Something Other Than Pipes
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My wife and I have been on a quest to collect her great grandmothers art in all it's various forms. She was quite the renaissance women and connected to a lot of the famous American artist of the early 20th century.
I have collected and written about antique fishing reels and tackle for over 40 years. I have a large collection of CF Orvis fly reels and flies circa 1890, and also have handwritten letters from CFO circa 1900 that have been used as sources by authors on the topic. I also collect tournament casting reels from 1920-60. In addition to being a member of the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club (NFLCC) and the Florida Antique Tackle Collectors Club (FATC), in 1990 I founded the Old Reel Collectors Association (ORCA), a non-profit, which now has about 850 dues paying members in a dozen countries. Here is a link to that website forum, which is similar to this one:
Our tackle collectors shows held around the country and the people who attend are amazingly similar to those I find in pipe collecting.
Our tackle collectors shows held around the country and the people who attend are amazingly similar to those I find in pipe collecting.
Are we related?As far as collecting I'm also into firearms, specifically "antique" military surplus firearms and their accessories as well as other military surplus gear.
As far as art I'm not old or wealthy enough for that yet lol, but I have dabbled in some abstract expressionist oils and had a fun time.
Right now tho I'm generally too busy with my business, but I've also been teaching myself to play guitar and piano the last couple few years. Between music, pipes/tobacco, guns, offroading, motorcycles, gardening/homesteading, art/photography, travel, cooking, camping, skiing, fishing, archery, and a few more I'm not even remembering... I definitely have more than enough hobbies and collections to keep my free time almost as non-existent as my bank account balance
Oh well though, that's life and I'd never change any of it. I love sampling as many different forms of exploration and experience that this crazy beautiful world can offer as I can. I try to never limit myself and I've always definitely been a 'jack of all trades, master of none' archetype.
Other than skiing, we have the same interests.
My wife and I live off grid, grow 95% of our own food, co-own a gun/outdoor shop in NW PA, we hunt...firearms/archery, hike, camp and fish on our property, pipes and tobacco of course, build, modify and just mess with cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors....anything with an engine.......
Born and bred redneck and proud of it.
The only things I really collect are rare breed chickens, ducks and geese.
and Hotwheels. Ive been collecting Hotwheels for almost 50 years. A few years ago I downsized from 30,000 cars, to under 10,000. 
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I've been a longtime fan of Salvador Dali. Always was intrigued by the surrealist stuff, not to mention perspective in general. Might have something to do with some of the non-tobacco related substances of interest in the college years.
Many years ago, while still doing remodel work, i met an older man while doing a large siding and rot repair job on a large condo complex in Gig Harbor, WA. He asked if i could come inside and give him a hand with some heavy objects. I obliged only to find when i walked in that this guy's condo was adorned with some stunning surrealist art i've never before seen. What he was asking me to help him with was moving some large art cases from a closet to a work station. He then informed me that the art on the walls was his own and when i told him my favorite artist was Dali he said it was his as well and we got talking. He proceeded to tell me his story and show off his work. It's a story they could make a movie about and local news reporter at the time, Lou Guzzo, was in the process of doing a story on him (he also wrote a biographical book entitled, "When did i die?)."
Long story short, we became good friends over the next few years, i got to know his wife and son, bought a good sized collection of his stuff and was one of the last people to visit him in the nursing home he eventually wound up in just before his passing. His art is owned by the Seattle Art Museum and there is a travelling collection in Europe. I noted that his most famous piece was hanging above his bed, featured in Lou Guzzo's book - one of the few shown in color. He noted me studying it and said he wanted me to have it. I said i thought it should go to his family or a local collector, but he informed me that his family has what he's allotted and that he'd rather see that piece go to someone who truly appreciated it rather than having it be another bragging piece in an established collection somewhere. Needless to say, that picture hangs on my living room wall to this day and has ever since.
It's entitled "Wild Horses" and was made with texture as part of his "Art for the blind" series. The local artists' name is Richard M. Lachman. He was a good friend and exceptional in his craft. His story is worth looking into, for those with any interest.
