[78-L] Collecting

[DAVID BURNHAM]

Michael Biel wrote:

 I wonder if stamp collecting--and possibly even coin collecting--is
> undergoing a similar crisis because young people do not snail-mail
> things nor use coins except in parking meters.

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This brings to mind one of my favourite comebacks about record collecting.  When I first got married, my mother-in-law, (who never felt it necessary to restrain her criticism about anything I did), remarked, "Why do you have all these records around, you can't possibly play them all!).  I responded by saying that a stamp collector will never use one of his stamps to mail a letter and a coin collector will never spend one of his coins, but I listen to my records all the time.

There are, (I believe), two types of collectors - those who collect items which can function as they were designed - records, antique cars, old radios, and comic books; and those who collect items which do not function - stamps, coins, bottle tops, hockey cards, toilet paper rolls etc.  Since I have lived every day of my life, (so far), with a passion for records which is not shared by everyone I know, I could never criticize a collector of anything, even though I'll never acquire a passion for historic bobby pins.

db