Collecting vs. Accumulating

COLLECTING vs. ACCUMULATING
A short post about getting stuff and what folks do with it.

Most of us have some things that we have enjoyed and bought, received or traded for. Some of us get into a period of interest for a pastime where we enjoy something enough to buy a few of that item. Where the problem arises is that we soon have enough of the item that are not inventoried and too much / many to start an inventory now.

And, Folks, that is the accumulation part of getting stuff we like.

Now contrast a buddy of mine that collects. He found a couple straight razors at a low cost and decided that he wanted to collect razors. Being a very methodical person he paper sticker numbered each and every item right after he purchased it and wrote down in a notebook, bought for that purpose; the date, price, general condition and features. Also he has a column for the location of the item. He also added a column for the average 'Bay “sold listing” price of that item after the 'Bay started having that information.

Now, this gentleman has a few over a thousand razors plus Barberalia(?). That my friends is... collecting

Another important factor about the accumulations of items, collection or no, is “how do we keep them?”

I am one of those people that has to be able to see what I have. I make and / buy or re-purpose and install shelving and display cases, racks, and so-forth to make my collection visible and shareable. I really hate to open a drawer and find I already had one of something I just bought!

The buddy above is the same way, He has a room / den in which he built display cases and shelving and hanging rails with hooks and he made many very nice shadow boxes which each hold about seven to twenty razors for viewing. The basement rumpus room is also full of displays. He made a glass topped coffee table that holds and displays a hundred of his finest. He is fortunate to have a wife that collects ceramics. They enjoy together the displaying of mugs and scuttles as a displayed collection. He makes shelving for her favored pieces also.

Another gentleman I know also has an inventoried collection of about 2000 razors last I knew. He is of the collect for profit point of view. His collection, other than a very few (6) favorites displayed in one mirror backed knicknac shelf, is wrapped in razor rolls which are sequestered in an environmentally controlled locked vault.

Another gent I know is of the passion to buy and simply tosses the new found item into a drawer or someplace when he gets tired of moving it around his computer desk. How many things he has, I don't know. I do know that he can't find most things when we talk about a trade. He knows he has them but not as to where they are scattered.

A gentleman, or few, I know that post here on SRP are of the idea that their stuff goes to someone that will enjoy it when they have a better copy or no longer will use or want the item. "Pass It Forward" in a big way.

I do know a gent that has junk storage full of stuff he bought to keep anyone else from having it. Not a friend at all.

Why did I write this? We are all, in some ways, a combination of all of the above folks. Depending on state of mind, we may do some of the above actions. We are very able to do a particular set of buys and then change style as we become more knowledgeable.

And... no matter how many we have of what...there is always someone with more, better, newer, older, or fewer of that which trips our trigger! Enjoy the chase... there is always another razor!

~Richard

Sorry guys but in light of this thread I couldn't resist bringing back this post. it was entitled "What happens When You're Gone"

I was getting ready to shave last night and picked out my weapons, my DD Golden Mandarin and my Thater Brush and hmm… lets see I’ll use Obie’s revenge (MDC soap) and finish with some Royale Spice AS. Well I’m lathered up and strop up the razor and start the first stroke down my chin and unnoticed the missus walks by and decides I’m in the way of her getting into the closet and slams the door into my back. Oh, sorry dear you didn’t hurt yourself did you? Why of course not the streams of blood running down my face are very becoming aren’t they? Gee you should be more careful ,yes YOU should shouldn’t you. Well, stopped the bleeding, ruined my shave and the thing keeps opening up in bed. Finally I doze off to slumber land and wakeup with a start and hey, what’s going on here, where am I?

I look around and I’m in some room in what looks like a funeral parlor. I see all these relations I haven’t seen in years and there’s some guy in the corner in a coffin. I see Cousin Art in the corner, heck when did he get out of prison? I thought he would be there another 20 years. I say how you doin Art? Why he doesn’t even bother to respond feedin his face with mini pizzas. I see Cousins Eric and Rob talking in the corner so I go over to them and they don’t respond either so I figured I’d stick around.

