Collection Collectors

[ShawnPorter]

I have a feeling a lot of us collect stuff outside of tattoos... most likely diligently and possibly obsessively. So this here thread is to talk about your collecting habits, should you feel so motivate.

me:

I grew up collecting comic books, movies and toys, and as an adult I've refined my toy collection exclusively to Pushead toys and related ephemera. I collect production pieces and originals. I was a skater kid when I was young and was obsessed with Pushead; he was an artist/musician/skater who wrote a monthly column for THRASHER called 'Puszone', was the singer for the band Septic Death, did single covers for Metallica...

When I was 12, I sent him a letter, and he responded kindly, showering me with stickers, posters and the advice to 'keep drawing monsters'.

24 years later I was able to meet him, and again, he was kind and interested in my history as a 'fan'.

I spend offensive amounts of money on one of a kind toys- he hand paints production pieces to make one offs and they're incredibly hard to get. But as someone who's met most of his heroes and was disappointed more often than not.. . being connected to someone who told me to keep drawing monsters is priceless.

I keep a blog about my toys here: http://mypusheadaddiction.wordpress.com

So... what do you collect?

[Ursula]

That's awesome Shawn, I don't know much about the artists but that's an impressive collection.

I collect a couple of things. I have lots of antiques and old stuff related to sewing and embroidery as well as vintage craft books on topics like leather carving and toy making.

I also have a pretty big selection of pre 1970's vintage clothing and accessories. I've been collecting that kind of stuff for a long time but have slowed down a lot in the past 5 years. I used to wear a lot of the stuff too but I don't as much anymore.

Other then that my dude and I have a collection of antiques, oddities and curiosities. Stuff like old toys, railroad related things, religious stuff and just neat antiques and junk. Basically we have a house full of stuff we think is neat.

[cfgsteak]

Souls.

Just kiddin.

I don't consider it collecting but I have a ridiculous array of fishing gear. Fly fishing, regular ole fishing, ice fishing...I own it.

I collected a lot of music gear over the years but I'm down to a single amp, my les paul, a fuzz pedal and a tuner...I sold a Reverend Volcano to pay for the tattoo work I am currently doing...

I collected a card game called magic before that...sold it to buy guitars that are now sold...

I think I may be collecting dust too...hmm

[MsRad]

i collect all my ticket stubs from shows, movies, etc., business cards, and art show postcards, published photo/art books, and other people's snapshots or family albums. pet photos are some of the best, but my favorite find so far has been a family album that belonged to a couple who met while serving time in San Quentin (complete with their photo id cards). i've also began separating my tattoo business cards from the rest. one day i'll have a vintage Scott Sylvia or Mario Desa card and someone else will nerd out about it haha.

[Ursula]

Oh I forgot about my business cards! I have a decent amount. Maybe when I get back to FL I can send you, MsRad, a few of my duplicates! I also have some antique photos but they aren't numerous, I have a lot of vintage/antique paper and they came in a big box of stuff I bought one time, there's some really rad ones of this old man and his very regale doggy. I put one up in my room and my dude for the longest time thought it was my grandfather hahahaha. He didn't realize it was just some random old guy I found at the thrift store.

cgfsteak - I think I'm collecting dust to hahahahahhaha

[gougetheeyes]

i collect all my ticket stubs from shows, movies, etc., business cards,

Oh how I wish I didn't go through manic throw-everything-out rages. This year though just getting tattooed has sort of prohibited me from building my small little collections, which include old thermoses and straight razors. I was in Asbury Park a few weekends ago though, and there's some really great antique/vintage stores down there for any of you in the NY/NJ area.

[Mel Noir]

My collections are usually kind of small, but I do love to collect old cameras and cassette tapes. I also have every episode of the X Men cartoons from the 90s on DVD- does that count? Haha. Oh and of course, the ticket stubs from pretty much everything- sometimes signed by the band, which I always love.

Honestly though, I think everyone should collect something, even if it's something small.

[David Flores]

The only collection I can think of is my Pint Glass/ Liquor Glass Bar collection I have gotten from visiting different breweries. From 18-21 I pretty much lived out of a backpack. When I moved to Colorado I got an Apartment bought the cheapest TV i could find and bought a couch and some dishes from a thrift store. When I moved to Oregon they got donated back. I have some flash hanging up in my living room and about 150 dvd's and 75 books and that is pretty much what i have acquired in the years since until I met my wife.

My Wife on the other hand has about a thousand rubber ducks and or devil ducks. I might be exaggerating but it sure seems like it.

[cfgsteak]

My girlfriend collects pigs.

My ex-wife collects alimony. DILIGENTLY AND OBSESSIVELY.

[sleepy mel]

Hello I collect vintage tea cups and some painted canal ware, however the thing I like about tattoos is they dont add to the clutter in my totally overstuffed flat.

[Mr. Smith]

I have a tendency to start collecting something, get really stoked on it for 3 months, burn myself out, and then abandon it. That said, my record collection is still going strong, although it's slowed considerably since my friends closed their record shop and moved to Detroit.

[MsRad]

Oh I forgot about my business cards! I have a decent amount. Maybe when I get back to FL I can send you, MsRad, a few of my duplicates!

that would be much appreciated! i think i may have a few inksmith & rogers cards, but i'd have to look at home. if you have one for Thread Wizard, i'd love to have it!

oh and i just remembered that i've been trying to collect all the stencil drawings (the ones on tracing paper) for my tattoos too, but have forgotten a few times haha.

