Do You Collect Anything Offbeat?

**forHISglory** · 11-07-2009, 02:36 PM

I collect miniature shoes and chairs. That's not terribly odd. But I also collect dictionaries. Today I was at the public library, looking at their sale cart. Found a Websters Geographical Dictionary for a quarter!!1 Whoo Hoo!! I was elated and couldn't wait to show Hubby. When I got home, he and BIL were working outside. I was glowing with enthusiasm about the book. BIL said he had never heard of anyone collecting dictionaries before.

Is it weird? I didn't think so, but probably everyone who collects things thinks that they are normal!! I have about 50 dictionaries, some old, some new, but they span a lot of areas: music, rhyming, crossword, allusions, Bible, childrens, etc. I have a variety of thesauruses and word history books, too. My fav are my various dictionaries of slang. My! How language changes!

So...... do you collect anything that others might think is offbeat?

**monkeywrangler71** · 11-07-2009, 02:41 PM

I'd love a dictionary collection, that sounds awesome! The miniature shoes sounds a bit more odd than dictionaries to me - unless of course you have miniature feet.

We have a ton of books, but aren't really collectors of anything.

**mauimagic** · 11-07-2009, 03:00 PM

I have, since I can remember, collected salt cellars - little dishes that were used at each place setting with tiny ss spoons for salt - usually paired with tiny ss pepper shakers. We used that my grandmother's home. A dear friend shared some of her mother's with me a long time ago. Such little treasures with great memories!!

**Surilda** · 11-07-2009, 03:01 PM

I collect Coleman lanterns. What is "offbeat" about it is that
I am a "girl". When I go to yard sales, I usually seek out the
man of the house and ask if he has any Coleman lanterns out
in a shed or somewhere he might want to part with. When I
say I collect them, they usually look at me as if I have grown
two heads....lol

I had a lantern restored that was made the month and year
that I was born, and it is a beauty!

**Missy** · 11-07-2009, 03:13 PM

shot glasses but that's not wierd...I don't drink though. So they're used for egg cups a lot.

um...dust bunnies seem to accumulate, dunno if that's an actual collection though.

anything chicken related I adore. even chickens...i have a flock of 7

**Contrary Housewife** · 11-07-2009, 03:45 PM

I have several collections, normal kinds of things like depression glass, figurines, jewelry boxes... perhaps my most unusual is childrens schoolbooks. I have several going back over 100 years ago. It's interesting what folks then thought was important to teach.

**nancycg56** · 11-07-2009, 04:05 PM

I collect beaded fancy purses from 1900 to 1930s or 40s. I haven't bought one in a long time because they became a popular thing to collect and prices went up to much for me.

I also collect cookbooks and have about 1300 or so - I quit counting them a long time ago. I just bought two more today at a flea market.

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 11-07-2009, 07:18 PM

I collect postcards for the places we've been...don't know if that's weird?? They're fun to thumb through from time to time...

**Ocean_Beach_Dweller** · 11-08-2009, 02:11 AM

I love to travel, so I collect postcard, maps, and those city starbucks mugs. I've cut back on the mugs though because they cost a lot more than a postcard and take up more space!

**frugalfranny** · 11-08-2009, 02:18 AM

Collecting butterflies might not be so 'off beat' until you see the collection in my house. I don't think it is so much....but the display in the LR is REAL butterflies that are mounted and framed.

**ladykemma2** · 11-08-2009, 04:53 AM

i collect and sell sterling flatware. i have a complete service of towle royal winsor from the 1930s, another set of alvin della robbia from 1912, the year the titanic sank. I sold a set of alvin chateau rose that i collected. I am considering collecting a set of francis 1st, the heavy ones from 1900.

i go thrift store shopping and junk store shopping and people just throw this stuff away. i found my set of della robbia in a nasty canvas sack in the dirt of a barn/junk store in Cut and Shoot texas. "how much do you want for this?". "fifty bucks" said the man. I got it home and it was a complete service for 12 with the provenance of a lady from alabama, 1950s?

I am a pawn shop junkie. I also collect estate jewelery. my goal is to have a diamond of every shape. I lack an asscher, a heart, a radiant, an old mine cut, an old european cut. i would fall over myself to have a spirit sun shape, a solasfera, a GOG cushion, and a maltese cross. I buy them "used" and figure that have intrinsic value, to be sold when needed.

**scooby8themall** · 11-08-2009, 07:41 AM

I collect gems and coins old cooking items ,people think it's strange to have rocks/gems out and displayed.They are fun to collect.

**wwe11** · 11-08-2009, 08:51 AM

I collect amish things from books on. I also collect old cookbooks and anything from the frontier age.

**ravenmaniac** · 11-08-2009, 10:13 AM

I like lanterns, any kind. I have some from boats that are kind of neat.

I love to collect books from my favorite authors. The hardback Mitford series by Jan Karon is hard to find.

I also seem to collect huge tumble weeds of dog hair. I vacuum or "dry swiffer" every day and they seem to collect no matter what I do. Six dogs and hardwood/tile floors, go figure?

**Natalie** · 11-08-2009, 10:17 AM

I collect pens. Plain old ordinary pens. And also... Post-it notes. Of course, I use these, but I may never run out... Don't think I intended to, but I do.