Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

TVV · 21st October 2006, 04:47 AM

I wish I could come up with a nice theory to justify my collecting addiction, but I think it is just that I never grew up. As my wife points out, when boys get older, the only thing that changes is the price of their toys.
I am in the bottom of the collecting food chain, and I think this is where I will stay regardless of how wealthy I get. I like almost all ethnographic edged weapons and I find it hard to concentrate even on one geographic area, let alone on one type. I have a main area of interest, but for every weapon from this area I acquire, I tend to get two that have nothing to do with it. So generally, I am extremely undisciplinned at my collecting, and whenever I see something well priced on eBay or at an antique shop in Bulgaria (when I am there) I tend to go for it...
And so far I have been unable to figure out upgrading either, as I find it extremely difficult to part with items in my possession, even in cases in which I know they are junk. Unworthy of display, I keep touristy weapons stored somewhere, but cannot force myself to sell them, because of the memories associated with most of them, especially since these touristy weapons got me started on collecting ethnographic arms in the first place. Interestingly enough it only works this way with ethnographic items, as plenty of bayonets passed through my hands and I never developped an affection for any of them.
All these weaknesses mean that I will forever stay at the bottom of the collecting food chain, but I do not have a problem with this - I like it this way.

21st October 2006, 04:47 AM	#21
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,660	I wish I could come up with a nice theory to justify my collecting addiction, but I think it is just that I never grew up. As my wife points out, when boys get older, the only thing that changes is the price of their toys. I am in the bottom of the collecting food chain, and I think this is where I will stay regardless of how wealthy I get. I like almost all ethnographic edged weapons and I find it hard to concentrate even on one geographic area, let alone on one type. I have a main area of interest, but for every weapon from this area I acquire, I tend to get two that have nothing to do with it. So generally, I am extremely undisciplinned at my collecting, and whenever I see something well priced on eBay or at an antique shop in Bulgaria (when I am there) I tend to go for it... And so far I have been unable to figure out upgrading either, as I find it extremely difficult to part with items in my possession, even in cases in which I know they are junk. Unworthy of display, I keep touristy weapons stored somewhere, but cannot force myself to sell them, because of the memories associated with most of them, especially since these touristy weapons got me started on collecting ethnographic arms in the first place. Interestingly enough it only works this way with ethnographic items, as plenty of bayonets passed through my hands and I never developped an affection for any of them. All these weaknesses mean that I will forever stay at the bottom of the collecting food chain, but I do not have a problem with this - I like it this way.