Eric says well what did he leave you? Heck if I know I got a box of rocks of some kind. All different colors, some blue some beige some green. Some got some oriental writtin on them. Some are sealed on wood bases. Now why would someone put a rock in a wood base? I got the perfect thing to do with them, I’m gonna use them to patch the stucco on the side of my house they’ll look good there and keep the wind out. What you get Rob? Heck I don’t rightly know. I think they be giant paint brushes? Really, I didn’t know he was an artist. Yea one is marked Plisson, France and it say size 85 and on the handle it say something about white mountain and …uh…I-v-o-r- uh you know that be from that outfit Ivor Johnson who make those Saturday Night Specials that be junk. Yea I got it here I’m gonna throw it in the trash. The others I’ll give to my kids to use to paint with.

I went back over to Art who was talking to Uncle Joe and Joe says he got these giant letter openers. Art says what you gonna do with those? He says I don’t know I got one Purdy one that’s all shiny and it say Maestro… heck that be Spanish for teacher. Some teacher used that to open mail. Yea I never did cotton much to school or those school marms I’m gonna throw it in the trash. The other ones I’m gonna use to pry open cans. How about you Art? Well, I got these pots with white stuff in them. One says something about Martins Candy I was gonna test it but the dog got it and boy we had some mess he got all foamed in the mouth and ran around the neighborhood like that and officer Johns shot him thinking he be rabid. I’m gonna use the rest of the pots to wash the goat. Just then Cousin Billie came over and said you know what that weirdo left me? I got all these leather belts. But they be too short to wear and they ain’t got no buckles. I’m gonna punch holes in them and put things in them. Joe says you stupid or something those be whips. He must have been one of those folks who whip themselves for fun or maybe he think he’s that Zorro fella. Yea one say something about Kana…err..kaya…heck it have the number one million on it and it be an inch thick. I’m gonna cut that one into little strips and make thimbles out of it.

I got to thinkin who the guy in the box was and what junk he left his relations so I walked over and looked down and hey wait a minute that’s me there.

So I see the funeral guy talking to his assistant and the assistant says how the deceased got those scars all over his face? The director say well my electric shaver quit on me so I had to use my Ginsu kitchen knife to shave him. It don’t matter he be one of those straight shavers and those guys are nuts anyway and they always slice their faces, they like it that way. That be a known fact.

All of a sudden I’m standing in this auditorium and there’s this auction goin on and the auctioneer says he got this collection of rare razors from this dude who passed away. He starts talking about how backwards these people are who actually use these and this guy was a real troglodyte. Yea he picks up the razor and shows it and starts saying how he can’t believe anyone would actually use this and starts berating the deceased and the crowd starts cheering and laughing at the deceased whose picture (in the coffin with all the scars on his face is flashed on this giant screen) and they start throwing things at the picture and no wants to bid on the razors and he has to pay people to take them away.

Next thing I know it’s morning and my face and pillow are full of blood and I have to finish the shave I started last night going around the cut. Yea, the missus says I wish you got rid of all this junk and just replaced it with a simple electric shaver. Afterall, when you’re dead and gone what is going to happen to all this junk?

Man that is one crazy dream. I'm luckly to remember if I've even had a dream. My wife, on the other hand, dreams about fighting off terrorists at our wedding. I wonder what that could mean?

And as to Richard's post, I'm not a collector and more into the accumulation side, but fortunately the size of my abode helps keep both to a minimum. I really, really like everything associated with straight razor shaving, but I feel more comfortable when I know exactly what I've got, how it shaves, how to hone it, etc. Granted I've only got just under 200 shaves in, but if I haven't used a particular razor in a while I find myself asking why I have it, and get an itch to sell it and get somethign else. I think I'll ideally keep about 10 razors I really like and possible swap those out over time.
Having this post forever in the ether, I'll be able to check back in a year and see if that's still true, or whether or not I'm building a room to house hundreds of razors.

Ok maybe 20 razors

Richard-

Thanks for a thoughtful and thought provoking post. I have ten straight razors accumulated over the past three years. I use them all and none of them sit for long. I sometimes ask myself if I really "need" them--and the answer would be probably not. But I enjoy having them and keeping them in good shape.

