30 Jun 2021 My favorite things

Psychologists say that what we collect and how we store and display those items gives insight into who we are. Isn’t that interesting? 

So, why do we collect items? Some do it for the thrill of the hunt, some as an investment, and still others want to meet new people with similar interests. Collectors scour garage and estate sales, online auctions, and websites in search of their next treasure.

Then, once they’ve assembled enough items for it to be considered a collection, their attention turns to how to display them. Both collecting and displaying can become expensive hobbies, but many people use their collections as home or office décor and conversation pieces.

One collectible I can’t resist is unusual, small vases. As a lover of anything that blooms, I find it’s a natural fit. Another of my favorite things is glassware, but my shelves are full and I can’t justify buying any more until I say farewell to a few of my favorite things — can you relate?

As I thought about our July theme, my mind travelled to the greatest collection of unique people, activities, and items I’ve seen outside the Smithsonian museums: the Guinness World Records website. My mother, a fervent collector of books, introduced her three children to the record-keeping anthologies of wild achievements and it was a favorite Christmas gift to her grandsons. My most frequent thought about Guinness winners is awe, with a close second being, “How do they have the time to work on that?” If you haven’t been wowed lately, visit the website, search for “collections,” and you’ll find 1,650 entries to dig through.

Our team of contributors has been excited to develop stories for this issue because it was a fun mind-bender to decide who or what to write about. We searched the 501 to bring you unusual and/or extensive collections. They are “catalogued” on our Contents page for your convenience.

Even though people are venturing away from home more, we realize that some of you aren’t ready to visit public places beyond what is essential. With that in mind, my hubby and I visited two museums in Little Rock and brought back souvenir pictures to share with you. Flip to pages 14 and 20 and find some colorful photos from a new exhibit at the Old State House Museum and from the Esse Purse Museum. If you are able to visit these interesting places this summer, I encourage you to do so.

Other topics in the July issue include patriotism, community events, new books, a look at vintage fashion and the second installment of our new art feature. This month, we meet a couple who are set painters for the Argenta Community Theater in North Little Rock and our person of the month is the city’s mayor.

Open the scrapbook of these pages and enjoy many images of collectibles — the best part is that you don’t have to dust any of them!

Stefanie Brazile, Editor