Vintage and Main

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. - Charles W. Eliot

A favorite book of mine is The Modern Family Adviser, published by Statford Press in 1965. This illustrated, encyclopedic-length library copy has been shelved in my home for years. More often, it acts as a bookend to my lighter volumes, but it has come to the rescue of household turmoil on more than one occasion.

The Modern Family Adviser has taught me that, yes, termites like carpet as much as they like wood. Varnish can be cleaned with alcohol and benzol. Men start dancing the Charleston with your left foot forward, but ladies start by pointing their right foot without putting weight on it. A handshake between a lady and gentleman is considered proper if the lady offers her hand first.

With this evidence of worth, I'm sure you will understand if I occasionally quote from it, or even fill the day's blog with an excerpt.

Today, I wanted to share an excerpt from the chapter in Hobbies, titled Collecting, page seven-hundred and sixteen.

"There are more adherents to the collecting hobbies than there are of any other type of hobby. Collecting satisfies the acquisitive nature of humanity. Most of us take pride in having most of "this", the greatest of "that", the "only" specimen or "one of the few" specimens left, etc.

On the more positive side, collecting can be a worth-while and pleasurable way of spending leisure time. Unlike most hobbies, collecting can be made to fit any budget. As your collection grows, it will become part of your life; it will make you a more interesting person, and it will make you spend money which you would have spent otherwise.

Some hobbyists hunt lone-wolf fashion, others work in packs. To get the most out of your hobby, you should become acquainted with others of similar interests. There are usually local or national organizations for most established collection hobbies. These are valuable in that they help you to keep informed of new developments, new "finds", of exhibits and auctions. Through their publications you are given an opportunity to buy, sell, or trade with other collectors.

The simplest way to start a collection is merely to start. You and only you can decide what to collect. Having made that decision you are on your way to hours of happy and interesting activity."

So... what do you collect?