the collection of plastic charm necklaces that will follow?

Take care and feel better soon!

[Tammy]

My name is Tammy and I am a collectaholic. Well, let's see....I have quite a collection of seashells but 90% were gathered on the beach on family vacations. Does that make it a collection or just souvenirs? Then there's the double-handled vase collection in shades of white and ivory. I loved the first one, found another I really liked, thought they'd look great together. But, liking to display in odd numbers, had to find a third.....#4 was gorgeous and a great deal, back to odd numbers - had to purchase #5...See how it happens? - so innocently and yet morphs into something that takes on a life of its own! I can't even begin to discuss vintage linens - my collection has categories! Yikes!

[Mary @ Turkey Farm Treasures]

My three biggest collections are indeed useful and are associated with wonderful memories.
1-My mother's Fenton milk glass, it's used everyday. 2-Vintage tablecloths, although they weren't vintage in the 60's when we first used them. 3-aprons -especially organdy- they come to me sometimes without any effort at all, I've even found some in the trash.

Feel better Barbara

[Margaret]

I think the best thing to collect is something you actually use. My collection of Franciscanware china in the Ivy pattern began with four luncheon plates purchased in Bouckville and has since grown to service for 12. It's stored where I can get at it and we use it a lot. I'm not one for collecting a lot of stuff that sits out on the mantle or end table and needs to be dusted.

In regards to your anesthesia: I had side effects both physical and mental that I didn't want to tell you about because everyone and every body is different. But I couldn't concentrate for $%^&*# afterwards. Had all the time in the world to read but couldn't do so for weeks. Lived on the couch with my gimp arm propped up, watching the Winter Olympics, "Law and Order'' and "The Today Show.'' How sad is that?!?