Collections are as diverse as the people who collect them. Often collections are a reflection of the past — a shared interest with a parent, a fascination with history, or a tie to youthful beginnings. But as they grow, collections become very much a part of the present. What were once ordinary shopping excursions become treasure-seeking missions.

For many collectors, the thrill is in the hunt, unburying hidden treasures at flea markets and garage sales or tracking down finds on the Internet. And collectors find community with fellow collectors, sharing the histories of found pieces and contacts for where to find that elusive item.

In fact, most collectors seem to put more value on the found items and the stories behind them than on the actual worth of the pieces. They are ready to talk about their collections with anyone interested enough to listen, and most display their collections prominently — in their offices, in special rooms in the house, or in museums.

Why do people collect? The answer varies from collector to collector. To get more insight into the highly addictive hobby of collecting, freelance writer Mary Sue Lawrence spoke to several members who collect. Here, in their own words, they share what this pastime means to them.

DENISE THIGPEN
Photography by Lisa Means

Club membership: Brookhaven Country Club, Dallas.

Collectible: Black Santa Clauses. Including figurines, ornaments, kitchen towels, Pez dispensers, cigarette lighters, music boxes, nutcrackers, and much, much more.

Collecting since: 1989.

First item in collection: His name is Harlem Santa. My mother gave it to my son during the holidays. Neither my mother nor I had ever seen a black Santa before.

Current size of collection: 1,153 items.

Started collecting because: It was just the fascination of seeing a black Santa. Over the years, it’s become more sentimental. My mom passed nine years ago, and she was an avid collector of things. And that particular year, I really started buying more things for the collection. I felt like I needed to put my energies into something she would like. I was looking around that year, and all of a sudden it was like everywhere I went I saw black Santas. I look at this collection like an angel over my shoulder.

Most unique items in collection: The smallest is 1 inch tall, and the largest is 5 feet. Criteria for adding to the collection: If it’s not authentic, I don’t want it. So many people say, "I have Santas and I just paint their faces." No, no, no, no. I don’t want that. If I wanted to just have a large number, I could do that easily, but I don’t. I really like to see the Santas in a light that’s something totally positive or different.

Keeping track of the collection: I have a black Santa board, and it shows how many pieces I have to date. I have every piece catalogued and numbered. I have one catalog that’s physically written, then another catalog that is all pictures. If I have duplicate items, they share a number.

Greatest challenge of collecting: You take the good with the bad. It’s like this piece that I found in a gift shop. When I first saw him, I thought it was the most derogatory thing I could ever see — it was a black Santa with a bag full of watermelons — and I didn’t buy it. But the next day, I went back to get it because I thought for my collection you have to have all kinds, because that’s the way of the world. We don’t like everything that’s in the world, and we can’t control everything that’s in the world.

What other people say about the collection: My family is saying it’s time to stop. But it’s not.

The enjoyment of collecting: There’s no such place that doesn’t have a Santa for me. If it says "Open for Business" in a store window, then you better believe I’m going to go in to check and see if they have one. Like today, I just feel like I need to get out and go find one. It’s calling me. This is a bad bug.

Advice to an aspiring collector: You don’t have to be black to collect black Santas. I chat with people all the time, and they’ll say they have this Santa or that Santa. They’re just a diverse set of people. They just love the beauty of a Santa.

Other comments: I’ve walked into stores to ask if they have black Santas, and they act like, "Oh my god, is Santa black?" And I say, "Yeah, honey, he is black. He’s whatever you want him to be. That’s what Santa is."

NICK LANZA
Photography by Pam Francis

Club membership: University Club of Houston, Texas.

Collectible: Sports memorabilia.

Collecting since: 1970.

First item in collection: An autographed photo of the 1969 New York Mets baseball team after their World Series win.

Current size of collection: More than 2 million sports trading cards, plus 5,000 sports autographs, player uniforms, equipment, trophies, and more.

Started collecting because: It was consistent with my early childhood (and present) addiction to sports.

Most unique items in collection: 1. A tobacco card from 1911 of Sherry Magee, valued at approximately $20,000. It is recognized as the third rarest card in the hobby. Magee was only an average player of his day, but his name was misspelled (Magie) on initial cards. Less than a dozen of the misspelled cards were made, and less than five are known to still exist, and I have one of them. 2. A baseball used by Nolan Ryan during his sixth no-hitter. It is autographed by Ryan, along with his description of the team, date, and no-hitter. Ryan donated it from his personal collection for an auction to raise funds for construction of the Nolan Ryan Museum in Alvin, Texas. I was the winning bidder.

