I’ve always been a collector. There’s something exhilarating about hunting and gathering. Maybe I have more in common with my cave woman ancestors than I ever imagined.
As a child, I had a thing for glass animals. Doll clothes were a real obsession. One day, I’ll post some pictures of my vintage Barbie clothes—and I do mean vintage. I still love dolls and I’ve had a great time introducing American Girl dolls to my granddaughters.
As an adult, I’ve gotten hung up on things that begin with the letter “B.” See, this isn’t what you thought it was about, is it? First it was bears. I found Lucy and Me Christmas bears at Aldik’s in Pasadena—another store that’s just a fond memory. I soon spotted them in other places and I was hooked. There was nothing quite like going on a quest to a faraway city and coming home with a new prize. The fact my friend Betty—another B word, but in the nicest possible way—was also hooked probably resulted in both of us spending more than we ever intended. Hunting and gathering is even more fun done in a pack.
Eventually, Lucy and Me bears were no longer available. I switched to Boyd’s bears without missing a beat. But there’s only so many places you can put stuffed animals, no matter how cute they are.
My next obsession was baskets. I even sold Longaberger baskets for a number of years, mostly to myself. I am still enthralled with baskets. I recently encountered an interesting wire basket in a sale aisle at Hobby Lobby. Since the tag was missing, I located an employee on the floor to avoid hanging up a cashier. He told me, not only was my find on sale, it was on clearance 
sale–75% off. How could I possibly resist? When I asked what to do about the price, he said I should tell the cashier it was $8.99 before taking the discount. I got this fabulous basket below for $2.25—thank you Raul! Even better than gathering is gathering at a discount!
My latest obsession is books. Before I started writing them, I had a long wish list of books to buy. In fact, I currently have a stash that will take years to read.
I once heard a theory that when we collect things, we are fulfilling some need, however temporary. I know I’m ready to thin out some of my collections. I certainly could use the cupboard space! The younger generation does not seem at all interested in collecting, so I can’t bequeath my treasures to anyone.
What have you collected through the years? And even more important, do you have a plan to downsize?