I’ve wrote and read a lot on the question of buying items for investment or buying them because you happen to love that particular item. There is a middle path that we should all keep collecting what you love but putting some thought to the value current or assumed of the items that are slightly more rare or expensive.

The discussion has gotten some attention on Steve Weber’s blog from the perspective of collecting books.

He answered a question about the advisability of collecting recalled or banned books for the possibility that they would be collectible items in the future and actually from reading the explanation it seems that there is no difference between this area of collecting and selling books and other sort of collectibles.

If yu keep this or that item thinking that you’ll be able to sell it in the future for a lot of money you might be wrong. The market has trends things that are values today may be ignored tomorrow and vice versa.

This doesn’t apply on collections that are build of things that have already established their social cultural value if you buy an expensive piece of art it would most likely bring you profit when you decide to sell but as for anything that lacks established cultural value yet there is always a chance that the winds might change.

I read recently two different posts on two different blogs but they both led me to think about what the perspective of time and place does to our representation of reality.

The first is here and it is about an old map that was printed in Paris and shows Paris to be the center of the world. You have to check it out as it is interesting and a real indication of that the way things look from one perspective is not always the way they look from the other.

The map is supposed to be humorist so don’t start analyzing the French people too much as we all do the same thing in one way or another.

The second thing that caught my attention was a photo of a bookplate posted as part of the post here but it is certainly made my day.

Finding two weird items on the same day? I guess this is certainly my lucky day and what’s more than this is that I won’t be able to take anything seriously today.

I was thinking recently of all the people that I have met and befriended because of my collections. When I first started I knew no one else that shared my interest and passion but after the first year I had so many new friends that it seemed that I was collecting people as well as crystals.

It took me several years to realize that I have people that are part of my life for good weather they have shops that I return to time after time as they have exactly what I look for or for the very least are open to bring the things that I’m looking for.

In many cases we created a special friendship of people that share some intimate love and appreciation for the knowledge and understanding that each of us have about the crystals and for a very long time I was sure that I’m probably the only one that have mixed the various aspects of life in this manner.

I realize now that creating friendships with shops owners and other frequent buyers is not so unique, even if I tended to take them a little more seriously than many other people I know of.

It can be really interesting to see the collection as a way to weave a weave of life that goes beyond any crystal that I brought home with me.

Most people are more balanced than I am in this regard. I have to mention the blog of Elizabeth in this aspect as she seems to have the right balance between her personal life and the friendships that are created in her many visits to stores and unique places.

Most of us reach the stage when we need to sell or buy an item online. It can be eBay or it can be through numerous number of different auction houses.

If you are a little slow like me you would wait until there is no other way to get that last item for your collection or the one thing that you couldn’t find anywhere else. If you really need that specific item you’re bound to find your way to eBay or checking the inventor of the auction house that specializes in whatever it is you’re collecting.

If you need a little guidance as to the ways to utilise the options that the net offers, I recommend checking out this blog for instructions of how to create your own website and many other thins eBay realted.

Going on Yard sales is an integral part of the lives of many collectors lives. The other side of having a yard sale is no stranger to us either.

Whatever you are looking for it makes perfect sense that someone else got it. The chance that yard sale would work for you depends mainly on what you’re looking for. If the owners believe that certain items are of high value you won’t find them at the yard sales and the market would be very different, but if you’re looking for things that are just things that a family gathers over many years then you’re probably at the right place.

I enjoy looking through old books at the hope of finding a treasure, checking the music book is Julia’s job. Sometimes we go together and each of us is all over her favorite items.

I’ve never been much into vintage really but recently I’m finding the charm of these old items and giving them larger portion of my attention. In this context I know it is tempting to take photos from Google images but you can’t really attach a photo for your yard sale ad with items from other sales. It is confusing, misleading and not very fair. You can red the story at Freshvintage.