Criteria for adding to the collection: An item must be rare and/or be a conversation piece.

Keeping track of the collection: I use computer software for inventory and my memory.

Greatest challenge of collecting: There is no end — there are new players and new products every day/year.

What other people say about the collection: Usually nothing … for the first few minutes as they take it all in. Men are usually really impressed, and women often think I am sick.

Most desired future acquisition: A Yankees uniform worn by Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig.

The enjoyment of collecting: It has created some unbelievable lifetime memories, including dinner with Muhammad Ali; golf with Joe Namath; multiple meetings with Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Joe Montana, and Dan Marino; and a personal tour of Emmitt Smith’s home.

What makes a collection complete: I don’t ever want to complete my collection. The fun is in the search for new and interesting sports collectibles. Besides, I don’t know what else I would want to collect.

Advice to an aspiring collector: Definitely find a hobby and enjoy it with others who share your same passion, whether it’s collecting sports cards, stamps, or cooking. Just do it!

Other comments: While I have been able to collect and acquire some of the most sought-after, popular, and valuable trading cards in the sports hobby, my absolute most treasured is a trading card from 2003 — a baseball trading card of my 4-year-old in his T-ball uniform!

PATRICK CATHER
Photography by Jamie Martin

Club membership: The Summit Club, Birmingham, Alabama.

Collectible: Books, pamphlets, sheet music, and manuscripts about my native city Birmingham (or Alabama), printed in Birmingham or Alabama, or written by authors from Birmingham or Alabama.

Collecting since: The early 1960s.

First item in collection: Dora’s Device, a novel written and inscribed by my great-grandfather George Roberts Cather, and published in 1885. It was left to me by my grandfather in 1959. I began collecting in earnest a few years later, at age 14.

Current size of collection: 10,000 items.

Started collecting because: My family has been in the printing, publishing, and newspaper business in Alabama since 1860. Collecting books and pamphlets published in Alabama was a way to connect with that.

Most unique item in collection: An 1880s collection of 48 oversized John Horgan photographs of early Birmingham coal mines, iron ore mines, and blast furnaces. This is probably one of the finest extant pictorial records of the new city’s fledgling iron and coal industry.

Criteria for adding to the collection: At one time, I felt like I had to have everything but I don’t make so many acquisitions now. Importance, social consequences, scarcity, and condition are a few of the factors I consider. Some of my best finds have been in dumpsters and garbage bins. It’s never bothered me to go through the trash to find something if I can do so legally.

Keeping track of the collection: With the exception of a few loans made to university libraries, I don’t allow items to be borrowed. I organize by subject, so I can usually put my hands on a needed item within minutes.

Greatest challenge of collecting: Deciding ultimately what is to happen to the collection. I’d like to see my collection in an institution.

Most desired future acquisition: Prelude to Nothing, a play written by 1960s guru Timothy Leary and published in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 1942.

The enjoyment of collecting: Most people would say it is in the hunt rather than in the acquisition itself. I agree with that to some extent, but my greatest enjoyment is being able to incorporate and attribute quotes from rare items I own into my own writing.

Advice to an aspiring collector: Buy from reputable dealers who began their business before bookselling became so popular on the Internet. Always think twice before you compromise condition for price.

Other comments: I also collect old phonograph records made in Birmingham or Alabama and vintage art by Alabama artists.

JEAN ANDREWS
Photography by RJ Hinkle of Quad Photo

Club membership: The University of Texas Club, Austin, Texas.

Collectible: Seashells.

Collecting since: 1954.

First item in collection: Shells brought to me from Mexico by my husband, who went there fishing.

Current size of collection: 16,000-plus. Of that, 15,000 are at the Texas Memorial Museum and 365 are at the Corpus Christi (Texas) Museum of Science and History.

Started collecting because: I love the beauty of shells. I started collecting seriously in 1959, when I moved to Corpus Christi where a beach and bays were easily available. The area also had a "shell club" with collector members. I can’t stand not to know what something is. I started taking courses in marine biology and invertebrate biology, and one thing led to another. Soon, I knew more about the subject than anyone around there. In 1961, I took up scuba diving, and that opened a whole new collecting world for me. I have collected seashells all over the world.

