Collections

I really can't believe it's been about a year since my last blog post.  Facebook has obviously eaten into the blog-o-sphere, at least at my altitude, which is low...that is to say, I was never a huge blogger.  But I do think on the spectrum of writing, blogs are a bit longer-form than Facebook, which is in turn longer-form than Tweets, and--shortest of all--text messages.

So, when I want to ramble, I blog.  And I was thinking the other day that I've always been "a collector."  I'm not sure why, entirely, but I've always collected stuff.  When I was a kid, I was an avid rock and fossil collector.  I had a labeled and categorized collection of hundreds of rocks, minerals, and fossils and I was right into it.  I still have a few dozen rocks, crystals, arrowheads, etc, that I've found or bought and hung on to.

I still collect a few things actively; that is, I am interested in them and will still acquire them or ask for them as gifts. These include

• Books: I think I counted around a thousand volumes in my collection.   I know print books are going the way of the Dodo (and I have a Kindle--which I love for travel), but I'll always love real books. Further, I have a small collection of 1st edition SF/Fantasy books, with concentrations of Gene Wolfe, Ursula Le Guin, Neal Stephanson, and Neil Gaiman.  I have an even smaller collection of vintage SF paperbacks.
• Wristwatches: I have a few classic watches including a Tag Heuer, a Tissot, and a Movado.  I appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of fine watches.  It's a tiny collection, but a collection nevertheless.
• Scotch and other whiskeys of the world.  I enjoy sipping whiskey, and have a small (~30 bottle) collection of Scotch and whiskey from around the world.  Although personally I consider Scotch to be the apotheosis of whiskey, I also enjoy drams from Ireland, Canada, Australia, and Japan.  I've even been known to drink a bit of Bourbon from time to time.

Other things that I have collections of but that I’m not actively collecting:

• Oriental rugs: If I had a place to put more rugs, I would get more.  As it is, I have several that I don't have a place for.  I love the artistry, beautiful designs and craftsmanship of handmade rugs.
• Comic books: Haven't gotten these out for a while, but I have a substantial collection of Silver Age Marvels.  I still buy the odd comic book or graphic novel, but don't actively collect.  With the exception of Sandman, Neil Gaiman, or my favorite artist, P. Craig Russell.
• Records: Still have a few hundred, thought my record player is not working.

So why do I collect these things? It's kind of a compulsion, I suppose....but for the most part, fairly harmless, I hope.  I try not to be a "hoarder", but only keep things that I really enjoy, and within reasonable numbers.  For the most part.  I could probably pare down some of my collections, and to be honest, I've been thinking of doing that...  We'll see.