Do you have any collections?
Yes! I collect a lot of things. Because I enjoy reading 📖 so much, I have a large collection of Reader’s Digest Condensed Books 📚 going back to when that series began in 1951 through 1997. I don’t have every single volume yet, but am always on the lookout for more. Sometimes copies that are still in good (or even excellent condition!) can be found at flea markets, yard sales, or vintage book 📕 stores. I also own the entire 58 volumes of the Hardy Boys Mystery stories along with almost half of the Nancy Drew books 📚 which originally comprised 54 volumes.
Another collection I’ve enjoyed is the TIME-LIFE World 🌎 Library 📚 series which profiled the countries of the world during the 1960s. I have 23 of the original 33 volumes published. So, I’m always looking to find acceptable copies of those too. It’s important for me to read about and get a glimpse of many places that I’ll never actually visit. Collecting music is a big thing for me too – especially vintage lounge from the 1950s-1960s, Doo Wop from the 1950s also appeals to me along with 1970s & 80s pop / rock bands (music I actually grew up with!) Maintaining vinyl and cd 💿 collections is still important to me because you can never be sure that favorite tunes will always be available online from sites like YouTube.
Obviously media is very important to me and I’m always adding special editions of classic movies of great stars from the past, and tv 📺 series like The Twilight Zone and Route 66. Among the other things I groove on are collecting vintage cocktail 🍹 shakers & glasses, any kind of mid century cookbooks from publishers like Better Homes & Gardens, Family Circle and so forth. My collection of National Geographic magazines is huge (around 600 copies so far. Once again, at least I can read about many obscure places that are currently out of my grasp. Another mania I have is to collect tins that contain loose leaf teas, coffee, and candy 🍭 , crackers, cookies etc. (whether the tins are actually vintage or reproductions).
The former Hickory Farms company that used to be in many shopping 🛍️ malls was a great source of these types of gift tins. Nowadays, lots of these items can be pretty expensive to buy from antique & nostalgia shops- so many times I have to be satisfied with reproductions of them. As much as I also love 1930s era Art Deco objects and flatware like the colorful Fiesta pieces – these are also pricy – which means that for the most part I have to be content with copies.