Most unique item in collection: Probably a golden cowrie. When I began collecting, there were only 93 specimen of this shell known in the world and each was numbered. Scuba diving made them more available after a colony was found off Guam.

Criteria for adding to the collection: I add a shell if I do not have an example of that shell, or if the shell to be added is a better specimen than one I have.

Keeping track of the collection: I number and catalog each shell. I keep all of the same species together and label them with the place they come from.

Greatest challenge of collecting: Personally collecting a specimen in its natural habitat.

What other people say about the collection: People love my collection and are amazed at the shells’ beauty, especially if they have never seen that shell before.

The enjoyment of collecting: Even if you have an example of every known species, you can always find a better specimen, and that’s the fun of it. I love to walk virgin beaches. My husband and I would take trips together — he would fish, and I would shell.

What makes a collection complete: A collection is complete when the collector becomes too old or disabled to collect anymore.

Advice to an aspiring collector: An item in any collection has little value without its data, so be sure to keep the name, place found, and date found. Do not disturb the natural habitat of living collectibles.

Other comments: I am the author of Shells and Shores of Texas (1976), Seashells of the Texas Coast (1971), Texas Monthly Field Guide to the Shells of Texas (1981), and others.

DONALD P. DELUCA
Photography by Jeff Dodge

Club membership: Harbour Club, Charleston, South Carolina.

Collectible: Civil War and Revolutionary War memorabilia.

Collecting since: About 1960.

First item in collection: A Colt pistol.

Current size of collection: 4,000 items.

Started collecting because: I have always been interested in history and the military.

Most unique items in collection: Four muskets — one from the Battle of Appomattox; two from the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee; and one from the cadets at Virginia Military Institute, with each identified to an individual. The two from Franklin were carried by Medal of Honor recipients. All four are extremely rare.

Criteria for adding to the collection: Unquestioned provenance. An item must be identified to an individual unit or battle.

Keeping track of the collection: I keep detailed records on each item, including a description, date acquired, seller, and price.

Greatest challenge of collecting: The market has been impacted by fakes.

What other people say about the collection: People are usually in awe and show great interest. They want to know how I got the total collection, how I find items, how they can become collectors and acquire their own musket or sword.

The enjoyment of collecting: To research and bring the history back to an item is incredibly satisfying.

What makes a collection complete: No collection is ever complete. That’s the fun and psychosis of collecting.

Advice to an aspiring collector: Read, learn, and be patient.

Other comments: It is unfortunate that in today’s world I must keep the collection in a secured storage facility because of the threat of theft.

MAX HILL
Photography by RJ Hinkle of Quad Photo

Club membership: Lost Creek Country Club, Austin, Texas.

Collectible: Antique wooden shafted golf clubs, as well as old golf memorabilia.

Collecting since: 1980.

First item in collection: While on vacation in Maine, I bought 15 "hickories" for $50, including a putter, for which I was offered $500 before I got home.

Current size of collection: More than 15,000 items.

Started collecting because: I kept the clubs in my office and just about everyone who came in started fiddling with them and talking me out of one. I started buying and restoring clubs and giving them to friends. I joined the Golf Collectors Society and began collecting in earnest. Some years ago, I gave the last club I had to a friend who owned a neighborhood newspaper. When he found out it was my last club, he ran ads saying I wanted to buy clubs. His paper covers some 70 million people and, boy, did I get the calls. So I became a collector again.

Most unique item in collection: The Scottish Acts of Parliament, an old leather book dated 1670. It includes the first written record about golf: The famous act whereas King James II bans golf because it interfered with archery practice (needed for defense). Another prized possession is a wooden shafted driver patented 1919 and stamped "Harvey Penick." I believe it’s the only one in existence.

Criteria for adding to the collection: I am constantly on the lookout at garage sales, flea markets, and collector shows. I find most of my items in England and Scotland.

Keeping track of the collection: I use a computer program to keep track of my clubs and it’s a big job!

Greatest challenge of collecting: Finding quality clubs. More and more folks are collecting; the supply is drying up and prices are rising, even in Scotland and England.

What other people say about the collection: Most people can’t believe the size and depth. I enjoy showing it off, both in a small museum in my office and in displays at Lost Creek Country Club.

