The End Game

This is in response to Steve Skalsky’s inquiry concerning a collector’s “end game.” It is interesting that this subject came up several times with several different individuals at the Symposium. Our Club is aging, and many members are thinking about what to do with their collections.

As for me, I find collecting to be a very enjoyable sport. There’s the thrill of the hunt, the ecstasy when you find a new treasure (particularly if it’s a bargain), and the agony of defeat when you miss out on a piece at auction. Then there are the people that you meet with stories to tell along the way because you collect, and the very good friends that you find as well. There is the life-long learning about what you collect, and the sharing of information and your knowledge with others.

I can travel to museums or go to various websites to see and learn more about what I collect. And while it is fun to do that, the benefits and adventure only last as long as the trip. There is nothing more satisfying than to find a piece that I can take home and treasure for a while. I am a caretaker of all the pieces in my collection. They were owned by someone before me, and will be owned by someone after me, and I hope cherished as much as I have cherished them. The young collectors out there need to have an opportunity to experience what I have experienced in my collecting – they need the opportunity to purchase a beautiful piece that they will love for years to come.

I won’t pass my collection on to a museum that may put my collection on display once every 20 years or so, or keep the bulk of it in a warehouse somewhere that no one can enjoy it. I hear people say, “but I don’t need the money.” I say, so give the proceeds of a sale to your charity of choice. Believe me, the charity would rather have your money than your collection. I hope that I can someday see a collector delighted to obtain just one of my pieces, and take it home to put in the cabinet to admire. They will be able to pass the story along about how they obtained that piece, and have a fond memory of it. That will be my ultimate experience as a collector.

Bonnie Salzman, Richmond, VA