Do you collect something? Dainty porcelain faeries, or bean-filled stuffed animals? Model cars or old European maps? Maybe you save stones or have a bracelet collection.
Maxwell waiting for new sheets.
I have to guess that almost everyone collects something. Maybe?
I realized, as I was walking the aisles in Sears tonight, that my collection may be a bit unusual. Call it odd or strange, but two or three times a year I am compelled to buy a new set of sheets for the bed. My linen closet is bursting. I don’t know why, particularly, but I enjoy buying new sheets, the search for the perfect sheet—must be 400 thread count or more, be mostly organic, and a pleasing color—is something that makes me happy. My greatest find was 900 thread count mint green sheets. Nummy. I also get quite giddy when I find bamboo sheets (they are so soft). I love sorting through my sheets in the closet, too, just as perhaps a collector looks over her favorite possessions.
Maxwell pleased with the latest addition to collection.
I picked up a swell set of bamboo sheets tonight (sort of paper bag color but I’ve decided to call them champagne), and as usual, the cat likes to help me make the bed. What is it with cats and needing to be right there in the middle of the action when making the bed? Maxwell was pleased with my choice.
So I want to know what you collect! Do you have an odd or unusual collection? How long have you been collecting? Would you ever give them up? (I ask because I used to collect Dezine faeries, and now would love to just give the entire collection away; they’ve become dust collectors.) I’m happy with my assortment of sheets. What makes you get all giddy and eager for the hunt?
I’m giving away a box of decadent chocolates that I picked up from Trader Joes. Mmm…if I hadn’t given up sugar these would not last long. Thankfully, for one lucky winner, I can resist, and the box will be delivered intact. 😉
Michele
Riding With The Top Down 
I collect salt and pepper shakers. I started when I was around the age of 12. I keep them at my Mom’s house as she has a lot more room to display them. I have several shapes: cats, dogs, beer bottles, canning jars, flower pots, ceramic shapes, people shaped bakers, firemen etc. Over the years, I’ve slowed down on the collecting but every now and then I find a new set to add. It’s fun, inexpensive and a conversation piece.
Laurie, I could so get into salt and pepper shakers. Every time I see a whimsical set in a store my hand automatically reaches for them. Fun!
I LOVE high-thread, super soft sheets too. My bamboo sheets are my favorite, but are getting a little worn out. I had a set of 1000 count sheets. Used them so much we wore a hole in the bottom sheet. SOOOOO soft.
I don’t collect…the “have to dust them” problem. However, I seem to buy too many purses. Just love purses. Does that count? 🙂
ArkansasCyndi, that is exactly the reason why I’m off collecting faeries. You have to dust them. 🙂
I collect old books and anything to do with angels – figurines, ornaments, etc.
Margay
My mother collects those Seraphim angels (I think that’s what they’re called). Very pretty. Old books. Num. I guess I do like to pick up another copy of The Three Musketeers every once in a while. As long as it is older than me and has pictures, that’s my criteria. 🙂
I collect books. I did collect Dreamsicles at one time, but like you, would like to give away the collection now. I don’t even have them displayed anymore. I guess I outgrew them. Oh yeah, and cooking magainzes. I love cooking and finding new recipes that I just have to try. I really shouldn’t even buy any more but of course what else do you do in the checkout line of the grocery store but look at the magazines and I just think to myself “Just one more.”
Denise, wouldn’t be fun to give them away? I imagine handing them out to any random stranger who has the misfortune to knock on my door. “You’re selling something? Wait! I have a faery for you!” Ha!
Michele – you crack me up. Sheets? You collect sheets? That’s a new one … but I sort of DO get it. LOVE those 400 + thread count sheets.
