Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Collection goals and strategies

A. G. Maisey · 21st September 2010, 05:35 AM

This is a good point for discussion, Jussi.

When I was very, very much younger than I am now, I had a very sharply defined strategy.

I didn't think it involved wanting much.

Only every keris that was ever made.

At the time I did not understand what my strategy involved.

I never realized the objective of my strategy, but up until about age 30 I did buy every keris I encountered, and that I could afford. That resulted in a massive accumulation of keris, which I began to get rid of sometime in my thirties, and by the time I was in my early 40's that accumulation had shrunk into double figures.

Then I began to really learn about keris. From age 14 through to about age 42 I was really only in kindergarten, learning my ABC --- yeah, OK, I'm a slow learner.

As I learnt more , I got rid of even more keris, while at the same time I bought more keris.

I'd well and truly dropped my original strategy by then, and my strategy at that time was to buy every good quality piece I could afford. Trouble was I couldn't stick with this strategy, because I'd be tempted by minor unusual pieces that often totally lacked quality.

After this phase I started to specialize. I had realized that I simply could not afford to buy the very best of what I came across, so the chase for improvement in quality was shelved, and I began concentrating on archaic pieces. Because good archaic pieces are so very, very scarce, this meant that I could go maybe 4 or 5 years without buying a single good archaic piece --- and I still got sidetracked by those minor unusual pieces.

As things stand at the present time I do not have any strategy at all for collecting, because I no longer consider myself a collector. For a little while now I have been in the process of reducing my collection to a manageable level. I will still buy the occasional piece if it grabs me in some way, but there is no longer any sort of defined plan, it’s a matter of if I see something I really like for some reason or another, and I can afford it, I'll buy it. But purchases are very few and far between.

My primary goal for some time has been the collection of understanding and knowledge, rather than the collection of actual keris.

Some years ago I knew a fellow who was one of the world's great authorities on Japanese swords. When I met him he had a very large collection of swords, which he relentlessly reduced in number during the time I knew him. As he reduced his collection, he would very occasionally buy an additional sword, which could easily be sold a few months later. His stated aim was to have a "collection of one sword, and that sword will be perfect".

I'm not quite as radical as this, but my thoughts do tend in that general direction.

21st September 2010, 05:35 AM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	This is a good point for discussion, Jussi. When I was very, very much younger than I am now, I had a very sharply defined strategy. I didn't think it involved wanting much. Only every keris that was ever made. At the time I did not understand what my strategy involved. I never realized the objective of my strategy, but up until about age 30 I did buy every keris I encountered, and that I could afford. That resulted in a massive accumulation of keris, which I began to get rid of sometime in my thirties, and by the time I was in my early 40's that accumulation had shrunk into double figures. Then I began to really learn about keris. From age 14 through to about age 42 I was really only in kindergarten, learning my ABC --- yeah, OK, I'm a slow learner. As I learnt more , I got rid of even more keris, while at the same time I bought more keris. I'd well and truly dropped my original strategy by then, and my strategy at that time was to buy every good quality piece I could afford. Trouble was I couldn't stick with this strategy, because I'd be tempted by minor unusual pieces that often totally lacked quality. After this phase I started to specialize. I had realized that I simply could not afford to buy the very best of what I came across, so the chase for improvement in quality was shelved, and I began concentrating on archaic pieces. Because good archaic pieces are so very, very scarce, this meant that I could go maybe 4 or 5 years without buying a single good archaic piece --- and I still got sidetracked by those minor unusual pieces. As things stand at the present time I do not have any strategy at all for collecting, because I no longer consider myself a collector. For a little while now I have been in the process of reducing my collection to a manageable level. I will still buy the occasional piece if it grabs me in some way, but there is no longer any sort of defined plan, it’s a matter of if I see something I really like for some reason or another, and I can afford it, I'll buy it. But purchases are very few and far between. My primary goal for some time has been the collection of understanding and knowledge, rather than the collection of actual keris. Some years ago I knew a fellow who was one of the world's great authorities on Japanese swords. When I met him he had a very large collection of swords, which he relentlessly reduced in number during the time I knew him. As he reduced his collection, he would very occasionally buy an additional sword, which could easily be sold a few months later. His stated aim was to have a "collection of one sword, and that sword will be perfect". I'm not quite as radical as this, but my thoughts do tend in that general direction.