[gougetheeyes]

oh and i just remembered that i've been trying to collect all the stencil drawings (the ones on tracing paper) for my tattoos too, but have forgotten a few times haha.

Ha! Awesome, never knew anyone else thought about that -- I always mean to ask but either forget or if I remember, feel too lame to ask hahaa.

[David Flores]

that would be much appreciated! i think i may have a few inksmith & rogers cards, but i'd have to look at home. if you have one for Thread Wizard, i'd love to have it!

oh and i just remembered that i've been trying to collect all the stencil drawings (the ones on tracing paper) for my tattoos too, but have forgotten a few times haha.

I have always wanted to have someone or all the artists at a particular shop paint a sheet for me of the stuff I got tattooed by them at their shop.

[Ursula]

that would be much appreciated! i think i may have a few inksmith & rogers cards, but i'd have to look at home. if you have one for Thread Wizard, i'd love to have it!

oh and i just remembered that i've been trying to collect all the stencil drawings (the ones on tracing paper) for my tattoos too, but have forgotten a few times haha.

I do have T.W. cards they are just kind of shitty as i got them online for free haha.. i had some better ones but they got used up. I actually just ordered some yesterday so we'll see how they turn out. .

my boyfriend kept the stencil from his first tattoo ever and I've always thought that was really cute! i've had a few offers to keep the stencil or drawing but have never kept it

[AlannaCA]

i guess i collect japanese related iteams fans, umbrellas anything to do with geishas. i have a lot of souveniers from my trip and ive framed them or mounted them on my walls in my bedrooms. ive also cross stiched a few pieces that have geishas in them or japanese flowers and those are now hanging on my walls. my mom was a horrendous pack rat and garbage raider and i promised myself id never do that so ive gotten rid of things little by little and i guess my japanese stuff has been the only consistent thing.

hey Ursula are there any good antique markets in toronto/surrounding areas? and would you ever want to show a newb(me) around?

[Ursula]

I don't know a lot of the antique places in Toronto, when I lived there I couldn't really afford to feed my habit. I used to do mainly the larger thrift stores like value village. There's a couple of neat places on Queen that sell antiques but they aren't really deal finding places. I've heard there's a big antique market somewhere near downtown, I'll find out from the guy who was talking about it and maybe next time I'm in town me you and Katie can go check it out.

[JAllen]

i just got rid of a fairly large and pretty eclectic vhs collection. i have a pretty good dvd collection but i've started to buy less and i'm just focusing on music and tattoo related stuff. my music collection is pretty outrageous, i've been packing it up and it's taking forever to get it done. i used to work in record stores and i was the program director at a college radio station so i've got a diverse collection. the only other things that i've been collecting lately are teeth. i have all of my daughter's baby teeth and one of my molars that i had extracted.

[Stitch626]

Pocket watches... and Belt buckles. No I'm not from texas haha. My dad gave me his pocket watch that belonged to his dad, and while I was out in Colorado I got two more. As well as about 4 or 5 belt buckles. Nothing fancy but they have a meaning. :) I even incorporated the pocket watch from my dad into his memorial tattoo :)

[CaptCanada]

Can't think of anything that I collect now. When I was a kid though I had a stamp collection. Had 3 poster size frames of stamps. Now though it always seems like I try to fight the clutter that builds up at my house. Been wanting to get a wood working collection going, but alas no where to build anything, and no clue with what to do with it when I move state side again.

[slayer9019]

I collect a lot of stuff, mostly books. I have a ton of mainly art books (a lot from my mom) mostly revolving around wood prints and old occult books as they are really interesting. This along with a ton of old lighters and weapons. My parents were big inspirations for both as my mom is an artist and avid collector (i have a few books she did as well) and my dad is a big gun/knife collector, both of them helping me start off. Now I'm starting to move my collections to tattoos, which is surprisingly more expensive and addicting as anything.

[pixxillatted]

I don't collect books, I horde them. I have 5 bookshelves full now, with more in boxes. It doesn't help that I've worked in the book industry in some form for most of my employement. Anyone need some random paperbacks? Anyone?

I collect coins and currency from around the world (US included, when they issue those special coins). The collection was started by my great grandfather when he was in the army, and then continued by my grandfather while he served. Now my grandmother and I add to it when we can. I like the coins best.

[Ursula]

I love the idea of your great grandfather starting a collection that you still add to, that's pretty awesome.

[RoryQ]

I've got a bunch of Seiko watches, including a couple of Japanese-market only that I am probably fairly nerdy about.

In terms of clothes I have a thing about Belstaff and aside from tattoos they are probably my biggest 'luxury' expenditure, between us my GF and I have six of their jackets. Pricey but they make some seriously nice heritage-type leather jackets. I used to wear nice suits and ties at work, but to be honest they just kept getting wrecked so now I save nice clothes for private time.

Like pixxelated I hoard books. I buy in bulk, trawling every secondhand bookshop in the city for vintage science fiction. I don't think I've thrown on out in about fifteen years. My GF says if we get married this will come to an end.

[CaptCanada]

Yeah that does sound great, a collection that gets handed down and continued by each generation. My dad had every issue of playboy from when they first started until like 2001 or so. Could have contiuned that but, nah. Was weird though cause for a long time they were kept in my room. What he was thinking about when he gave a ten year old 40 years worth of playboys and getting mad when he looked at them. I only read them for the articles. ;)

Random paperbacks do sound tempting, love the smell of old books. But shipping would be a killer.