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| A Collector's Issue | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The What's, Why's & How's of Collecting for pleasure & fun... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What is collecting? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Collecting is the act of accumulating things basically for pleasure or as a hobby. As one gains experience and begins to understand more about what he/she collects, he/she becomes more meticulous and choosy about the pieces he/she acquires. Then the collecting gets serious, compulsive and addictive. Self-control and budget are the only forces that can keep a deliriously obsessed collector grounded to reality. This mundane activity can be elevated into a high art when a collector combines connoisseurship, understanding of, and true enjoyment in his/her collections. It becomes more sublime when supplemented with scholarly study and documentation. When greed and fear overcome a collector, he/she turns into a hoarder. Now that is a wee bit neurotic. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We are what we own: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The things that we own are an extension of ourselves. In our lifelong quest trying to understand our innermost selves, material things provide an insight into, as well as a concrete definition of what and who we are. They embody the things that we find appealing, seductive and desirable, and put into tangible form our personality, taste, preferences and aspirations. People measure us by what we own. It is a material world, after all, and to a great extent, our possessions reveal our level of success, economic post, and mental maturity in life. Our playthings and earthly goods become part of the personal packaging we present to the outside world, and the esteem illicit depends not only on the quality of what we own but also on how much. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A luscious pleasure: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owning is one of the great rewards of life and collecting is definitely one of it's top luscious pleasure. I would say possessing is a great elixir, a most potent incentive for achieving. When there is an object that I know I must have, I use it as my motivation to go on with life... We can accomplish more when there is a reward waiting at the completion of a project. Enjoyingyour object of desire is sheer joy. You can appreciate it's beauty, form, design, colors, texture, uniqueness or variety, and overall sensory appeal or function. If it is an antique, artifact or a period piece, you can delight in its patina (a precious quality only time can paint on an object), vicariously relieve it's glorious days, a savor it's historic or sentimental worth, and flaunt it's provenance. Provenance is where or whom the item came from. It is no secret that provenance adds premium to any object-a faux pearl necklace worn by Jackie Onassis suddenly becomes priceless! Then there is pride of ownership. Showing off your collection to appreciative (and often envious!) friends and viewers gives you a sense of satisfaction no amount of money can buy. Putting together a good collection fills you with a truly elating sense of accomplishment. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Start with fun: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I started collecting because it was fun, first I was into matches then keychain, bottles, postcards, postage stamps, coffret (small bottled perfumes), coins and then my most favorite of them all is banknote collecting. I mostly concentrated on notes from the different parts of the world on which really gives me joy and satisfaction. If you're thinking of starting a collection, do it because you enjoy what you collect. Don't pursue the activity because it is the "in" or the "fad" thing at the moment. Fads can increase demand and artificially inflate prices, and you could be greatly disappointed if the brouhaha cools down and prices fall. You should have loved what you collect no matter what, so you don't feel short-changed when market prices dip. One man's trash is another man's treasure, check out your attic, pore through dusty antique shops, go to flea markets, bargain centers and garage sales. You'll never know what riches you'll find in these serendipitous places. When buying, part of the fun is in the bargaining. You should haggle! Haggle! Haggle! Haggle!� When you get it at the price you want, you'll fill a sense of persuasive victory. Buying an antique or a piece of collectible is like chasing and courting the love of your dreams. There are nights when you can't sleep. Wishing that the item you saw ealier that day had not been sold yet. Then, first thing next day, you rush to the dealer only to find out that someone with a faster decision and a fatter wallet romped away with the coveted prize. You're heartbroken! So, if you really like the piece, leave a deposit and come back for it at once. Or it would be engraved in your mind forever and it might also haunt you forever as the one that got away learned your lesson right there and then. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The sky is the limit: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *You can collect anything and everything under the sun and stars; | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ANTIQUITIES: archeological artifacts, jewelry, pottery, statues, architectural fragments. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ARTS: paintings, religious icons, prints, sketches, sculptures and mobiles. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOYS: dolls, dollhouses, teddy bears, sports cards, matchboxes cars, novel trains and Disney collectibles or even Mc Donald's give away items. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOBBY: stamps, coins, banknotes, vintage cars, model cars and model airplanes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SPORTS: memorabilia, medals, trophies, uniforms, balls and caps. