This Thing Called Collecting
Yesterday I got a very exciting delivery, something I’ve been wanting for ages and finally broke down and ordered. It was “The Chosen Collection”– all 7 seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in one boxed set with new special features, interviews, etc. Now. Before you go calling me crazy either because
A) You don’t understand why I would want it in the first place…(Hey, I feel you. I was a doubter once, too, thinking it was a silly kids’ show and would ashamedly buy the dvd’s for my brother. Until I actually watched it and realized the genius of Joss Whedon and his ability to turn plotlines about vampires and demons into metaphors for life)
–OR–
B) You’re wondering what the heck this has to do with wine…
Let me explain. I had a brief moment of guilt, when I was slicing through taped cardboard, where I wondered if I was cheating. Part of the joy of collecting is the chase, the search. Whether it’s digging through dusty, unalphabetized shelves trying to find that one book of poetry or trying on 10 pairs of shoes until you find the perfect ones, there’s beauty in the act itself. Now do you see where I’m going? My little wine cooler is (over)stuffed with bottles, but most of those bottles represent memories. Some travelled with me across Mississippi and then across the country, many were bought at wineries after lovely afternoons of tasting, and some were generously given to me by friends or others in the wine biz. Some are old friends and some I can’t wait to try.
That’s why I don’t understand stories of collectors who pay someone else to stock their cellar or buy entire collections at auctions or online. Don’t they want to search for the wines themselves? There’s a satisfaction in seeking out something and finding it. Think of it as mini treasure hunts. And, often, part of the fun is not even knowing what you want until you find it, like asking a sales clerk about a particular Sauvignon Blanc and leaving the store with a Vinho Verde.
And now that I’m at the end of my rant, my guilt has gone away. I’ve already watched every episode of Buffy (more than once) and know I like them, so this collection is a matter of saving time, money, and space. But when it comes to wine, I’ll keep trucking along, buying a bottle or two at a time. As money and space permit…
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, collecting, wine collecting
….Farley Walker
April 24th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
First of all, no one ever has to explain collecting Buffy the Vampire Slayer–at least not to me. Every summer, we watch the whole damn thing from end to end. Recently, trapped in a cabin with no tv but a VCR, I watched all of seasons 1 and 2. Like good Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Buffy is always in style.
Second, I’m with you on the wine thing, too. I think it must be people with lots more $ than we have who want to HAVE stuff rather than enjoy stuff. Or that’s what I tell myself as I look at my beloved, ragtag Scooby Gang of wine bottles in the closet. Lots of memories, lots of associations.
April 24th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Oh, Dr. Debs, that’s fun to know! I can’t blame people for turning their noses up, since I once did, but now I know it’s one of the best shows ever.
As for those “collectors,” that has to be it. Like people who line their bookshelves with classics that haven’t been/ will never be opened.
I’d rather feel special than try to make people think I am.
April 24th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Farley, you can feel special in knowing that you’ve recently helped me stock my “cellar” with a triad of nigrescent poltroons! And they’re damned yummy, even if I don’t cellar Ms. Gellar.
April 24th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Ah Buffy. You and Matt would have a grand old time with that one. I never really got into it. I think the kind of collecting you are talking about, with paying someone to stock your cellar, is more about the prestige of being able to say you have a full vertical from xyz famous winery, rather than the hunt and fun of finding and drinking wine.
April 25th, 2007 at 8:14 am
As a girl who is dedicated and loyal to the “few” shows I’ve committed to over the years, I can appreciate your DVD purchase. Some shows we outgrow, like ER and Dawson’s Creek - others are classics - 90210, anyone? Like wine for you, when I watch a rerun of Bev Hills or even Friends I reflect on my life during the time that episode debuted.
Unfortunately, I can’t for the life of me think of something I collect these days though. During Friends, it was Absolut and Milk ads (for my walls of course). Perhaps I should find a new interest.
P.S. Pretty picture.
April 25th, 2007 at 8:48 am
Russ, nice internal rhyme there.
Megan, If only I had known, Matt and I could have shared favorite Buffy episodes over dinner. Also, I think you’re exactly right about “having” the right wine, versus needing the right one for you.
Alicia, I was going to suggest ‘men’ but that’s a whole nother story…
April 25th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
How about show memorabilia??? That’s my treasured collection, (though love the shoe hunt, and the hunt for hidden treasures in the used theatre book section) My ‘hunt’ in this case is the thrill of the overture, the curtain rising, opening you up to the magic of live performance that will bring you something different every time! I have playbills from every show I’ve ever seen (good and bad), along with every show I’ve ever worked, and if you know me….that’s quite a number - and storage proves quite a challenge in my small SF apartment (guess I’m lucky they don’t need to be chilled!) But I wouldn’t give them up for anything, each playbill I open takes me back to that place and time and I guess they’re the map of my lifelong treasure hunt ’cause I don’t intend to give it up anytime soon! Glad you got rid of your guilt Farley, passion for your wine and Buffy are a wonderful thing!!