Many years ago my sister made the mistake of telling a couple of people that she liked owls. It wasn't long before she was overwhelmed with them. Every item in her house had an owl motif. She then admitted to me that she had never really liked them all that much, but people assumed that she collected them and kept contributing to the collection. After a few years she quietly got rid of all of them, save a couple of her favourites.

I had an interesting blow-up cow for years. It was kind of cute and sat up on a top shelf. A couple of years ago someone gave me a cow ornament. Well then it began for me, people assumed that I was a collector. I guess that happens if you have more than one. I got rid of them all.

Anyway, last week I was smugly telling a friend that I don't collect things, that I don't want "stuff" around. She then asked "What about all your musical instruments?" This made me a little defensive, I mean we do have a lot and some get used more than others (except for the smashed to smithereens cello). I didn't really see this as collecting, but maybe she's right.

So what I'm wondering is what do some of you collect and why. What pleasure or use do you get out of what you collect?

I am a rooster fanatic. My grandmother used to collect them, and I guess I inherited that love from her. Everywhere you look in my house, you will see a rooster.

I collect vintage Pyrex. I love Pyrex and use mine daily.

I collect pins, lapel pins. From anywhere, Disney, places Ive been.

No real requirements, just have to look interesting.

I didn't realize I collected anything until right now! I have a huge assortment of Fiestaware and I don't use it nearly enough! We also collect flamingo's (well my DH does) and are really into art deco stuff. I also have a Christmas Dept. 56 village that I seem to add a piece to every year. In our basement we collect 50's kitsch (sp?) and since we have 3 acres my FIL seems to be collecting buses! Wish they would go live at his house!

I collect Fairies and Cats...

frogs, and mugs from every vacation I go on.

Handbags for me...I also have a shoe fetish even though I dont wear most. I prob have 25 to 30 pair that have never been worn. I just like having them. I love Kate Spade, so most of the bags are the cutest things ever.

I am a giraffe collector. Have been for about 30 years and have quite a few. Big ones, small ones, pewter ones, stuffed ones, brass, glass, ceramic and teakwood. I even have a large giraffe rug attached to the front of my house that people can see from the street as they drive by. I have been known as "the giraffe lady" in some circles. Hey, stick your neck out and make a difference!!! enndee

Coins for me and "JOY" Christmas stuff for the wife.

We have 2 rooms in our house dedicated to our collections. One bedroom houses our Beatles Collection. We have literally hundreds of different Beatles collectibles from Autographs and personal photos to junk. Another bedroom is dedicated to our Dallas Cowboy and Dallas Mavericks collections. Of course we also have sports memorabilia from the kids sports. Kim played Basketball in High School and Chris was a football "star" in High School. Plus all the stuff from their little league days.

I collect money... please send your donations to PO Box.....

LOL leatha g

My daughter collects keychains. I ask all my friends and family to bring her back a keychain when they on vacation.

I collect coffee mugs. I don't like the traditional straight ones you see everywhere, and I don't like writing on them. I like round ones, which also need to be short. Don't like tall ones. I only have a few, and I use them alot. Some day I will really get into my collection, but I first need to live on my own. My mom gets mad at me for filling up the cupboards with useless mugs.

I also have many bottles of perfume. I love to buy more and more, even though I don't use them a whole lot. I use perfume every day but usually it's the same one over and over, while the other bottles are mostly just collecting dust.

Now that I think about it, I also collect books. I love to buy books and fill up my room with a lot of them, even though I don't read as much as I'd like.

I am totally a cat collector. I have cat things everywhere, every room. I pick out stuff I really like and then it just snowballed and people give me cat stuff but you know, I really like cat stuff. My neice was at my house one day and she says to me.... You know what? You have 45 cats in just this one room (we were standing in the kitchen). I think I might be borderline obsessive/compulsive when it comes to cats. I also like to buy cookbooks, unlike the other ladies who actaully look at them, I just buy them - dont know whats up with that. ohhhhh and pens, funky pens... gotta love em.

i collect precious moments. i would say shoes but those are more of a NEED than a collection for fun! i would cease to exist without shoes.

my husband collects more crap than most women. he has a dept 56 village, aliens, comic books, star wars figurines, dvd's, monster figurines, travels books, photgraphs of where he has been, magazines, and bunch of other junk i will sell on ebay someday...anyone see the 40 year old virgin? that's my hubby, please pray for me! lol!