Your Collection

jaxx6166 · 12-19-2009, 12:09 AM

I was over in another thread and thought this would be a fun idea.

Everyone has a collection of physical media somewhere in their house or in a storage shed. Something they can go back and look at or forward to at any time.

So what's your prized possession? Would you ever sell it? Or would you ever get rid of the "collection" you currently have in favor of more tech-savvy toys.

Would you shred your library and just digitize it all?

jaxx6166 · 12-19-2009, 12:12 AM

I'll start.

My prized possession is a 1934 hardback copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula. The binding is starting to fall apart and the pages are yellow and brittle with age.

I found it when cleaning out my grandmother's closet after her passing several years ago. I think it's a beautiful piece of nostalgia. I've never even so much as opened it for fear of damaging its frail body.

My second choice would be the original DragonLance Chronicles trilogy. They were reissued for the first time in hardcover several years ago. For the holidays I got a signed set of first editions.

I don't think I could ever part with my book collection, or my DVD collection. They've already traveled through two states and three moves.

Madam Broshkina · 12-19-2009, 12:29 AM

I have a signed first edition of 'My Experience of War' by General John Pershing.

HarryT · 12-19-2009, 03:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxx6166

I don't think I could ever part with my book collection, or my DVD collection. They've already traveled through two states and three moves.

With me, it's my extensive "Doctor Who" collection. It's just always been a part of my life, and I can't imagine being without it.

poshm · 12-19-2009, 04:16 AM

Having grown up with parents who are both collect-a-holics and who live in a house which looks more like a museum than somewhere to live, stuffed to the brim with antiques (junk to me) which you are not allowed to touch, being forced to spend tedious weekends when I was young trawling around antique fairs, shops and the like ... it has rather put me off seriously collecting anything.

I do love my gadgets but I don't actually collect them as I keep on selling old gadgets to pay for new ones. So 'collections' of anything don't mean much to me.

Unfortunately hubby is also a bit of a collect-a-holic and doesn't seem to throw much if anything away. He collects shoes, coats, aftershave (which he had to build a whole custom shelf for in his double wardrobe) and books which is why I now love ereading devices!

Seems like most people just love to collect things.

Moejoe · 12-19-2009, 09:35 AM

I now own only one physical artefact of culture. A 1970's paperback detective Novel my (recently deceased) grandfather gave me. Everything else is now either in storage, donated to charity, given away or destroyed. The digital life is the way to go.

pshrynk · 12-19-2009, 09:59 AM

I've got a lot of comic books from the 90's that I'm holding on to so that when everyone else is lamenting about hteir mother throwing away their (insert priceless artefact), i will be laughing all the way to the bank.

Not much of a retirement plan, but what can I say...

Greg Anos · 12-19-2009, 10:00 AM

For me, this falls into three stages.

Stage 1. Don't accumulate any more physical stuff. Doing this is coming along.

Stage 2. Dematerialize what I have. In progress.

Stage 3. Get rid of the leftover physical items. This is harder. Since I have a place for most of it already, I don't feel a pressure to get rid of things properly shelved. Then, in addition, there's the write-off costs. I have several hundred fine edition books. I might get a quarter of the costs back, more likely an eighth. I'd rather keep the splendour....

Now a have a few signed editions that I would like to keep anyway (signed E.E.Smith Lensman books, for example), but those number less than 50.

I guess it boils down to - if I move I'll sell, but not until then.

(add on - Once I dematerialize an item and have it properly backed up, my attachment to the existing physical item drops dramatically. To quote A.C.Clarke in 2001. "As one Dave Bowman was destroyed, another Dave Bowman became immortal.")

MMascaro · 12-19-2009, 10:15 AM

I was at the John Hopkins University’s annual JohnCon Anime convention three years ago. A vender was selling his old extra hardbound books. I picked up a first edition Dune by Frank Herbert for $3.00, that and my Dune Encyclopedia are not going anywhere.

uRwhatUr · 12-19-2009, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxx6166

So what's your prized possession? Would you ever sell it?

With me, it is my ever growing collection of Yank the Army Weekly magazines from WII. No, I would never sell them.

hnoto · 12-19-2009, 10:28 PM

I just took the last of my pbook collection of over 1000 titles to the used bookstore. I have kept some "antique" hb books that I either inherited from my grandmother, or purchased for myself. Now, I only collect art supplies and clothes.

RWood · 12-19-2009, 10:41 PM

My middle name ("Wood") comes from my maternal grandfather. I recently found a group of books I had as a child with bookplates lettered by him. This is the only surviving examples I have of his lettering. I have scanned the plates and now use it for other items.