I was forced into collecting years ago because my mother (oh, how I miss her!) was always casting about for ideas for Christmas gifts and it made it easier for her if I had (or started) a collection. LOL. So … I have a lovely collection of pink depression glass. Green is most common but the pink — have to admit, it’s gorgeous. so I have serving bowls and wine glasses and little parfait glasses, sugar creamer … well, LOTS of pieces all displayed in a curio case and mostly collecting dust. I admit that I don’t get it out often because it’s so delicate but I’ve decided to use many of the pieces at Christmas this year, because, after all … it SHOULD be used, right? If it gets broken, oh well … at least we will have enjoyed it instead of just looked at it :o)
Oh, Cindy, my mother used to collect pink depression glass. It’s gorgeous! She had so many pieces, but over the years has sold it because it just wasn’t interesting to her any more. I still remember holidays when all the food was served in pink dishes. Think I actually snagged a piece or two for memory sake.
I collect dictionaries, recipes and cat stamps (big and domestic cats) and I’m trying to fill one album with space stamps, simply because I got so many of them once in a trade. When it’s full, I’ll trade for something else. I’m too much of a Scrooge to just give something away. But I really don’t like it when instead of actual stamps I just see a white sticker or a sticker with U.S. Mail logo and the date and the price of the postage. I’ve really started to hate that bird. Even if there were stamps I don’t collect I could always trade them for other stamps. But who on earth would want stickers with U.S. Mail logo?
Minna, stamp collecting fascinates me. Do you go to the post office and buy the sheets when they are issued? I think it would be funny (but maybe a little spendy?) looking through albums of stamps.
I use to collect pigs and then I became over run with them and had no place to put them. Now I collect thimbles form different places. I don’t have that many of them but if someone is going somewhere on vacation I ask them to bring me a thimble. They are small and don’t take up much room.
Isn’t it interesting how a passion can one day just…take over, and suddenly we’re not so interested in it anymore?
Your collection sounds wonderful. I collect bracelets. Cute types, leather, lightweight and easy to wear types. I have a difficult time locating bracelets that fit my wrist so when I do find one that is lovely and fits I enjoy and appreciate it.
A wearable collection. Now that’s the way to go Then you can share with everyone what makes you happy. I don’t think anyone really wants to see my sheet collection. 😉
As a kid, it was horse statues. But when I joined my first writing group, we were the “Pregnant Pigs” (long story) and we all became piggie collectors.
Terry
Terry’s Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
Sounds like a fun story!
Sheets sound wonderful (and useful)! I do not own “good china or cutlery”. I don’t have displays of beautiful things. I am into usefulness all the way. That being said, I own over 700 unread romances of various genres, so my family would say I collect books. I choose not to think that, as I give them away as soon as I’ve read them. They don’t gather dust (for long). I would say that I collect scrapbooking materials – especially stickers. I could look those over for ages in a store (and often do), narrowing down my choices to so many dozen packages. I wrap gifts in tissue paper and then plop numerous pretty stickers all over it and the envelope for the card. I write my own poems for the cards, so I decorate the card with even more (often matching) stickers. If there’s an excuse, I have the sticker!
I like your collecting habits, Laney. 🙂 I like to pick up pretty scrapbook papers. Only thing is, I don’t scrapbook. So I hoard them for a while, and then give them to my son’s girlfriend, who does scrapbook. I’m sure she thinks I’m quite odd, buying the stuff if I never plan to use it. But some of those papers are so gorgeous!
Wish I lived closer (LOL). I too have lots of scrapbooking papers, but I do (eventually) use it. (So she says .) I DO use it!!!
Trader Joe’s! I LOVE TJ’s! We’ve had one in our neighborhood for little over a year, but I thought it was one of those expensive yuppie gourmet places until I gave it a try last spring. It’s more like a no-sale, fair-priced, natural food, ordinary mensch place. Boomer heaven! A lot to love.
I live at Trader Joes. 🙂 Go there at least once a week. So many different but neat things to find, and easy to make. Bought me some brussels sprouts last week and now I’m love with those. Also love their flowers.
I collect books, lots of books, LOL. I also collect turtles, though in much smaller quantities than the books. I have turtles in all shapes and sizes, it’s not a huge collection, but it’s represented in most rooms of the house.
Hmm, not live turtles? I hope?
Oh, yeah, collecting. You know me. Pack rat Kathleen. I collect books, of course. Also dolls, ink wells, tea pots, deviled egg plates (don’t laugh), all kinds of artifacts, American Indian treasures……
I haven’t added much in recent years. I have to be a grown-up. We have kids again, and they accumulate tons of stuff.
