Collections

Collections can be a problem, because by definition, they continue to grow and to take up space. Particularly when the things you collect are large and unwieldy, like ancient typewriters or tall porcelain dolls.

I'm a collector, too, and I thought I had this problem all figured out. The things I like to collect are small - miniatures, if you will. I have miniature stone dogs, miniature cars from the 60's, miniature colored bottles and miniature sea glass and crystals. There's just one problem - as these collections grow, they take up space, just like typewriters and tall dolls. The illusion exists that you can cram more of them into a small space, but the Law of Expansion proves true just the same: If space exists for you to fill, if you're not careful, you will fill it.

Maybe I accumulate these items because I happen to be short, and I can identify with the proportions of my collectibles. Or maybe it's because they're just so darned cute. Like the photos of impossibly small animals on the internet site, "Cute Overload", I must like just standing in front of them and going, "awwwwww…"

Of course, none of this is any excuse for creating unwanted clutter. I aspire to have a neat arrangement of a reasonable number of items in a place that I can view and appreciate. Which requires subscribing to the following rules:

1. Space is the final frontier, and the final limitation.

2. After appropriate space is filled, decisions must be made.

3. The basic decision is this: At some point, when a new item is acquired, an old one must leave.

4. The old one should NOT be placed into storage somewhere else in your house. This goes against the Law of Expansion.

5. Give away your item to someone who will appreciate it. Visit your item from time, if necessary. But DO NOT, repeat DO NOT, permit the item to re-enter your house or it will immediately take up residence again.

So how do I follow my own advice?

Let's just say I'm working on it.

The good part is that I do appreciate having open space, both aesthetically and functionally. The hard part is that I need to constantly re-assess relative value if I do decide to add to the collection. For instance, I know that I'm reaching the limits of my designated dog shelf space in my office. That means that I probably shouldn't even *look* at the new stone critters that become available. But I do look. Because I just *have* to know if there's one there that's cuter than any I already have. (Occupational hazard of collecting.) I don't do it for monetary value, because then I'd have to be reading collectors books and traveling around to find the best deals, and that's not a hobby I choose to have now.

But I do evaluate the cuteness factor, and occasionally replace a piece. Yes, it can be like saying goodbye to a friend, but the truth is I'd rather love what I look at, than see things all dusty and crowded together.

I love my miniatures. I don't know if they will be as loved by anyone else after I'm gone, but that's one of the reasons I won't over-collect. I don't want my children having to dig through piles of "little pieces of junk" in order to settle mom's estate. I'll give my favorites away to those who might cherish them the way I do, and the rest I'll try to donate.

And in the meantime, I'll continue to hold Cuteness Contests as a way of amusing myself, and enjoying my treasures.