Re: [ARSCLIST] Th Future of Collecting

[steven c <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Fine" <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> I think that the WSJ article centered in on some pretty stereotypically
obscure things like a pencil
> (!) collection. Stuff like stamps, coins and indeed musical content will
always have a value. What
> I'm not sure does have any value are antiquated and decaying media. Which
is why it's best to
> transfer old stuff you value to newer media (which may well just be this
era's flavor of the minute
> but it's newer than the original media). Keep your old stuff around if you
treasure it but don't
> count that anyone else will treasure it after you're gone. However, if you
have beautiful music or
> interesting words or rare broadcast recordings, someone will likely want
to hear that content,
> particularly if you have taken some time to leave some context and history
explaination about it. I
> find many collectors to be cultish and not want to explain what they have,
like explaining it makes
> them less unique or something. The collector types who I've greatly
appeciated and learned from have
> taken time to tell me WHAT they have and WHY they have it and why it's
important. I would recommend
> to a library or institution to accumulate less stuff but do a really good
job of making the stuff
> you accumulate readily available and within good displays or exhibits that
fully explain the
> importance and history. There's a huge mass audience for this, BTW.
"Antiques Roadshow" is one of
> PBS's most popular shows, to cite on example.
>
> -- Tom Fine
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "David Lennick" <dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2006 1:12 PM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Th Future of Collecting
>
>
> > Mwcpc6@xxxxxxx wrote:
> >
> >> In a message dated 2/25/2006 6:03:59 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> >> dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> >> I feel sorry for whoever has to deal with my accumulation when I'm
gone, but
> >> it ain't gonna be my problem
> >> ******************
> >>
> >> No need to feel sorry. There are people who make a good living filling
and
> >> hauling away dumpsters of stuff like that.
http://www.1800gotjunk.com/index.asp
> >>
> >> The people I feel sorry for are the ones who go to great pains to
donate
> >> their collections to museums or institutions that they think will
preserve and
> >> care for them.  I've seen people's life work end up in the trash after
they
> >> hauled it across the continent just to get it to the museum.
> >>
> >> I suppose it's OK if it lets them die happy, but it seems that there
should
> >> be a better way. Ebay may be the best we have for now.
> >>
> >> Mike Csontos
> >
> > The dumpster was the destination for a couple of thousand 78s in Erie PA
last
> > summer. A lot of stuff in decent condition, but finding homes for Perry
Como,
> > Dorothy Shay, Vaughn Monroe and common dance band stuff even in pristine
condition
> > isn't a snap when the owner of the house is moving to Texas and the
dumpster costs
> > $300 a day. I took several hundred 78s that I wanted (free!)..offered to
make a few
> > phone calls to see if anyone else wanted to come over and help
themselves, but
> > unless they could get there that DAY the stuff was going byebyes. At
that point I
> > started emptying all the good albums.
> >
> > As for collections I've picked up that represented people's life's work,
or
> > donations of beautiful accumulations to institutions, I now own most of
the Bill
> > Givens collection (big band and popular) and a substantial chunk of the
Carnegie
> > Collection and other donations that had been at Hobart-William Smith
College in
> > Geneva NY, as well as a number of private collections in the Toronto
area.
> >
Another factor is this: most people collect at least partly out
of nostalgia! Of course, there are a few "collectables" which
have been around long enough, and attracted enough collectors,
to have intrinsic values of their own (stamps, coins, "fine
art"...)...but it's very much a "wait and see" situation to
see how long analog sound recordings will continue to be
considered important or valuable in the overall scheme
of things (or, for that matter, 99% of the stuff that
folks collect!).

However, that doesn't stop me from filling my abode with
the dommed stuff...?!

...stevenc
http://users.interlinks.net/stevenc/