Time To Say Good-Bye!

Most people collect and display something in their lives. It might be a collection of family snaps stuck into an album, or holiday souvenirs arranged on a mantelpiece, assembled and displayed without any thought of being a 'collector'. Other people form collections for a specific purpose: Old Masters for investment, or memories 'collected' on tape to preserve a changing way of life, for example.
.
Sometimes people give their collections to museums where they are professionally cared for and made accessible to everyone. In the past, and occasionally today, private collections form the basis of new museums.
.
Notice in the first sentence that it says "most people collect and display something". The word something denotes 'one thing'....not many things!
.
It becomes a fiasco when both a husband and wife are addicted collectors of many things!
.
But one of my favorite collections is that of vintage Little Golden Books. I initiated this collection because the books were easy to find at garage sales, and were practically given away...at the low, low price of a nickel or a dime.
.
As years passed, people began to 'wise up' when they found out that there were people out in the world that collected them and would pay a higher price. Suddenly, you couldn't buy one for less than a dollar bill! Then they became as scarce as hens teeth.
.
Finally, the only places I could find them would be at auctions, estate sales, and antique malls...where you would pay an arm and a leg for them. The last ones I have purchased have been on E-bay.
.
There is an interesting history behind these little books spanning years from 1942. I won't go into all the detailed history for this post but for the lovers of children's books, the research of these phenomenal little books is time well spent.
.
Pictured below are 3 shelves in our old barrister bookcase that house the LGB's. At the last count, I had 510, though some of this number are duplicates. And, I'm ready to get rid of them! I thought our daughter would want the collection since she has the youngest grand children, ages 8 and 6. When approached about them taking the books, they (the daughter and her husband) said, "Well, we might go through them and take some of them".
.
"Nope! All or none!" Maybe when she reads this post, they'll change their minds.

Collections are fun, entertaining, educational, and enjoyable for years. Then the time comes to say 'good-bye'. Ummmm! As I end this post, I just happened to think about the grandson getting married in November! If I hang on to this collection long enough, maybe I'll have a great grandchild that will inherit....just a thought!