12-19-2009, 12:09 AM	#1
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	Your Collection I was over in another thread and thought this would be a fun idea. Everyone has a collection of physical media somewhere in their house or in a storage shed. Something they can go back and look at or forward to at any time. So what's your prized possession? Would you ever sell it? Or would you ever get rid of the "collection" you currently have in favor of more tech-savvy toys. Would you shred your library and just digitize it all?

12-19-2009, 10:00 AM	#8
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,490 Karma: 37057604 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	For me, this falls into three stages. Stage 1. Don't accumulate any more physical stuff. Doing this is coming along. Stage 2. Dematerialize what I have. In progress. Stage 3. Get rid of the leftover physical items. This is harder. Since I have a place for most of it already, I don't feel a pressure to get rid of things properly shelved. Then, in addition, there's the write-off costs. I have several hundred fine edition books. I might get a quarter of the costs back, more likely an eighth. I'd rather keep the splendour.... Now a have a few signed editions that I would like to keep anyway (signed E.E.Smith Lensman books, for example), but those number less than 50. I guess it boils down to - if I move I'll sell, but not until then. (add on - Once I dematerialize an item and have it properly backed up, my attachment to the existing physical item drops dramatically. To quote A.C.Clarke in 2001. "As one Dave Bowman was destroyed, another Dave Bowman became immortal.") Last edited by Greg Anos; 12-19-2009 at 10:06 AM.

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12-19-2009, 12:12 AM	#2
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	I'll start. My prized possession is a 1934 hardback copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula. The binding is starting to fall apart and the pages are yellow and brittle with age. I found it when cleaning out my grandmother's closet after her passing several years ago. I think it's a beautiful piece of nostalgia. I've never even so much as opened it for fear of damaging its frail body. My second choice would be the original DragonLance Chronicles trilogy. They were reissued for the first time in hardcover several years ago. For the holidays I got a signed set of first editions. I don't think I could ever part with my book collection, or my DVD collection. They've already traveled through two states and three moves.

12-19-2009, 12:29 AM	#3
Madam Broshkina Manic Do Fuse Posts: 2,312 Karma: 3325462 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: Sony 500, 505, 350, Kindle 3, DXG, nook, Irex DR800SG, iPad	I have a signed first edition of 'My Experience of War' by General John Pershing.

12-19-2009, 04:16 AM	#5
poshm Fanatic Posts: 581 Karma: 1003580 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Cambs, UK Device: PocketBook 360, Sony Reader Touch, Ipod touch & Kindle 2	Having grown up with parents who are both collect-a-holics and who live in a house which looks more like a museum than somewhere to live, stuffed to the brim with antiques (junk to me) which you are not allowed to touch, being forced to spend tedious weekends when I was young trawling around antique fairs, shops and the like ... it has rather put me off seriously collecting anything. I do love my gadgets but I don't actually collect them as I keep on selling old gadgets to pay for new ones. So 'collections' of anything don't mean much to me. Unfortunately hubby is also a bit of a collect-a-holic and doesn't seem to throw much if anything away. He collects shoes, coats, aftershave (which he had to build a whole custom shelf for in his double wardrobe) and books which is why I now love ereading devices! Seems like most people just love to collect things.

12-19-2009, 09:35 AM	#6
Moejoe Banned Posts: 5,100 Karma: 72193 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: South of the Border Device: Coffin	I now own only one physical artefact of culture. A 1970's paperback detective Novel my (recently deceased) grandfather gave me. Everything else is now either in storage, donated to charity, given away or destroyed. The digital life is the way to go.

12-19-2009, 09:59 AM	#7
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	I've got a lot of comic books from the 90's that I'm holding on to so that when everyone else is lamenting about hteir mother throwing away their (insert priceless artefact), i will be laughing all the way to the bank. Not much of a retirement plan, but what can I say...

12-19-2009, 10:15 AM	#9
MMascaro Zealot Posts: 111 Karma: 1009 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Maryland USA Device: HP mini 1035/Sony Reader/IPad	I was at the John Hopkins University’s annual JohnCon Anime convention three years ago. A vender was selling his old extra hardbound books. I picked up a first edition Dune by Frank Herbert for $3.00, that and my Dune Encyclopedia are not going anywhere.

12-19-2009, 10:28 PM	#11
hnoto Groupie Posts: 194 Karma: 177180 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mesa, AZ Device: Sony PRS 505	I just took the last of my pbook collection of over 1000 titles to the used bookstore. I have kept some "antique" hb books that I either inherited from my grandmother, or purchased for myself. Now, I only collect art supplies and clothes.

12-19-2009, 10:41 PM	#12
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	My middle name ("Wood") comes from my maternal grandfather. I recently found a group of books I had as a child with bookplates lettered by him. This is the only surviving examples I have of his lettering. I have scanned the plates and now use it for other items.