Collection Obsession

I have a collection of collectibles obsession. I am an eclectic collector.

I'm not sure if it is a bad thing or a good thing.

The good thing is – I know a little bit and sometimes a lot about glassware, pottery, Betty Boop, Duncan Miller, Fenton animals, Mickey Mouse, John Deere Tractors, children's porcelain tea sets made in the early 1940s, Santa Claus statues, and other Christmas items like snow globes, music boxes, Moose, miniature tree decorations, and Mr. Christmas decorations. Oh, and Liberty Falls Americana villages with pewter figurines.

A "score" would be two in one – Santa on a John Deere tractor; or a Santa on a musical John Deere tractor – or my best – A (1) musical (2) snow globe of (3) Santa on a (4) John Deere tractor with a (5) moose riding a miniature Santa train around the base of the Snow Globe. (I don't collect trains, but my brother does.)

I have a huge collection of Fenton Glass animals – they are on my piano. I don't have any duplicates – that's the goal. I have a pink elephant, a blue cat, a green frog, a cobalt blue kitten, an amber deer and several others. I'm looking for a hippopotamus and not sure what color.

I have a collection of Duncan Miller fluted glassware that is done in a Canterbury pattern. The glass is old enough to have manganese in it – pre World War I. The sun makes the manganese change color from clear to a soft lavender or a pale blue. In newer glass, the manganese was removed and used during the war effort.

I have probably two dozen miniature tea sets from the 40s on up. I found that it was easier to find miniature tea pots or a single cup and saucer. So I revamped my collecting to whole sets or to one tea cup and saucer or one tea pot with lid – so I have 40 or so unmatched solitary pieces from sets.

The bad thing: No space. I do not have a big enough house with the number of shelves needed to display all my collections without it looking like a flea market. So, I'm rotating them. Right now, I am in the Fenton animal theme. In two weeks, I will go for the Santa - Music Box - Snow Globe – Miniature tree decorations theme.

This is all to say to my friends, you WANT to pull my name for the Christmas exchange. I am so easy to shop for.

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