Comments on: Sleeping With Money: I Was Mean to a Toy Collector http://queercents.com/2007/07/26/sleeping-with-money-i-was-mean-to-a-toy-collector/ We're here, We're queer, and We're not going Shopping without Coupons Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:23:21 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Carnival of Money Stories #19 (Dough Roller Presidential Debate Edition) » The Dough Roller http://queercents.com/2007/07/26/sleeping-with-money-i-was-mean-to-a-toy-collector/comment-page-1/#comment-55688 Carnival of Money Stories #19 (Dough Roller Presidential Debate Edition) » The Dough Roller Tue, 31 Jul 2007 11:03:43 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2007/07/26/sleeping-with-money-i-was-mean-to-a-toy-collector/#comment-55688 [...] Mayor Giuliani: Of course not, and I’d never condone such a scheme. The way to pay for health insurance is to round up all the toy collectors, take their toys, and sell them (the toys, not the collectors). This would have the added benefit of getting rid of clutter as Sleeping With Money: I Was Mean To A Toy Collector (@ Queercents) explains. [...]<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-55688">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> [...] Mayor Giuliani: Of course not, and I’d never condone such a scheme. The way to pay for health insurance is to round up all the toy collectors, take their toys, and sell them (the toys, not the collectors). This would have the added benefit of getting rid of clutter as Sleeping With Money: I Was Mean To A Toy Collector (@ Queercents) explains. [...]

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]]> By: Bina http://queercents.com/2007/07/26/sleeping-with-money-i-was-mean-to-a-toy-collector/comment-page-1/#comment-54787 Bina Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:44:44 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2007/07/26/sleeping-with-money-i-was-mean-to-a-toy-collector/#comment-54787 My dolls and stuffed animals take bitter offense at you calling them anything other than fine art. They are masterpieces. I stand up for myself and all my fellow adult collectors out there. It's not about an investment. It's about the love. It's about the appreciation of the craftsmanship. I'm essentially the older version of DivaJean's daughter. Every year on my birthday I buy myself a Madame Alexander doll. It's tradition. The doll is special and purchased on a day that I'm special. I scour the collection of available dolls until I find the one that speaks to me. In past years it has been the Leo doll (since I'm a Leo) or the Scottish doll (since my ancestors hail from Scotland) or a Guardian Angel (to watch over me) or Cinderella's Wedding (since I too long to marry Prince Charming). Each doll represents a piece of my personality. They convey my passions to those who visit my home. Others may see them as "clutter" but they are artistic expressions and representations. Every doll has a story, an origin of how it came to be in my possession that can be passed on to my children and grandchildren. Each doll is a flashback to childhood, to a time when life was so much simpler and the troubles of the world were not upon us - when something as simple as a doll could bring us joy. Does toy collecting make dating difficult? Perhaps. I find my doll collection to be a rather useful aid in selecting a partner. Dates who visit my apartment and take issue with my dolls aren't really the sort I want to pour a lot of relationship effort into. To take dolls that seriously is to take life that seriously. It is a warning to me that people are too tightly wound. I find the people I get along best with are the ones who see the dolls, laugh, and then share their own memories of childhood and the toys they fancied. They represent both a hope for the future and a longing for the past. Sure, I could've spent the money on say a CD or a book or something but those things lack the instant visceral pleasure of a doll and they rarely stand the test of time. Nostalgia, a remembrance of things past, of loves past. Isn't love grand! ;-)<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-54787">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> My dolls and stuffed animals take bitter offense at you calling them anything other than fine art. They are masterpieces. I stand up for myself and all my fellow adult collectors out there.

It’s not about an investment. It’s about the love. It’s about the appreciation of the craftsmanship. I’m essentially the older version of DivaJean’s daughter. Every year on my birthday I buy myself a Madame Alexander doll. It’s tradition. The doll is special and purchased on a day that I’m special. I scour the collection of available dolls until I find the one that speaks to me. In past years it has been the Leo doll (since I’m a Leo) or the Scottish doll (since my ancestors hail from Scotland) or a Guardian Angel (to watch over me) or Cinderella’s Wedding (since I too long to marry Prince Charming).

