Whether you collect coins, stamps, antique furniture or vinyl records, the basis usually stems from personal interest. A collection usually begins with acquiring something you like, studying it and then collecting more. The question is; What makes something interesting enough to collect?

Let us first distinguish between Acquiring and Collecting.

Acquiring is collecting for the sole purpose of using items for their intended functional use. I have bought many LP's (Vinyl Records) in my years. I started buying them because that was the mode of music listening back in the day. Yes before 8-tracks, cassettes and compact disks. Since the production of compact disks I have not bought an LP. Therefore I do have a collection but I am not a collector.

I am though a collector of vintage jazz recordings. Some are on LPs, cassettes and compact disks. Even others are on digital and saved to my computer's hard drive. My father was a jazz pianist and through that exposure I developed an interest in jazz music and its history. For example, "rap" music is not a production of the contemporary hip hop artist but has its roots in early folk, blues and jazz from the 1920's. And musicians like Gil Scott-Heron using rap in his jazz, blues and soul music influenced the way for hip hop and neo soul music of todays "rap" stars.

So look at what you have collected and ask yourself why? It is a great question and will definitely help you to decide whether to continue or not. Remember the intial reason to start collecting is interest. Are you interested in learning more about this collection? It's history, whether personal or social? Does it have value to you or to someone else?

Lets start out with some basics. Pretend you have a number of items which you believe is a "collection". Is it out on display? Did you acquire the pieces? Have you recently added to the collection of your own accord? If the answers to these questions are "yes" then you are collecting. The most common collecting hobbies are coin and stamps. The most uncommon are ones that focus on extremely specific details, such as post Civil War Confederate military uniform buttons. Yes there are collectors in that focus. Just visit http://www.civilwarbuttons.com and peruse the site. You will see that William Leigh has an extensive collection and hobby in civil war buttons. And as said before, the collection leads to query which leads to information. Then you become an authority, as Mr. Leigh has done.

As a Collector What's next?

Now, on the opposite position, are these items packed away? Did you receive the items as a lump gift? Has the collection become stagnant? If you answer "yes" then you have acquired a collection but it is not doing you any good. You are at a crossroads in regards to this collection.

what to do with your "collection" The Big Collecting List