Pretty n’ Rare
Posted by Zeb in Random on Dec 20th, 2009 | 5 commentsAnyone who knows me, knows how much I love hunting down and acquiring pretty and rare things.
Not just any pretty rare thing… it usually revolves around a specific hobby or interest of mine… most of the time anime or manga related, books or cross stitch related.
Like the time when Amazon was advertising the superbly limited edition Tales of Beedle the Bard Collectors edition. I initially wanted two copies, one to keep in pristine condition, the other to open and drool over. Alas I only bought one copy, and it sits, un-opened, being pristine and untouchable.
Or certain anime/manga statues that are so rare I either have never taken then out of their packaging, or bought two of, just so that I could display one. Many of the rare cross stitch items I have, I don’t think I’ll ever stitch because mentally, I can’t let go of just how hard to find it was.
This sort of thing has to stop, seriously. I have so much stuff lying around gathering dust, its not funny!
Is there a term for this sort of addiction? Collectorholic? Pack rat? None seem to fit.
Part of my problem is that I love the hunt. Being able to source and acquire is part of the fun for me… and that pleasure I feel when I have it. 
One item I don’t regret buying is the Advance Uncorrected Proof September 2003 copy of ‘Threshold’ by Sara Douglas. One of my favourite books, being able to get this manuscript (and for just NZ$25!) made my day.
2010 is going to be a year of de-cluttering. I know I’ve said this in the past, but come hell or highwater, it will happen this time around. Even if it means selling things for way less than what I paid, or just giving it all away, many of the things I own will go!
Thankfully my cross stitch stuff isn’t going to be too difficult. I already have a list of stuff I’ll be selling… its just getting it all online to sell that I’ve been slack on.
Do you guys have this problem? So much stuff, not enough time to do anything with it?
I am sitting here looking at my cross stitching plans for the upcoming year and I’m already stumped as to how I’ll find the time to do it all!
- Blackwork Peacocks by Joan Elliott
- Legend of the Dragons by Teresa Wentzler, Dragon Dreams and Blackswan Designs
- Legend of the Spellcasters by Teresa Wentzler, Dragon Dreams and Blackswan Designs
- Sewing Seeds of Friendship by Teresa Wentzler, Dragon Dreams and Blackswan Designs
- Bluebeard’s Princess by Mirabilia
- Nora Corbett’s Letter A for a workmate done using the dress colours of letter G
With smaller designs in-between for exchanges I may sign up to, or for sanity breaks.
I definitely need to kaizen my life.
How do you do it?
Ending this rather rambly entry with an image of the Christmas exchange I received.
Christmas Exchange Greetings
Thankyou so much Patricia! Its currently hanging at my desk at work, there for me to enjoy and brighten up the space.
5 Responses to “ “Pretty n’ Rare”
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About Me
First, that wall hanging is awesome! Flying Santa is cool and the frame is lovely.
As for collecting, my big passion is books. My bookshelves are 3 books deep with books piled on the floor. I see no reason to either reduce my purchasing or give away any books. I don’t have a problem. I don’t have an addiction. I just have a lot of books. (And I am not in denial!)
I also collect things. While it has it’s drawbacks, it also has it’s good side, such as being able to spend a lazy afternoon re-acquainting oneself with things long packed away.
I have thousands of books, comics, DVDs, role-playing games, wargames, and associated figures / models. I still have stamp collections from when I was a boy. I keep track of my purchases in a spreadsheet, and can say that I have spent approximately $53.6K on miniature figures and models, warganes and role-playing games, since I started keeping track over ten years ago.
On the other hand, I’ve sold off duplicates and things I didn’t want that came as part of bulk purchases, and have sold around $14.5K of stuff, all of it at a profit, meaning my overall cost was only around 40K. this means that on average it’s cost me less than 4K per year, so I don;t think itr was excessive expenditure given what some people spend on booze and cigarettes in a year, or lavish on their car or boat or spend on fishing or sporting gear.
Also, in keeping track of them I’ve also recorded the retail price of those things that I’ve purchased, usually at significant discount or second-hand, and while it’s cost me around 40K, I have close to $100K worth of stuff.
I sometimes think of myself as a dragon, especially when sitting in the middle of my hoard.
The drawback is that it’s very hard for me to move house, and I probably never will again unless forced to.
But I’ve given up being upset at my collecting, I just have to accept that it’s in my nature. I think I would have loved to have been employed as a museum curator or librarian. Unfortunately I make more money in other ways. Should I win lotto I shall retire, and become the curator / librarian of my own collection full time! ^__^
I love finding unusual or rare things for my collections, too. Case in point: the antique linen I just picked up. Do I know what I’m going to do with it? Of course not! But I had to have it. So I can’t help, but I understand perfectly.
Despite having a lot of collectible things, I’ve never really been much of a collector per-se. I can happily let most collectors editions, and genuinely rare items pass me buy. About ten years ago I to buy more of them than I do today, but even back then it was never compulsive in any sense.
Even today there are exceptions, but they have to be things I really want and it doesn’t happen very often. Simply being hard to obtain or scarce is not enough to get my interest.
I think the main reason is that I focus mainly on what items are worth to me. Not simply in terms of monetary cost, but also in terms of how much actual enjoyment I’ll get out of the item, what I could do with the money instead, how much space it takes, etc, etc. There’s no hard and fast rules, it’s more a gut feel kind of thing.
On the flip side, I don’t really sell anything ever so I guess there is at least some collectors instinct in me. ^_^
I’ve got doubles of things too, mainly from bulk purchases needed to complete a set of something. SPACE is the big issue rather than lack of time or any other factor.
Trying to dump it is something of a burden I agree.