When guests walk into someones house they typically say "You have a wonderful home" and begin the process of looking around at the decorations lying or hanging around.
In most cases the room or house may have a motif or theme that includes collections of one type or another.
In my house each room has a different theme which includes the many types of collectibles that I have saved over the years.
One room is dedicated to nautical items.
Having spent many years in the Navy, this is pretty self-explanatory to visitors who know me, but other collections have less to do with what people know about me and more about the side of me that people exploring my house find as a new and refreshing aspect of me.
Collecting is a great way to explore yourself and is a hobby that is nothing short of amazing as a pick-me-up when life seems to get the better of you.
I make my weekly trips to the flea markets, farmers markets, local auctions, yard sales and often do nothing but look around and see what catches my eye.
After giving the tour of my house and explaining why I collect what I collect, I often ask people what they collect.
The answers range from nothing to a long list of collections.
This often turns into an ice breaker which is a useful tool for those of us who are not great conversationalists.
You talk about what you collect, and give the often interesting stories of why you started collecting those items as well as where and how you acquired your pieces.
Your guests often will go into how they did the same with their collections and by the end of the night you have learned things that rarely come out to the public at large.
One aspect of collecting that is often overlooked is its character-building application for your kids.
Believe me, having raised three teens, I know that finding a way to interact with the modern kid is sometimes tasking.
Finding out what interests them beyond their computer or PlayStation is often difficult since they are preoccupied.
Take them with you on one of your trips and let them look.
Help them out by showing them what interests you, while at the same time give them a chance to explore on their own.
If they find something...
help them out the first time and buy it.
My son found a "neat" cigar box once and told me that it would be great to put his Pokemon cards in.
It turned out that he not only wanted the one box, but when we went on future trips he would find new and different boxes which now make up a rather large display in his room.
None of them have the Pokemon cards in them anymore as that fad has passed, but he is now making sure that when we make our trips he has enough money saved up just in case we happen upon a new box for his collection.
So why is having a son who collects cigar boxes a great thing?He has learned some valuable lessons by having this interest.
He has learned to save money, he has learned to protect his collection and most importantly he has gained an interest in something that is always questioned by people who visit his room.
Have you ever heard of someone whose child breaks something of theirs and says "That's why I can't have anything nice around"?Not so in my house.
My son has friends over, but he makes sure that he lets them know what they can touch and handle as well as what they need to leave alone and look at from a distance.
Is it Junk or is it a treasure?Well, I guess that's up to you as beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.
In most cases the room or house may have a motif or theme that includes collections of one type or another.
In my house each room has a different theme which includes the many types of collectibles that I have saved over the years.
One room is dedicated to nautical items.
Having spent many years in the Navy, this is pretty self-explanatory to visitors who know me, but other collections have less to do with what people know about me and more about the side of me that people exploring my house find as a new and refreshing aspect of me.
Collecting is a great way to explore yourself and is a hobby that is nothing short of amazing as a pick-me-up when life seems to get the better of you.
I make my weekly trips to the flea markets, farmers markets, local auctions, yard sales and often do nothing but look around and see what catches my eye.
After giving the tour of my house and explaining why I collect what I collect, I often ask people what they collect.
The answers range from nothing to a long list of collections.
This often turns into an ice breaker which is a useful tool for those of us who are not great conversationalists.
You talk about what you collect, and give the often interesting stories of why you started collecting those items as well as where and how you acquired your pieces.
Your guests often will go into how they did the same with their collections and by the end of the night you have learned things that rarely come out to the public at large.
One aspect of collecting that is often overlooked is its character-building application for your kids.
Believe me, having raised three teens, I know that finding a way to interact with the modern kid is sometimes tasking.
Finding out what interests them beyond their computer or PlayStation is often difficult since they are preoccupied.
Take them with you on one of your trips and let them look.
Help them out by showing them what interests you, while at the same time give them a chance to explore on their own.
If they find something...
help them out the first time and buy it.
My son found a "neat" cigar box once and told me that it would be great to put his Pokemon cards in.
It turned out that he not only wanted the one box, but when we went on future trips he would find new and different boxes which now make up a rather large display in his room.
None of them have the Pokemon cards in them anymore as that fad has passed, but he is now making sure that when we make our trips he has enough money saved up just in case we happen upon a new box for his collection.
So why is having a son who collects cigar boxes a great thing?He has learned some valuable lessons by having this interest.
He has learned to save money, he has learned to protect his collection and most importantly he has gained an interest in something that is always questioned by people who visit his room.
Have you ever heard of someone whose child breaks something of theirs and says "That's why I can't have anything nice around"?Not so in my house.
My son has friends over, but he makes sure that he lets them know what they can touch and handle as well as what they need to leave alone and look at from a distance.
Is it Junk or is it a treasure?Well, I guess that's up to you as beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.
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