Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Collections and Collectors


I  have one small coin collection. 

There is a big toss up question, is it wise to collect valuables that cannot be ‘banked’ or used as ‘hard money?’

There is a lot to say about that. I have a nephew who had a small collection of guns, and a large collection of ‘gold watches’. The watch collection included my dad’s gold ‘railroad’ pocket watch.  Although he had an alarm system on his home, someone broke in, grabbed his collections before the police could get there.  The burglars were never caught.

I had three guns, two rifles and a shotgun. Son Mark borrowed them and while he had them, his home was burglarized. One of them was very prized. I had bought it for my dad many years ago. Mom returned it to me after his passing. He had been so proud of the gift, but never had used it. I wish I had it back.

As a boy I started a stamp collection. I held onto it for many years. I did have some prize stamps.  Some I had taken from GGrandpa’s law office. The earliest ‘airmail’ stamps. When I joined the Navy we had a small frame house we had bought for $3000. We decided to rent it out. I put some souvenirs and my stamp collection in the attic. I never thought anyone would look there nor want what was not theirs. HA!

The home was rented to Ms. Chambers and her family. They had to be evicted due to being behind 8 months on the rent.  When I went back to check, all my ‘collected stuff was gone’ including my prized stamp collection. LOL

          "The Loomis Fargo ‘Hillbilly Heist’  17 Million Dollars"

Later in life Ms. Chambers’s son would be convicted of masterminding the largest robbery in NC history. Ms. Chambers was convicted of ‘laundering some of the stolen money’. 

I think it is true, the old statement, ‘Be sure your sins will find you out!’ In reference to ‘Our Stuff’, the Chambers’ are the only ones I know for sure, that have suffered for ‘ill-gotten’ gain over the long run.

So in some cases I am sure collecting pays off for the family heirs. But, but in many cases ‘not so much’.

Now those sad stories have two different endings. Nephew said he would never collect anything again. Me, I have tried to replace what is missing. Haven’t been able to yet.

I am guilty of collecting junk, odd nuts, bolts, screws, washers, electrical switches, scrap wire and scrap wood. So I am still a collector.


Nite Shipslog
1941 Chrysler Newport

8 comments:

betty said...

I've collected things over the years, but nothing that would be of monetary value. Then I stopped collecting because I started downsizing, LOL.

Hubby perhaps collects guitars or at least thinks he needs to have 10 guitars for some reason :) Some are collector items and I do try to keep them straight when he talks about them but I never can. All I know is if he passes before me and his brother is alive, I'm to offer them to him first. Otherwise, I guess its fair game to try to figure their worth (or lack of it).

Sometimes I think it is similar to just not have much and to collect treasures in heaven where it really matters :)

betty

TARYTERRE said...

I have always been a collector too. Since childhood. Of small figurines. It started with religious items, morped into christmas, kitty cats and gnomes. a few years ago I packed everything up and began giving it away. You can't take it with you when you die, so I wanted others to find joy in them.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Sorry you have lost some of your prized collections. My collections have no monetary value. For the most part they are only fun things like the collection of chickens that decorate my kitchen. I'm sure no one would want them, but they brighten up what could be a old gloomy room. As Taryterre says we cannot take anything with us when we die. Good reminder for all of us to not prize material things too much.

Lisa said...

Gosh I hate that about your dads gun. I do not think I have any valuable possessions at the time. But some things I have are valuable only to me. Never really collected anything. However, I do have lots of Pyrex. Ha.

I went to school with one of those Loomis Hillbillies.
Lisa

Unknown said...

I looked around and don't see anything of value here lots of junk. I do have
some valuable things but will not say because this can be read by everybody.
How people live with themselves when they take things that is not theirs
surprises me.

Mevely317 said...

I wonder how 'those' folks can face themselves in the mirror. Sure, I've experienced my share of envy ... but not to the extent of removing something that doesn't belong to me.
My parents enjoyed collecting (pueblo) Indian pottery and jewelry. Few pieces remain, but I think they hold more sentimental worth than dollars and cents.

Betty's closing sentence hit the nail on the head, didn't it?

Paula said...

I used to collect for a while then get tired of it and give them away. I do still have my Avon girls. Mel fooled the thieves by throwing old dirty paint rags on top of a small safe he had pistols and silver money in. Don't have anything that needs to be in a safe now.

Rick Watson said...

I someone looked in my shed, they would take one look at all the old tools and swear that I'm a collector. I guess I am, but someone could probably steal some and I would never know.
R