What items of yours grew in numbers until you realized that you had established a collection of some sort?

Some people are collectors….of items. Like me. Other people, like my mom, never collected anything…except for shoes. (She had exceptionally tiny feet, so she wasn’t going to let go of any of them…so that was “collecting for utility”.) So, I know there are people who just live in Zen-like fashion with no clutter and/or collections of anything. (I wish I was like that, actually.)

I’ve known obsessive collectors (every Royal Doulton figurine since the First World War) or not-so-obsessive collectors who might have a tiny collection of six charms on a bracelet.

Sometimes, we buy something…and then we find something else that is similar and the next thing we know, we have a collection of items. Sometimes it’s unconscious…or it begins unconsciously and then moves into conscious collecting…where you start to actually search for items to add to what you have already. I really like vintage items from the 30’s. I suppose they remind me of my grandmother’s house which was so comforting when I was growing up. I once found a plate that was the same as plates that were my grandmother’s and I kept finding another and another until I was able to acquire a full set. That meant a lot to me for obvious reasons. I am a collector, especially of things that are useful and beautiful.

What did you buy once that eventually grew in numbers into a collection? Why did you feel drawn to those items? Did you find that you once had a collection of something and then you moved into collecting something else?