Recently, Chuck Miller wrote: “I’m sure you have unique collections of objects in your own personal life.
“I’d like to hear what those are. That’s why I have a comments section.
“Let me know what your collections include and why those objects bring you joy.”
As I contemplate the question, I wonder what constitutes a “collection.” And of course, I’ll post it here, because, you know, I need content.
In rough chronological order:
Stamps – my great-aunt Deana gave me a book of stamps from around the world, which I still have. For a time at FantaCo in the 1980s, I’d tear off the interesting stamps we received. But I never committed to it.
Coins – back in 2009, I wrote about why I hadn’t collected the state quarters released from 1999 to 2009, because my childhood collection had been stolen. Yet eventually, I DID collect not only the state coins but also the Presidential dollars.
Still, I lost interest in the America the Beautiful coins, in part because I couldn’t feel the rhythm. The states were in the order in which they entered the Union. Presidents were, of course, by their time in office.
Not incidentally, there wasn’t a Jimmy Carter presidential coin in that series because 39 still alive. (The notion that we have a $250 bill with FOTUS on the face was absurd, and Scott Bessent’s defense of same was disingenuous.)
Baseball cards – I had a collection that was stolen from my grandmother’s house in the 1970s. I dabbled subsequently, but I had no heart in it.
Yugoslavia
Maps – my grandfather Mac had a subscription to National Geographic, and they usually contained maps, which he would give to me. This stopped shortly after I went to college, but I STILL have them. Maps are like automobiles: they go from being out of date to being antiques.
LPs – that I still have, except for the ones stolen from grandma’s place, but I haven’t added to it.
Books – is it a collection, or do I just acquire them? And what does that mean? I will note that within the collection is a shelf of hymnals, possibly not enough to be a “collection” as such.
Comic books – I definitely had a collection from 1972 to 1994, when I sold it for about $1000 because I had no real income. The comic material I still have is books of Marvel comics, Swamp Thing, and the like.
Compact discs – I make an effort to play all of them at least once a year.
Hess trucks – I’m still getting them.
Ultimately
If I have anything approaching a collection, I suppose it’s from FantaCo, the comic book/convention/mail-order/publishing place I worked at from 1980 to 1988. I have all of the publications that came out. But I also kept the newspaper clippings, T-shirts, even my little Rolodex. That thing had names of comic book distributors, writers, and artists; it practically tells a story.
Moreover, I have hundreds of photos from that time: everyone from the staff to customers to artist/writer signings to our UPS guy and merchants on our street, including World’s Records when it was at 22 Central Avenue.
The Young Rascals – Collections – Full album – 1967. Playlist. The second Rascals album and the second one I owned, after Groovin’, the third album. My favorite song on the album: Love Is A Beautiful Thing.
When I was growing up, my grandfather, McKinley Green, gave me the maps included in his subscription to National Geographic magazine.
Can conservatives be allies against 
Descendants and sponsors traveled from a dozen states to participate in the abolition symposia and inductions of three abolitionists to the 
In case you missed it amidst your New Year’s revelry, Alaska was granted statehood on as the 49th state of the United States on January 3, 1959. Back in 2011, when my mom died, my daughter, one of her older cousins and the cousin’s boyfriend were asked what’s the largest state in size, and only my seven-year-old daughter knew it was Alaska.