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PUBLICATIONS: comic books, antiques books,magazines and first-edition books. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MOVIES: movie posters, movie photos, movies video films, CD's, VCD's and DVD's. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ADS MEMORABILIA: soda bottles, posters, merchandising materials, calendars, coca-cola memorabilia. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DECORATIVE ARTS: furniture, carpets, & rugs, glass, lamps, lighting fixtures, holiday collectibles, china & porcelain, crystals, antique textiles, linen & quilt, oriented art, pottery and antiques. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ETHNICA: folk art, native paintings, baskets and religious idols. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MILITARIA: nautical antiques, medals, uniforms, guns and ammunitions. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FUNCTIONAL ITEMS: watches & clocks, radios & phonograph, jukebox, typewriters & machines, plates & kitchenware. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PHOTOGRAPHY: antique & vintage photos, cameras and lighting equipment. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MUSIC: music sheets, musical instruments, recording and CD's. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CELEBRITY: celebrity photos, autographs and personal possessions. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FASHION: vintage clothes, timepieces, designer clothes, estate jewelry, fashion jewelry, bags, belts, hats, shoes and accessories. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EROTICA: films, magazines, paintings, posters, drawings, postcards, pictures and gadgets. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| KITSCH: souvenirs (items), knick-knacks, rustic odds and ends. And the list goes on and on and on! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| There are even specific terms for specialty collectors. A philatelist is a stamp collector, a numismatist is a coin collector, and a bibliophile is a private book collector, and a phillumenist is someone who collects matchbooks or matchbox labels. And of course for the banknote or paper money collectors is called notaphilist. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Basic collecting tips: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Here are some important collecting tips: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1.) Know what you want and focus on it. 2.) Develop an eye for beauty and quality. 3.) Buy for love not for "fad" or profit. 4.) Check out flea markets, garage sales and swap meets. 5.) Learn more about what you are collecting. 6.) Date and check out the provenance of your collections. 7.) Find out effective ways to display your collection. 8.) Network with collectors of the same genre. 9.) Ask some advices from the experts. 10.) Enjoy, savor and love your collection. |
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| Letting go: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We are all temporary caretakers of the things we possess. One day, we will all finally have to let go of our worldly collections. The chain of ownership must not be broken, especially for important pieces that have to be kept for posterity. When that day comes, I wish to pass on my little hoard to my niece Precious Valerie Bangayan and hope that she will learn to treasure every piece of my collection with as much passion, love, importance, care and respect as I do. That is, if I don't lose up the collection earlier or sell each item one by one. Of course, you know what they say about a collector. Inside every collector lurks a clever dealer. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discovery of Foreign Paper Money: "He who loses money loses much. He who loses a friend loses more. But he who loses faith loses all." Henry H. Haskins |
"Knowledge is like money: the more he gets, the more he craves." Henry Wheeler Shaw |
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| Foreign paper money is visually appealing because of its color, beauty and detail, and it helps to develop a strong interest in learning. It shows historic events, faraway places, languages and culture. Collecting currency is a great fun for every individual. It's also a fulfillment in life, 'coz you also set a goal in it. World currency notes are a worthwhile, long-term investment. Their value is increasing as their popularity steadily grows. Foreign banknotes is fine art printed on paper, and it plays a key role in the history of man. World currency bills are an effective way to share, inform and educate by really sparkling the imagination. A collection of foreign paper money is a family treasure that can be handed to the next generation. The wide variety of subjects appearing on world currency includes national symbols, maps, flags, icons, heroes, valued objects, exotic plants, animals, birds and musical instruments and much much more. From classical and native music to scientists and scenery, foreign paper money covers virtually every aspect of human life. You can collect at least one from each country and also choose from a large number of themes: birds, flowers, boats and geographical areas. The scope of possibilities is just amazing. World currency notes are perfect travel souvenirs that take up virtually no baggage space. They describe places you visited because they show pictures of meaningful things that are found in each country. Photo albums, family scrapbooks and school projects are greatly enhanced by attractive, colorful foreign paper money in mint condition. A picture is worth a thousand words, and foreign paper money is filled with rich, breathtaking illustrations. Without realizing it, you can become familiar with names and places seldom mentioned. By actually engaging in a relaxing and rewarding hobby, you can also acquire a wealth of knowledge about the world that exists beyond our horizons. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||