Confessions of a Crazed Collector

Sometimes a person can pinpoint exactly when their obsessions begin.  Most of us cannot.  Sometimes it could be something that has lingered in our minds for quite sometime and has only recently come alive due to something as complicated as being stuck in the house due to COVID.

I have had many discussions with collectors and although a lot love to share their favorite artists, favorite pieces and favorite pictures of holiday displays, some like to hide in the shadows and just look upon others and smile.  Some like to keep their holiday collections to themselves, not wanting to share with anyone but maybe those closest to them.

There are many collectors that have been collecting certain artists for years.  If you read the Collector’s Corner with Norma, you’ll find she has been collecting just the right pieces that match her style.  She even has some one-of-a-kind Rae Dunn pieces that truly spark emotion.  Other collectors may have lived close to and attended the Halloween shows for years.  I have met some people that have collected Johanna Parker Originals for many years, whether by attending her home shows, Halloween shows or by her Collector’s Catch feature.  Others may have opted for David Everett’s Skellies or LeeAnn Kress’s Sweet and Sassy dolls, but the fact remains that once a person is hooked, there is no turning back to being a non-collector.

How many people spend days arranging and re-arranging their Holiday Decoration each Halloween, Christmas and Easter?  For some people, they may keep a certain season out all year round.   Do you remember Spooky Wil and Miranda from Spooky Little Halloween?  The collections in and of themselves are amazing.  Those pieces don’t get ‘put away’ to come out during a ‘season’.  They get to be displayed all year!

So what about those that are in hiding?  What do they collect?  It could be they are a Johanna Parker fan that have followed her for years.  In the old days, Johanna Parker worked with Primitives by Kathy and Bethany Lowe Designs for a lot of her reproductions.  You can find the progression of her art if you read her old blogs.  Some people flock to the old style.  The true vintage look.  Some people have only just come to know her and flock to the newer styles by Magenta or Transpac.  These pieces pair well with the Rae Dunn collectors.  You’ll find people search them out and trade like crazy to get a full set of her fun collectibles.  Some people love to support the Johanna Parker Partners in Craft, especially the vintage vibes by Rachel Garrison of VanDolls Folk Art.  These pieces are hand crafted and made to look like the old German Style Lanterns.  Regardless of your favorites, she has a lot to choose from.

Being able to get an original from any artist is no easy feat.  In the case of Johanna Parker, she just doesn’t make them all year round like she has in the past.  Other artists like Dee Harvey only sell to local shops.  Some artists like LeeAnn Kress of Charmed Confections or David Everett of Chicken Lips only make a few per month or a few per year and the collectors trying to grab them up must be on super-fast internet to nab one!

So where do the confessions come in?  How about the inability to stop?  How about not having any more room in your house to display your beauties?  I’m sure many a husband has asked ‘Don’t you have enough?’.  So why can’t we stop?  Why are we so obsessed with the many artists of yesteryear and today?  Is there a void within us that these collectibles fill?  I can say in talking with some collectors that it just flat out makes them happy. 

There is also the FOMO aspect that feed into our obsessions.  No one wants to miss out on the latest and greatest snowman from Michelle Allen or the whimsical creations of Michelle Lauritsen.  Thankfully ESC & Company and Bethany Lowe Designs work will many great artists and are able to bring us reproductions year after year so we can all can have something close to what the artists create as an original.

There are some people that collect from Halloween shows and can obtain an original art from some of the amazing and talented artists that are out there.  Some people have traveled hundreds of miles to grab the few precious pieces of art, sometimes year after year, to fill their homes with the pieces they love.  These pieces are absolutely timeless.  They will be cherished year after year and hopefully not forgotten as time fades.

What does one do when they realize they are obsessed?  When they know there is no more room?  What is the best way to stop the insanity?  Maybe the question is…should they?  Should they really stop when having these pieces truly brings them joy?  I guess it would depend on the situation, but if all else is healthy, why shouldn’t they have what they want?  Personally, through my life, I never really collected anything.  I guess I collected books.  I read endlessly.  Now that books are digital and, on my kindle, I can make lots of room for my new obsession.  Maybe I can move out what doesn’t make me happy anymore and make room for the pieces that do.  That’s how some people do it.

Now I guess the question is, from one collector to another, when does it end??  There are so many great artists and such great work maybe it doesn’t have to.  I think each person just needs to find their style.  They need to find the color scheme or the artist that makes them happy and then just go with it.  Personally, I love all of them:  Johanna Parker Design, David Everett of Chicken Lips, LeeAnn Kress of Charmed Confections, Michelle Allen of Raggedy Pants, Charles McClenning, Michelle Lauritsen, Jorge de Rojas…you name it and I love it.  I can’t stop.  Maybe that’s my confession!

Our goal at Holiday Pizzazz is to bring you what you love.  We hope to continue to help you find what makes you happy.  If you can’t find what you are looking for, just ask!  We’re here to help!