Is There Such a Thing

as "Collector's Anonymous"??  I sit here in my domain and look around me and find I am surrounded by various collections of various things.

There are my Boyd's Bears, of which I have 200+.  Probably about 30 of them are out and about in this house, but in Alaska they were all out.  Tucked here, there are everywhere! Except for the motor home bears, of course.  People would get a kick out of spotting bears in all sorts of places.  And I have furniture for a lot of them.  When Maggie & Emily were wee little lasses, they would play with them {ever so carefully, with Grammy's bears!} and have little tea parties and picnics with them.  Sweet memories :)  But now that I am past my phase of collecting bears, what do I do with them all?  I thought about selling some of them on eBay.  I looked the other night and there were over 18,000 Boyd's Bears listed.  Seriously!  I don't think I need to bother even trying to sell any of mine.  A few very rare ones that I have, are ones I wouldn't want to sell anyway.

Then there are my chickens.  Glass, hens on nest dishes, hand painted artware.  I only have about 30 of those.  One was my Great-Grandmother's and I think that is what inspired me to start collecting them one day.  Some were acquired on eBay, but most were collected from Antique shops around the country whilst we were traveling.  I would probably buy more chickens if I saw some that I really loved, but I haven't even been to an Antique Shop in ages and we used to hit them all frequently.

Then there's my Depression Glass collection.  Holy cow!  I've seen people with more than I have, but only a few.  I am lucky to have some pieces that were my Mother's and my Great-Grandmother's.  Those I will cherish, but what about the rest?  I probably have 20 vintage vinegar cruets, 15 sets of vintage salt & pepper shakers, a lot of Westmoreland Milk Glass in the grape pattern, many Fenton pieces in various patterns; bowls, glass baskets, vases, cake plates.......Almost a complete setting for 12 of Indiana Glass Madrid pattern dishes in Amber and several pieces in Clear.  So many pieces gathered up all across the states from PA to Florida to Indiana to Arizona.

The Amish area just south of Elkhart, Indiana used to be one our favorite places to spend time and it was there that I would pick up most of my table linen collection.  Table clothes and dish towels galore.  I love them all!  I still pick one up now and then on eBay :).  It was also in that area that Chuck would find HIS collection addiction pieces.  Cast Iron Trivets.  Well over 100 of them.  He learned all about them and knew just what to look for.  We would have so much fun!



Then there's my Whimsiclay Cats

And my Alley Cat Figurines

And I must not forget my Mary Engelbriet Tea Pots and other little goodies

This is a really crazy post and I'm not even sure what the point is.  I think I'm trying to tell myself that it's time to decide the difference between my true 'treasures' and the junque and get rid of some junque!

Good God..........does this mean I'm getting......ya' know......old?!?