Collections

Collections

The beauty about collecting is that there's a sense of pursuit for items and great learning in doing so. I collect stamps, and I collect small rocks from places we've visited globally, and matchbooks from restaurants and hotels, though this is tougher than ever today. An unrecognized danger is “completion.” Part of my stamp collection is from Hungary, because I'm half Hungarian and have been to Budapest. My stamp collections stop at 2020, because post offices were simply producing “wallpaper” after that to sell stamps to collectors without the expense of actually having to deliver letters.

I have every single Hungarian stamp produced, unused, from the original in 1871 to 2020, including air mail, revenues, stationery, and so forth. However, there are no more for me to collect, so I'm now an “owner” of the collection, and not a collector any more. Also, collectors drive prices up for themselves when pursuing what other people are pursuing! Just think of a Birkin handbag, or a rare Rolls Royce.

I've found the pleasure is in the pursuit, not the ownership.