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Discover Mid-America — September 2010
Better reason for collecting
 |
Sometimes it seems the antique trade can be a little too focused on the name behind the item, particularly in the higher end parts of the trade. The refrain goes something along the lines of this table crafted by so-and-so company, this jewelry once worn by that well-known lady, this toy part of that famous collection.
Of course if one doesn’t recognize any of the names, a turn-off to any possible interest in collecting becomes more of a possibility. Makes me wonder how many potential customers a high-end shop or mall or auction loses because of excessive name-dropping around an item. No one wants to feel like they’re dumb when they’re out to spend money.
Tied to the name-dropping is the value of something, often wrapped around an obvious soft sell to reach a certain price. Again, if one doesn’t recognize the name, buying into a certain price becomes more unlikely.
Sure, the motivation to buy and maybe then start collecting can lie in price and a name. But there’s always the intangible that hovers away from price and name when it comes to collecting.
Post-modern psychobabble about “hoarding” being the bulwark against abandonment by a distant parent aside, some people collect because they just like the things they collect and they like the stories that go along with the experience of getting those things they collect. No mystery, no trauma, just enjoyment.
Tom and Mary Norskov, the subject of this month’s cover feature, are collectors. They’re friendly, middle class, live in a very nice home — made even more appealing because of how they showcase what they collect — with their Westie (West Highland Terrier) Anya and are about as even-keeled, middle American as one would find.
They collect for one simple reason: They like it. They don’t sell except at a few shows sponsored by the Topeka Antique Dealers Association, are devoted early-bird garage sale pursuers and abandoned eBay years ago. They’re very versed in what they collect — having a room devoted to research — yet don’t stand on a pedestal when recounting what company made what for what reason.
What the Norskovs do like to talk about are the stories behind what they collect — when they got it, who it’s from and how it came their way. Many of the items in their home are family items, many one-of-a-kind, from their parents or grandparents, and each has a story.
Both Tom and Mary are from Nebraska, from families that farmed. Ties to generations before mean a lot, give a definition to a family name and a special significance to something created by a long-passed relative especially when it remains in the family.
If nothing else, their collecting started because of family, not because of value or because of a famous name. There’s something unselfish about the Norskov’s collecting. More people should practice what they do.
Bruce Rodgers can be contacted at publisher@discoverypub.com.
> Refurnished Thoughts Archive — past columns
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