Collecting: Beyond the Dust
By Sandy Balayan
November 2025
Is it the thrill of the hunt? The capture? Does one hope that they will reap a profit in the future? Are people possessed or obsessed? Is it an addiction? These are all good questions when you are referring to the fine art of collecting and why we do this particular activity. Is it in our DNA? People were always hunters and gatherers, so is this at the root of collecting? I don’t think there is just one answer as to why, but I do know that having collections of various things seems to be very satisfying for a lot of people. It is the opposite of decluttering, yet it is not hoarding. Collecting is simply something many do and they derive endless pleasure from their different collections. After talking to several people about this, I think I have come to the conclusion that, for most people, their collections remind them of a time in life, a place, or a special person. They are driven by their memories and the nostalgic aspect of seeing collections passed down to them. Or perhaps they are gifts from special people in one’s life and they continue to seek similar things.
Carved wooden trolls that Jim has collected. Photo: Sandy Balayan
Stamps and coins are probably the most popular collections. People collect teddy bears, GI Joes, seashells, T-shirts, action figures, shot glasses, toys, autographs, trading cards (think Pokemon), rare books, different types of figurines, comic books, bottle caps, lighters, matches, clocks, dolls, watches, sneakers and on and on. I myself used to collect cocktail umbrellas and the cocktail toothpicks that held sandwiches together with the plastic twizzle colored decoration on them. I didn’t save my shoe box full but I’m sure this collection would have little value except to the eight-year-old me. The only thing I collect in my house now is dust.
Katie Allen agrees with me. “I mostly collect dust, but as a teenager I had a collection of empty lighters. I do have trouble parting with things and enjoy flea markets. I guess the only thing I truly collect is nail polish. I have quite a few and I’m sure I will never use most of them.” Laurie Nikituk has close to 100 egg cups. Her collection started when her brother was stationed in Germany in the late ’60s. He brought her some and she was off and running. Her dad built special shelves for her egg cups in her dining room and she appreciates the uniqueness of each one.
But, I hit the mother lode when I visited Jim Fink at his home. He has more collections than I can count. He gave me the grand tour and it was very interesting. He remembers his very first collection and how it all began. At 16 he accompanied his mother to see the Christmas decorations at G. Fox in Hartford. While there, he got his first troll and then he began receiving them as birthday gifts. He has about eight and they are not the plastic ones with the colored frizzy mane of hair that we all think of when we imagine trolls. These are beautifully carved out of wood. In fact, our own resident wood carver Ken Packie made Jim a large size troll in the likeness of one of his favorite small ones.
Jim was fascinated by the Rocky and Bullwinkle show in the ’70s and that started a hunt for the small figures. He has an extensive collection of Boris and Natasha figurines, along with Rocky and the man himself, Bullwinkle. Jim and his wife took a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia and that started his fascination with pewter bells. His set of 12 Christmas bells, representing the twelve days of Christmas, adorned with partridges in pear trees and maids a-milking. These remind him of a time long ago and enjoying a sightseeing trip with his late wife. There are carousel horses, merry-go-rounds, pewter plates, 10 nutcracker ornaments which all hold a special memory of taking his children to see the Nutcracker. The list goes on.
A troll that Jim Fink had carved by Ken Packie Photo: Sandy Balayan
“All my knickknacks remind me of the past. I get pleasure from looking at them and treasure the memories they each evoke. I am proud to show them to anyone who visits. They comfort me and soothe my soul,” says Jim.
We’ve all been to fast-food places that attempt to boost sales by including action figures from a popular movie and urging people to collect all the pieces. The latest collectible craze is Labubu dolls, a gremlin-like stuffed toy that comes in a “blind box.” You heighten the excitement by not knowing what you are getting until after you own it and open it up! The promoters have done quite a good marketing job and they give the illusion they are in demand by pushing the dolls on social media and then saying inventory is down. This drives a certain type of hysteria to begin and people are begging for the dolls
Whether scouring the internet, checking eBay and other sites, going to antique shows and flea markets, collecting is a very popular pastime. Some collections have conventions where participants share their passion and show off their unique collections. Whatever your particular reason is, I think it is clear that collecting is a great pastime and is not going anywhere. Happy collecting!