The deviled egg plates do not make me laugh. I remember those. Would love to have one now since I’ve recently discovered how much I enjoy boiling eggs. 🙂
I am definitely a collector (pack rat). Books are a given (probably have 2,000 and they’re everywhere). I have just begun to donate a few at a time since books should be read! Cups/mugs, playing cards, ornaments, stamps, recipes (but those I’m trying to get rid of because everything is on the internet) and oh yes, cats. I help ferals/strays and have had 7 at one time but only 4 at the moment inside (3 outside)and they do like making the bed lol.
Who’da thought catslady collects cats? 😉
Do you go to the post office and buy the sheets when they are issued?
Only if there are cats on them. And here in Finland the stamp sheets (with for instance few different cat pictures) are not all that big. But for the most part I get more stamps by swapping. I sure don’t see them too often in envelopes any more!
And if I really wanted, I could get -real- stamps with pictures of my late cats on them(sadly, right now I don’t have cats). It’s possible now here in Finland! You might not get the picture of your face on coins, but you can have it on stamps. And because I wouldn’t have to order a huge number of them, it wouldn’t be too expensive either.
I collect Christmas ornaments. not out long enough to dust…and that makes them perfect for me.
my parents collect stuffed animals, though I don’t think they are aware they do. They used to attend the fair long ago and my stepdad racked up on the stuffed animals. There’s now 2 closets full of stuffed animals. my sister and I recently went through them and pulled a few out for our kids.
stuffed animals. ugg. my daughter had a lot of those, and then when she went to college packed them up and shoved them in a closet. If I asked if I could get rid of them, she protested. They are just dust collectors, in my mind. Finally she claimed the bag and took to her own house. Bet she tossed them. 🙂
does my TBR pile count as collecting..lol
I collect Christmas Snow Globes.I got one about 10 years ago as a gift and loved it. I’ve been collecting them since.besides getting them myself,someone always goves one to me as a xmas gift.
TBRs are definitely a collection! I guess that means I collect more than sheets, too. 🙂
Lately, is seems I have been collecting romance novels. I really must go through some boxes and donate some to the library, it is getting out of hand!
I bet the library would love you for that, Karyn!
I don’t collect anything, Michele, except for maybe dust! But after reading your blog post, I could be a sheet freak, too! Didn’t know there were bamboo sheets that are softer than the regular kind. Where did you get them?
I have the softest pillowcases I”ve ever had – I think they’re the Hotel Collection from Macy’s. Mmmm, I purr for the right pillowcase!
Helen, I actually found the sheets at Sears! Surprised me. Usually I get lucky and find them at Home Goods. Love that store. Always have something different in there, and it’s priced cheap, too.
Yep, for some reason bamboo is the softest. Doesn’t sound like they would be, but they are. I have some bamboo pants and shirts too. Also my favs, because they are so soft.
I collect stamps, coins, postcards(from places I’ve visited or my friends have visited) and magnets. My aunt collect perfume bottles and has a pretty nice collection.
I used to collect salt and pepper shakers and Coca Cola things but had to sotp, no where to put them ,lol still have a few left. 🙂
I’m trying to stop collecting, but family and friends decide that I should have collections and they arbitrarily start them for me. I kid you not. I now have a huge collection of Wizard of Oz stuff because my sister decided that with the Oz being an important part of GMC workshops that I needed a Wiz collection. Puzzles, figurines, books, movie posters, etc. All of it is in boxes. ::sigh::
My father once decided I collected owls and so I started getting all kinds of owls for Christmas and birthdays, including a stuffed owl.
I collect postcards and I have for about 25 years. I have all kinds of cards but I particularly like lighthouse ones. I really like lighthouses, even though I’ve never seen one. I used to be in some postcard trading clubs and I have some from all over the world. I really enjoy them and get them out frequently and look at them. I also collect bookmarks but I’ve only been doing that for about 5 years.
I used to collect unicorns. now though I collect books and my husband would tell you I love to collect clothes. Freecycle is such a great thing.