Justin was used to a good deal
0 Comments | Journal (Newcastle, England), The, June 30, 2004
To collect or not to collect. That is the question Million Pound Property Experiment gurus Colin and Justin are pondering.
Personalising your home is a finely tuned balancing act ( not enough “you” items and it could feel impersonal.
Too much “you”, however, and visitors could feel swamped by overbearing personality. And we speak from first-hand experience. Only this week, while filming How Not To Decorate for Channel 5, we met up with a couple who found themselves sharing a tiny two-bed terrace with all manner of curious collectibles.
There were 100 or so souvenir plates, assembled, it transpired, from every holiday they’d ever had. Some came from Butlins or Tenerife while others were from Skegness or Ibiza.
Next up was a collection of Swarovski Crystal ( perhaps 250 intricate gems taking the form of cats, ducks and even goldfish.
Another particularly dated collection was the ceramic houses featuring virtually every architectural style ( there were bungalows, mansions, village shops, thatched cottages and even one particularly frightening china effigy depicting a Glasgow tenement block.
We struck a deal with the owners ( we’d completely overhaul their house but in return they’d have to agree to rid themselves of their predilection by donating the entire kit and caboodle to charity.
After much gnashing of teeth (and a few tears) we agreed that they could keep the Swarovski and a couple of pieces of Lladro. You’ll see the results when we broadcast in mid-July.
But collecting. What’s it all about and what are the most popular collections? In short, everything. There are certain common denominators such as stamps, coins and teapots, or even Franklin Mint plates and Barbie Dolls. Some collections, however, are more unusual.
Consider a girlfriend of ours who collects “trophies” from previous boyfriends ( pants, combs, CDs, whatever. People, of course, collect different things for different reasons, though curiously there is commonality across gender with women collecting for aesthetic or sentimental reasons while men tend to concentrate on market value or one-upmanship.
While our own collecting compulsions may have dissipated of late, we too have been previously guilty of themed stock-piling. Justin’s collection, now fortunately arrested and donated in its entirety to Oxfam, was particularly odd.
Playing cards. About 300 sets to be precise
tenerife property