Which of your collections do you spend the most time, energy and/or money on?

My present collections are all purely accidental and very random.

They’re purely the result of years of getting things here and there because I love these things:

1.  They’re dirt-cheap — and therefore easy to collect because they have add very little financial burden on my budget.

For single folks like me who have health, food, rent, and utilities as priorities, its difficult to squeeze in collections unless you’re rich and earning a lot monthly.

That’s not the case for me, but I still am able to collect affordable art now and secondhand books before, given my student budget until now.

2.  They’re beautiful for me — and therefore make singular living even in a tiny rented room a stay in paradise!

It’s like living in a different world surrounded by plush stuffed toys, Japanese ceramics, and beads.

Their fascinating colors, different sizes and make, and floral and animal patterns make me feel less alone surrounded by beauty.

Although you’d have to look at them closely to appreciate the fine tongue of gold on tea cuo, the mossy inclusions in crystals, and the lifelike eyes on plushies!

3.  They make me feel good “adopting” them — because most of them are rejects, hand me downs, and discarded stuff, I feel like I’m doing my duty to recycle some stuff of the world.

Instead of buying new things at higher prices, why not adopt things and contribute less to the accumulation of surplus?

After all these are things with a history, story, and life with them!

It’s as if accidental collecting is a calling!

For the longest time, they’re just where I happened to have placed them — in boxes, bags, or among stuff — and now I’m even thinking of breaking some of the collections to give away those that can be used and I think could be appreciated by relatives or friends.

Hence, I really don’t seriously look for prized pieces, spend on valuable finds, or actively barter, exchange, sell, or buy anything to expand my collections.

I don’t spend on them the way collectors would, haggling, sourcing, and reselling.

However, I’ve recently looked into my stone/crystal bracelet/necklace collection to have some pieces restrung so I can wear them confidently without fear of the old strings or strands breaking off.

I have experienced wearing my fine ancient Ifugao sugar seed glass beads snap in the comfort room of a previous workplace and losing all the tiny obsidian, mauve, and turquoise beads — each smaller than a particle of sugar! — that my father gave me when we went to Baguio when I was like 5 or 7!

I guess that’s where my fascination for beads started.

Unlike my book, comic book, and VHS collections before which are purely for personal delight in accumulation, my present collections aren’t even meant to be had for future resale.

Although I’m hoping some of them would appreciate in value enough to be included in auctions later on.

Collect if you feel like it, if you must, and if you feel good doing so!

My collection is me, and they’re not that easy to give away or sell even at a price, without making me feel like I’m selling myself.

Collecting, too, is an awesome pasttime during quarantine, since you appreciate them more with you at home most of the time.

Image Source: Pinterest, as I haven’t gotten the chance to display my collections properly.