I know of one or two gents that scour every antique store in my area and buy every single razor that comes in--they have deals with the store owners that they get first dibs when something comes in--thats like shooting fish in a barrel. Its more fun to find them "in the wild" so to speak.

My razor AD subsided a while back although there are two more I'd like to try--eventually I'd like to try a Shumate and a Wostenholm pipe--whats scary is if you let it--the AD's will run you crazy--Ebay can be real dangerous if you have hoarding tendencies!!!

If I kick off there is no one to get my razors--my sister and my girlfriend will have them out at the church bazaar for 50 cents apiece--"will throw in the Old Spice Mugs for no charge!!!!" lol

Great thread topic!

Marty E.

Me? I don't collect things! I just gather them up! Seriously. I am about half collection and half accumulation. Don't consider anything unrestored as part of my collection, with some exceptions, of course. Spendur's revelation is great, but probably not too far off for most of us! :rofl2:

Bump for posterity!

Yep, Good timing, Richard!
Not much has changed for me, with exception of not finding anything worth buying these days.
Being happy where I am is cool.

Should not take near as much to get there, however! :D

I miss Spendur when he had lost his mind. Now that he has found it, He is not as fun! :rofl2:

It was around 1975. Case XX had last made stag handled pocket knives in 1970, ten dots on the tang signifying the year. I had gone to great trouble, and expense, in the pre internet days, to acquire a dozen or so patterns of stag handled 10 dots. I had them in a knife roll and took them to the job. Another ironworker was nearby at lunchtime and I said hey, check these out.

He looked at that roll of Case stags and said, "If you can't be satisfied with what you have, you'll never be satisfied with what you get." Blew my mind ! I knew he was right, but it hasn't made much difference. :shrug:

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Yep, Good timing, Richard!
Not much has changed for me, with exception of not finding anything worth buying these days.
Being happy where I am is cool.

Should not take near as much to get there, however! :D

I miss Spendur when he had lost his mind. Now that he has found it, He is not as fun! :rofl2:

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So you be sayin I should resurrect the weekly shaving brain buster????

I accumulate whatever I am interested in at the time. I do not care what happens to the stuff when I die as I have had the pleasure of accumulating and using it. I have already told my wife and her niece and nephew that they can do what they want with my stuff when I am gone. Go ahead and trash it or try or sell it to recoup some money or , least likely, keep anything you may be interested in. No worries, the future takes care of itself.

Bob

I am having fun organizing and displaying what I have lately. I am on a program of bringing all into the light and ridding myself of duplicates. I have also learned to leave some alone in original shape and just display for posterity.

Some seem to lose their appeal (and value?) as shined-up like a diamond in a goat's azz with new scales.
Just an observation.

Great thread...so interesting to read about other collector's habits.

I enjoy all parts of restoring razors and bringing them back into full service again. Though I'm relatively new to it and frowned upon by some for the use of a dremmel, I have accomplished quite a few and always learning more and inventive ways everyday.
Its great fun, for me.!!
I love working with my hands, and shaving with a different razor every day of the year....well I'm working at it.!! [emoji56]

I don't know If I would class myself as a collector although my Wife would probably disagree, I own about 12 razors all users in my rotation sold many more down the years, I also hone hundreds of razors every make model including custom razors throughout the year, I think honing all these razors actually stops me buying anymore as seeing all these various razors makes me value the ones I already have even more, I also get the opportunity to test shave razors that I hone which also kills a little of the RAD that many of you have.

Only 12 Jaime, that surprises me. With the razors you've shown only a few have made the cut.

Mark the most razors I've owned would be about 20 as I like to use all my razors and I don't like shaving everyday even though I could 20 just seemed to many, although I do have regrets about selling one or two of them.

Im quite selective too, most of mine NOS. Im not sure I could narrow mine to just 12 though. Saying that if I could only have 2 it would be my Iwasaki western and my Wade & Butcher FBU.

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Some seem to lose their appeal (and value?) as shined-up like a diamond in a goat's azz with new scales.
Just an observation.

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100% agree.
Mutton dressed as lamb as my dad would say.