Each doll represents a piece of my personality. They convey my passions to those who visit my home. Others may see them as “clutter” but they are artistic expressions and representations. Every doll has a story, an origin of how it came to be in my possession that can be passed on to my children and grandchildren. Each doll is a flashback to childhood, to a time when life was so much simpler and the troubles of the world were not upon us – when something as simple as a doll could bring us joy.

Does toy collecting make dating difficult? Perhaps. I find my doll collection to be a rather useful aid in selecting a partner. Dates who visit my apartment and take issue with my dolls aren’t really the sort I want to pour a lot of relationship effort into. To take dolls that seriously is to take life that seriously. It is a warning to me that people are too tightly wound. I find the people I get along best with are the ones who see the dolls, laugh, and then share their own memories of childhood and the toys they fancied. They represent both a hope for the future and a longing for the past. Sure, I could’ve spent the money on say a CD or a book or something but those things lack the instant visceral pleasure of a doll and they rarely stand the test of time. Nostalgia, a remembrance of things past, of loves past. Isn’t love grand! ;-)

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]]> By: DivaJean http://queercents.com/2007/07/26/sleeping-with-money-i-was-mean-to-a-toy-collector/comment-page-1/#comment-54780 DivaJean Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:54:38 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2007/07/26/sleeping-with-money-i-was-mean-to-a-toy-collector/#comment-54780 One more thing- when has it become absolutely necessary to have everything from every movie? It's like the Hollywood machine is on overdrive lately with each offering to our kids! There is no way I would think for one minute about getting my kids new bedsets, room decor, toys etc after each new animated movie hits the screen. Yet somehow, they all have everything to sell! Some idiots must be buying doubles to make up for what I don't buy. Oh yeah- that's the toy collector guy from the story...<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-54780">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> One more thing- when has it become absolutely necessary to have everything from every movie? It’s like the Hollywood machine is on overdrive lately with each offering to our kids!

There is no way I would think for one minute about getting my kids new bedsets, room decor, toys etc after each new animated movie hits the screen. Yet somehow, they all have everything to sell! Some idiots must be buying doubles to make up for what I don’t buy.

Oh yeah- that’s the toy collector guy from the story…

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]]> By: DivaJean http://queercents.com/2007/07/26/sleeping-with-money-i-was-mean-to-a-toy-collector/comment-page-1/#comment-54779 DivaJean Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:49:06 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2007/07/26/sleeping-with-money-i-was-mean-to-a-toy-collector/#comment-54779 The bottom line to me is- its damn expensive to collect just about anything at this point. That being said- I have a daughter who is 8. She likes American Girl dolls- which are approximately $90 each. She gets ONE each year for Christmas (started 2 years ago). For her birthday this year, we went to American Girl Place in New York and she spent money she had saved to buy herself a third doll. Dresses and accesories are often homemade by me or bought by grandparents for special occasions. I have made it crystal clear that there is no way in our small house and on our budget she could be a major collector- and she gets it. I understand my story is about a child and her relationship with toys, obtaining stuff- but I feel this is where our level of insulation from the world comes. I do not want her to become someone who wants stuff to shield her from the world. I want her to have a healthy relationship with what she owns and feel freed from hoarding.<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-54779">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> The bottom line to me is- its damn expensive to collect just about anything at this point.

That being said- I have a daughter who is 8. She likes American Girl dolls- which are approximately $90 each. She gets ONE each year for Christmas (started 2 years ago). For her birthday this year, we went to American Girl Place in New York and she spent money she had saved to buy herself a third doll. Dresses and accesories are often homemade by me or bought by grandparents for special occasions. I have made it crystal clear that there is no way in our small house and on our budget she could be a major collector- and she gets it.

I understand my story is about a child and her relationship with toys, obtaining stuff- but I feel this is where our level of insulation from the world comes. I do not want her to become someone who wants stuff to shield her from the world. I want her to have a healthy relationship with what she owns and feel freed from hoarding.

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