I was inspired to write about collections after visiting a tiny apartment on the second annual “House Tours” event here in Tel Aviv a few weekends ago. Nothing else about the apartment was outstanding, but the way the collection was managed made an impression on me. I come from a family of collectors… it can be a blessing or a curse depending how the collection is displayed. Around my house we say “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure”.
Here’s the collection that I saw on the house tour. This guy had a fetish for action figures and small stone figurines. I think he did a nice job on the display shelves which were in the center of the apartment and could be seen upon entering.
Here’s another collection of action figures, this one has reached it’s maximum capacity. This looks like a store display, but it’s not!
Collectibles can be found in the most unique places. There are also fairs and markets all over the world that only sell collections. A friend of mine just made a special trip to Amsterdam for “Queens Day”. On Queens Day, the residents of Amsterdam put their “junk” out in front of their houses and sell it for cheap. She had a ball!
My 10 year old is a collector of sorts. She recently reorganized here collection shown here. At least they are the small ones…
When we moved to Israel 2 years ago we shipped six boxes filled to the brim with these Beanie Babies. The shelves were a good solution to house this collection. After collapsing twice, they had to be specially reinforced.
Salt & pepper shakers are a popular collectible. I chose a few that I thought were cute. You would be amazed at how much information there is on the web dedicated just to collections, I know I was.
I had to show this apron collection, it is a real hoot. I can’t believe someone would even go there, however I do think that the solutions for display here are very resourceful.
These aprons are hung so conveniently, you could just grab one on your way out to the BBQ!
Tips for displaying a collection:
* Display the collection against a neutral background, the collection adds the color.
* Choose one area in the home and confine the collection to it.
* Limit the collection to a specific theme.
* For maximum impact, group the items in the collection by color or theme.
* Display cabinets and shelves are great solutions for housing collections and keeping them safe.