I accumulate a collection of the things I am into. They aren't scattered all over, my wife says I have OCD, they are organized. In one way or another, each has its own place.

With different interests, I have different ways of storage. But there's a place for everything, and everything has its place.

I don't display much of any of my collections.
Right now, I have 30 razors. Some in the rotation, some need restoration

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Originally Posted by Geezer

Bump for posterity!

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Thank you Richard, this was a great read! Especially 'spendur's dream, that was out of this world!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

Only 12 Jaime, that surprises me. With the razors you've shown only a few have made the cut.

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But if he test shaves with the ones he honed, why have a collection at home when there's others coming and going.[emoji38]

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Originally Posted by outback

But if he test shaves with the ones he honed, why have a collection at home when there's others coming and going.[emoji38]

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Yeah and if I was Jamie some of those razors coming wouldn't be going :p

Bump for posterity

Since I started the thread,a couple of years have passed and an age related downs size was necessary
I still retain a few razor projects but sold the rest when my living space has no place to showcase my accumulation.
Since they were out of sight in storage, they gave me no pleasure.
Enjoy that which gives you joy and ass on what you tire of. . .

JMO
~Richard

Bump for the weekenders!

Start at the beginning page.!
~Richard

This is an interesting thread!

As a relative newcomer to SR shaving (3 years now), so far I've been more interested in accumulating in order to try different types of razors and other related gear. However I've been accumulating with the goal of eventually, once I've found what I like and don't like, be more into collecting. As it is, even with the beater razors I have that I use to practise honing, I have everything listed, along with approximate date, price paid, last time honed, etc. I plan on doing the same with hones, although they're more expensive so it will take more time. My collection will always be functional, however. I don't see the point in owning a razor without being able to use it.

My next step is to weed the razors & gear I don't plan on using, and using my modest budget to form a higher quality collection.

Did I mention I'm a librarian? This is my basic collection development strategy, in library-speak.

I feel like I'm always fighting the urge to simply accumulate so I really appreciate the distinction between it and collecting made here. I definitely started off with a strong emphasis on the plain and functional and, indeed, that is still where my preference remains. Because of that, though, my razors are all pretty much characterized by being 5/8, used with minor hone wear, fairly plain, and almost all in need of new scales. That in itself has actually been great and I love the few (5, if I recall) razors I do have, but I've come to the point -- in my attempt to at least control my RAD -- that any new razors I buy at this point are going to be new, NOS, or mint; a bit more than just functional, which is to say not simply just plain; and, with a few exceptions, 6/8+.

I think Richard's original post is still an interesting semi-philosophical discussion to kick around in our hobby that many would consider exotic, esoteric (or just downright weird lol!). I for one have been fortunate to build my humble collection of about 3 dozen razors for the most part from either my rescales of old blades purchased from lots here or on ebay, as well as from guys downsizing much larger collections and selling them here for prices that were often too good to pass up.

Though there are still many blades and razors I would like to own, I have also reached the point and maybe the age where I want to simplify, to down-size, to pass on. So I sell a razor here and there, give away the odd rescale as a gift, or make a strop and razor kit for a young buck to start with like I did for one of my former Scouts (now a grown man) recently. My only requirement is that any razor I pass on must be USED to actually shave with-no drawer queens for me!

In fact, I've got a couple of real-looker NOS razors (with the original box and tag, plastic wrap, factory edge) in my display cabinet that I'm frankly starting to resent for the space they occupy. I guess they qualify as collector's items, and I don't want to hone them, but they haven't really "earned" their place in my stable because they're not shavers, though they could be with a few minutes of work. I'm thinking about selling them, again because I don't like the idea of "drawer queens."

For what it's worth, I felt the same way when I played guitars (including a Gibson Les Paul Custom), and had a rather larger gun collection (including a couple of sweet Weatherbys that were the finest shooters I ever owned, and just gorgeous rifles). "Collectors" just about made vintage Martins and Gibsons out of reach for the average player starting in the 80's, and of course the same happened to some razor brands in the Ebay era. Much the same has happened to some old cars, watches, and many other old niche items.