Many years ago, while still doing remodel work, i met an older man while doing a large siding and rot repair job on a large condo complex in Gig Harbor, WA. He asked if i could come inside and give him a hand with some heavy objects. I obliged only to find when i walked in that this guy's condo was adorned with some stunning surrealist art i've never before seen. What he was asking me to help him with was moving some large art cases from a closet to a work station. He then informed me that the art on the walls was his own and when i told him my favorite artist was Dali he said it was his as well and we got talking. He proceeded to tell me his story and show off his work. It's a story they could make a movie about and local news reporter at the time, Lou Guzzo, was in the process of doing a story on him (he also wrote a biographical book entitled, "When did i die?)."
Long story short, we became good friends over the next few years, i got to know his wife and son, bought a good sized collection of his stuff and was one of the last people to visit him in the nursing home he eventually wound up in just before his passing. His art is owned by the Seattle Art Museum and there is a travelling collection in Europe. I noted that his most famous piece was hanging above his bed, featured in Lou Guzzo's book - one of the few shown in color. He noted me studying it and said he wanted me to have it. I said i thought it should go to his family or a local collector, but he informed me that his family has what he's allotted and that he'd rather see that piece go to someone who truly appreciated it rather than having it be another bragging piece in an established collection somewhere. Needless to say, that picture hangs on my living room wall to this day and has ever since.
It's entitled "Wild Horses" and was made with texture as part of his "Art for the blind" series. The local artists' name is Richard M. Lachman. He was a good friend and exceptional in his craft. His story is worth looking into, for those with any interest.
Oh yea, albums are another hobby round here as well
I also collect books and sports memorabilia. All kinds of books, both fiction and non-fiction.
That's awesome!Are we related?
Other than skiing, we have the same interests.
My wife and I live off grid, grow 95% of our own food, co-own a gun/outdoor shop in NW PA, we hunt...firearms/archery, hike, camp and fish on our property, pipes and tobacco of course, build, modify and just mess with cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors....anything with an engine.......
Born and bred redneck and proud of it.
The only things I really collect are rare breed chickens, ducks and geese.
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Luckily the hot wheels bug never really bit tho I still have the few dozen I played with as a kid, and weirdly enough have a small collection of the die-casts they made for the Disney movie "Cars"
Met a cool local dude when I was buying those who did hotwheels and all kinds of other collectibles at shows and fairs from here to Vegas.There def must be some kind of distant relation though, and I'm in NE PA! The gf and I are still saving for our little slice of heaven but if everything works out we should be looking to start shopping in the next year or so.. she just wants ducks but I think the recent change in egg prices are gonna get her to compromise on chickens too lol
Maybe I'll have to PM you when we're ready to start our flock
Duck eggs are great too.That's awesome!
Luckily the hot wheels bug never really bit tho I still have the few dozen I played with as a kid, and weirdly enough have a small collection of the die-casts they made for the Disney movie "Cars"
There def must be some kind of distant relation though, and I'm in NE PA! The gf and I are still saving for our little slice of heaven but if everything works out we should be looking to start shopping in the next year or so.. she just wants ducks but I think the recent change in egg prices are gonna get her to compromise on chickens too lol
Maybe I'll have to PM you when we're ready to start our flock
I didn't really start collecting birds by my own choice. It started 20 years ago when local hobby farmers realized the no longer wanted their designer birds. As their veterinarian, they asked me what to do. I offered to take them of course. Many of these birds aren't great flock members. The roosters can be aggressive and the hens usually have low egg output and varying egg quality. This is also how we ended up with mini horses, ostriches and emus.
The Hotwheels was a passion that has subsided in the last few years. Mattel went too far and lost their way in my opinion. They aren't what they used to be. I'm in the process of selling more off.
Let’s see some pics!
My wife thought it would be funny to hang anything on the kitschy/starving artist spectrum of “nautical” on the walls of our basement bathroom. So lots of ships with sails going one way and waves going the other, and about six bad copies (and possibly one original) of the Pelbam sea captain in slightly different poses and different clothes (and one with a pipe just thrown on there so it looks like he’s clenching with his lips). My nephew once asked me “why do you have so many paintings of the same guy?” Why indeed.
I wish I could afford to collect art, but I do collect art books. I recently picked up a gorgeous Hilma af Klint book, as well as a facsimile of Albertus Seba's "Cabinet of Natural Curiosities," which is insanely gorgeous.
That actually is really cool in a quirky way lol
He's def missing his pipe tho.. prob why he looks so grumpy.
Almost.. Bad Santa, if you will...