From
One Collector's Point of
View
By Patricia Stevens
I think the ultimate joy
in this life is to have a
passion; something that
you
not only LOVE, but crave,
need, want - "have to
have".
Something that always
brings you joy.
Something that never fails
to brighten your day when
you see
it. Or hear it. Or think
about it.
Sometimes it's another
person. Sometimes it's a
song or type of music that
just
allows you to relax, zone
out, be calm. Something
which lifts your spirits
and
puts you in a good mood, a
good frame of mind.
It could be a passion for
art - a piece that evokes
a memory of a place or
feeling of happiness. Or
it could be a passion for
something else. My husband
and son share a passion
for cars, specifically
Camaros. Sharing
this has
brought them so much
closer than they once
were. The thread that
connects all
of these possible passions
is the way they make you
feel; the evocative nature
of whatever it is.
My own passion since
childhood has been
Halloween. And in more
recent years,
I've developed a
"thing" for
witches. Really,
anything that reminds me
of
Halloween is a good thing.
There are so many aspects
to Halloween, and luckily
for those of us who love
it, and collect it, there
is much to look at,
appreciate, want, and BID
on.... on Ebay!
Vintage or Contemporary?
Paintings or Figures?
Life-sized?
Miniature?
Antiques?
Furniture?
Something OLD made into
something NEW?
Something spooky and
haunting?
(Definitely!)
I have collected many
different things over the
years but I have to say
that
"meeting" the
many different Ebay
artists since I became a
member (and a very
active bidder and
collector!) in 2001 has
been so much fun! It
has also
broadened my horizons
about collecting
Halloween, and I've
learned so much!
This past October I was
lucky enough to actually
meet two of these Ebay
artists
in person - Carolee Clark
and Ellie Schuster.
They were displaying their
work
at the "Halloween
Opera" in Jim Thorpe,
PA. Of course, I
wanted to buy
everything they had, did
walk away with a gorgeous
hand painted bowl!
All the Halloween artists
on Ebay are so
tremendously talented!
I absolutely
treasure their creations.
I appreciate them not only
at Halloween-time, but
throughout the year, and
not only in my home but in
my work environment too.
Luckily, we own a family
business, and I have my
own office space where I
can
decorate freely. I
often wonder what clients
think when they see my
witches
here and there, or the
picture of pumpkins I
leave on my desk all year,
or the
paintings of Halloween
Witches all around my
computer. Some do
comment on
things, and I explain that
I collect witches and love
Halloween. Some
understand, others do not.
Those who seem to
understand I'm sure have
passions
of their own, and
oftentimes they'll share
things with me about their
own
collections.
Someitmes they say "I
used to
collect......." and I
always ask
"why did you
stop?" (Perhaps they
ran out of room!)
I know that I will always
love Halloween and
witches. My cousin,
who lives on
a farm in upstate N.Y.,
shares my passion for
these things. She
emails me
often saying things like
"277 days left until
the witches fly" and
tells me how
she decorates her home and
her yard with ghosts and
witches. Sometimes all she
says is "BOO!"
I think the next best
thing to having a passion,
and a
collection, is being able
to share it with someone
who truly understands it.
Being a member of this
Halloween group has been a
lot of fun too! It
brings
together artists and
collectors who all share
this wonderful passion!
I only
wish I had more time to
spend online chatting with
the different members.
Since my children have now
left the nest, I have a
little more freedom to
decorate my home. My
family
"tolerates" my
love for Halloween, but
they
occasionally do complain
about the abundance of
stuff. So I have
happily
turned one of my
daughter's rooms into the
"WITCH'S DEN",
where I can leave
everything on display all
year long. I also
have things in my kitchen
and
living room, but this
upstairs room is so much
fun! My daughter
comes home now
and then, and she and her
husband (and their 2 cats)
still sleep in the room
and don't complain (at
least not to me!)
Some of my scarier things
have to
stay under wraps, until
the grandkids get a little
older. I have a
moving,
screaming, cackling WITCH
that hangs on the wall and
my grandson won't walk
past it. One day I caught
him growling and moaning
back at it, so put it away
when I realized it
frightened him.
Collecting Halloween is
all about having FUN and
creating an atmosphere
that
pleases the eye, the
spirit and the soul.
Whatever SPIRIT moves
you!!!
Patricia Stevens is an
avid Halloween collector
and EHAG member, residing
in
New York.