Product Description: Nearly everyone collects something, even those who don’t think of themselves as collectors. William Davies King, on the other hand, has devoted decades to collecting nothing—and a lot of it. With Collections of Nothing, he takes a hard look at this habitual hoarding to see what truths it can reveal about the impulse to accumulate...read more

A humorous study of American leisure explores a wide variety of unusual activities and hobbies, from swimming the Great Lakes to growing bonsai trees. 35,000 first printing.

The success of internet auction sites like eBay and the cult status of public television's Antiques Roadshow attest to the continued popularity of collecting in American culture. Acts of Possession investigates the ways cultural meanings of collections have evolved and yet remained surprisingly unchanged throughout American history.Drawing upon the body of theoretical work on collecting and focusing on individual as opposed to museum collections, the contributors investigate how, what, and why Americans have collected and explore the inherent meanings behind systems of organization and display. Essays consider the meanings of Thomas Jefferson's Indian Hall at Monticello; the pedagogical theories behind nineteenth-century children's curiosity cabinets; collections of Native American artifacts; and the ability of the owners of doll houses to construct meaning within the context of traditional ideals of domesticity.The authors also consider some darker aspects of collecting-hoarding, fetishism, and compulsive behavior-scrutinizing collections of racist memorabilia and fascist propaganda. The final essay posits the serial killer as a collector, an investigation into the dangerous objectification of humans themselves.By bringing fresh, interdisciplinary critical perspectives to bear on these questions, Dilworth and her coauthors weave a fascinating cultural history of collecting in America.

Guides readers on today's hot collectibles, gives tips on searching for the right objects, offers advice on their upkeep, and shows how any collector can create a signature design aesthetic.

Product Description: This reference for collecting offers an introduction to the novice, including introductory histories and general collecting guidelines. It includes values for 10,000 representative collectibles in over 90 categories, the names of clubs, newsletters and periodicals, and tips for Internet dealings...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: Book by Beverly B. Nichols

Product Description: More than 1,300 identifying photos and 10,000 values make this resource of current popular areas of collecting a must-have for every garage sale, antique store, or auction browser.

Explains how to find bargains or collectibles at secondhand shops, flea markets, estate sales, swap meets, thrift shops, and rummage sales