Childhood collection

When I was 13 years old, I gave away my childhood ponies.  This was a mistake.

However, there are a very few things from my childhood collection that I still own, and I'm extremely pleased to still have them.  One of these is the Party Pack set.

For whatever reason, the majority of these accessories, as well as the box, remained in my possession when the rest of my collection was taken away.  The condition of this set can give you an indication of the condition of the rest of my collection when I gave it up.  I sincerely hope they ended up in some collectors' hands who appreciate them.  Because these are from my childhood and therefore special, I'm not looking to add the few items that I'm missing (aside from the ponies).  I want this to remain an "intact" childhood set.

Of interest, this set cost $26.99 Canadian when it was new in stores.  I got it from the now-defunct Toy City chain as a gift from my mom.

Elf

Restoration for Roomy

Roomy has been patiently waiting for me to start doing some restorations on her vintage POP figures for awhile now.  Well, she's still waiting, but I've done one finally.

Glimmer's normally curly hair was looking a bit flat and frizzy, (that's what 30 years of bed head looks like).  So in my last wave of pony cleaning I also brought Glimmer along.

Conditioning, combing, wrapping hair in q-tips, boiling, drying, unwrapping, separating curls...and Glimmer is looking much better.  And Roomy is happy too.

Elf

Further progress in the Geek Cave

We all knew it would come to this.  More space was wanted, so the closet doors came off.

I say that like it was easy, but it was a bit of a challenge for Roomy, who was inside the closet in the relative dark, trying to unscrew the runners and lift the doors off.  The runners proved to be stubborn, but Roomy proved to be more stubborn, and in the end the doors came off.

We began re-arranging things.  Much of what was stored in the closet (backcards and packaging mainly) was shifted under Roomy's large display table.  Then smaller bookcases were shifted into the closet so that it could become an extended display space for me.  Along with my small LPS collection, I've moved some of the G4 ponies in there.  The G4s will have two small displays (Ponyville and Canterlot) and the G3s will gain some shelf space in this way, as well.

The Cave will always be a work in progress, so long as our collections continue to grow.  We may look at ways of adding shelving in the closet at a later date.  In the meantime, we've got a bit more room to move now.

Elf

Living with a collection - Taking up Space Part 2

Previously when discussing living with a collection I talked about the physical space that a collection takes up.  This time I want to talk about another way a collection takes up space - mental space.

As a collector, it's only natural that you spend a good deal of time thinking about your collection.  Perhaps you're thinking about how to adjust your display space to accommodate new pieces.  Perhaps you're thinking about the latest piece you've acquired.  Perhaps you're just sitting there admiring your favourite piece.

There's nothing wrong with spending time thinking about your collection, talking about your collection, enjoying your collection - it would be stranger if you didn't.  But although you love your collection...sometimes your love for it might be a little overwhelming to those around you, especially when they're not collectors themselves.

When we love something, whether it's a book, a game, a show, or a toy, we want to share it with our friends.  Usually, our friends are happy to share our joy - up to a point.  Your enthusiasm can wear a bit thin, however, if you keep going on, and on, and on about something that those around you don't really share.  Even the best of friends don't always want to hear about your latest find.

Maybe this is why collectors seek each other out - online, at conventions, at shops.  There is a certain satisfaction in sharing your love for something with someone else who understands completely just how exciting it was when you finally added that hard to find accessory to your collection.

Elf

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Collection ponies cleaned: 25
Collection ponies photographed: 25

Nigh

On rare occasions, I do still do some artwork that's not pony-related.  Recently, I did some pen and ink cover art for Roomy's upcoming serialized novel, Nigh.

Seeing as Roomy is plugging this on her blog, I figured I'd better do the same.  ;)

The finished cover design, and more details on the novel, are available on Roomy's blog.

Elf