In that sense, I like to think of my/our razors are tools, albeit sometimes expensive, beautiful tools. Just my 2 cents on the issue.

Now having said all this about drawer queens, if I could get my hands on a reasonably-priced 60's era Colt Python 6" .357 in that legendary blueing they were so justly famous for, I'd polish it weekly, keep it in a safe, and probably shoot it once or twice if that-but those things get snapped up instantly for crazy prices, so there ya are.

Funny, but one of the things I do on a kick around Saturday evening like this is, I'll take my razors and re-strop them one at a time (whether they need it or not) while watching Law and Order SVU reruns. Fortunately, I can strop and watch Mariska Hargitay at the same time lol!:dropjaw: SHD/Aaron out.

OKay I'll chime in. I started down the " I need a 7day set " trail a few years back. Got attached to Ducks as many of you know. Well I started all that numbering and making stands and I wound up accumulating a mass of Ducks. Now you just can't throw them in a drawer and expect to find anything but pinholes in red blades if you collect Ducks so I have kept them in a glass case right next to me for all these years. I have gotten to the point that I never run across a duck I don't already have. Now you may think that after 15 or 20 you would have all there is to see as far as Ducks go but I have proof that is a wrong assumption. I may have that many different Satinedges. I do have a plan and actually started implementing it last week end. I am building a web site to show my collection and get as much info on Ducks in 1 spot as I can. The Good is I have over a hundred razors, the Bad is that I have to do that document thing and take a lot of nice pics and the Ugly is that a lot of them need restoring still. I have some that are beyond hope but the fact that they exist is enough for me to save them. I.E ever heard of a Silkedge ? I have included in my collection anything with Bresnick on the tang. And today I finished a gallery of 10 with a tang that simply reads C S Bresnick. I have a bunch more Bresnick some with Twin Duck or Dubl Duck or Bresduck on them and there is a variety in that bunch. What I have learned about collecting is that just when you think you have everything you need to complete your goal another Special No1 comes along proving you don't. When I get this site somewhat presentable you guys will hear about it I promise. I have been working out of town the last year and hopefully in another 5 or 6 weeks I will be home on weekdays. This will speed things up. There will be an open invitation to correct or add any info I miss or put out incorrectly. I may need some help with the history. Shuffling razors around to get them in order isn't doing it LOL.

I for one know of your wonderful collection and the pics you've shared of them.

While you used to post quite often but then took a 'hiatus' you have posted a bit here and there recently---I'll tell you straight out---You have been missed! :bow:

Keep in touch.

I get itchy feet when I get past more than 14 or 15 razors, I like to use them all and I have a non-collector personality, I'm a bit OCD and that includes my life and home, every few months I have a purge all paperwork files clothing anything deemed surplus to requirements goes out, my files are up to date everything I wear or own gets used my head works better and my life is better with fewer things.

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Originally Posted by celticcrusader

I get itchy feet when I get past more than 14 or 15 razors, I like to use them all and I have a non-collector personality, I'm a bit OCD and that includes my life and home, every few months I have a purge all paperwork files clothing anything deemed surplus to requirements goes out, my files are up to date everything I wear or own gets used my head works better and my life is better with fewer things.

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This is a way to live and a philosophy of life from which we can all learn. I carried boxes of books with me for over 35 years as i moved from job to job and city to city. Gave most of them away a couple of years ago and haven’t missed any. The thought and act of paring down the collection was much more traumatic than living with the reduced amount of stuff.

I started down the same path with straight razors - trying to get as many as I could find at the beginning. We live in two locations and I keep 10 or 12 at each. The reality is that I have 4 or 5 at each location that I consistently use and the others I pull out to hone or polish when I’m looking for something to do. There are a few I want to rescale using home made wooden scales and some others I want to further clean up, but I have reduced the urge to find more and can actually visit eBay or the BST forum here and appreciate the pics with out the urge to bid or buy.

My razor collection has crept up to about 18 razors, and already I feel an urge to pry a few out of my possession. I suppose I can begin the agonizing process of determining which ones will get moved to the "impending departure" pile. This sure does seem like the most difficult step in the procedure.

:)