Most desired future acquisition: I would really treasure a pre-1850 play club, as well as an adjustable club from the 1860s.

The enjoyment of collecting: I’ve met so many fellow collectors, learned how to restore clubs, studied the history of golf, and played hickory golf all over the world. Every club has a history. I love meeting the people and hearing and recalling the stories behind the clubs.

Advice to an aspiring collector: It is the greatest hobby I’ve ever had. People can collect in a large or small way. There’s something for everyone.

Other comments: We play with the old clubs, in what’s called nostalgic tournaments. We dress up in knickers, ties, and vintage golf attire and play like folks did 100 years ago. It’s great fun and becoming quite popular. Just about everybody who plays with old clubs becomes enamored with them.

DARRYL JAMES
Photography by Santa Fabio

Club membership: Skyline Club, Southfield, Michigan.

Collectible: Cuff links.

Collecting since: 1988.

First item in collection: A pair of cuff links that belonged to my father before he died, which my mother gave to me when I was old enough.

Current size of collection: 91 pairs of cuff links.

Started collecting because: Cuff links were an unusual item. They were out of vogue at the time and I like to be different. Plus, cuff links were something I could collect and actually wear.

Most unique item in collection: A pair of custom-made fluorite and stainless steel cuff links that were a Christmas gift from my wife.

Criteria for adding to the collection: It has to be unusual. I don’t like the plain ones. Quite a few in my collection are antiques.

Keeping track of the collection: I use an Excel spreadsheet on a laptop computer, and record the description, the maker, and the mint marks of each pair.

Greatest challenge of collecting: Trying to determine if something is worth the asking price.

What other people say about the collection: People think my cuff links are unusual. My co-workers enjoy seeing what set I have on each day.

Most desired future acquisition: A pair of art deco Van Cleef & Arpels baton cuff links similar to the pair worn by Marlene Dietrich in an old black-and-white photo in the book, Cuff Links.

The enjoyment of collecting: I try not to worry about the value; instead, I focus on the enjoyment of looking at and wearing my cuff links. I never intend to sell my collection. Collecting cuff links reminds me of my dad, because it was his pair that got me started. And when I wear something from my collection, I feel like a little kid dressing up.

What makes a collection complete: I’m not sure if a true collector ever has a complete collection. I don’t think I could say, for instance, that having a certain pair of cuff links or a certain number of them would be the end of it for me.

Advice to an aspiring collector: Don’t worry about how much something is worth. Focus on whether you enjoy or like the item, and buy it for that reason.

Other comments: I collect barware and cocktail guides, and also invent cocktails, including the Skyline Special, a blue-and-white cocktail that celebrates the Skyline Club.

JACQUELINE VEATCH
Photography by RJ Hinkle of Quad Photo

Club membership: Plaza Club, San Antonio, Texas.

Collectible: Horse brasses, a decorative brass piece originally worn as an amulet on a horse’s forehead. Horse brasses were used during the Crusades and were believed to ward off the "evil eye." Today, brasses are used on show horses or field oxen and are purely decorative. Most commemorate a county, shire, town, or event. I also collect martingales. A martingale is a long leather strap that hangs around a horse’s neck and is used to display the brasses.

Collecting since: 1947.

Current size of collection: 72 brasses and 14 martingales with brasses on them.

Started collecting because: I bought my first horse brass while in the Royal Navy during World War II. It was a commemorative of Lord Nelson’s flagship in Portsmouth, England.

Most unique item in the collection: My cousin, who was in the Welsh Guards, had a martingale made for me. It has seven brasses on it; each represents the seven different regiments that guard Buckingham Palace.

Criteria for adding to the collection: I buy only old brasses, pre-World War II, because the newly stamped out ones have no background or depth. The oldest were made by blacksmiths, and most have a sun or moon emblem on them.

Greatest challenge of collecting: I cannot find brasses in the United States except over the Internet, and what’s the fun in that? I like to be able to feel them.

What other people say about the collection: Most Americans have never seen a horse brass, so people ask me all about them. I finally wrote an eight-page summary about their history, meaning, and use.

Most desired future acquisition: I have so many lovely ones, I’m not looking for anything.

The enjoyment of collecting: It’s a wonderful hobby, and a wonderful activity for a couple to do together. My husband and I loved the thrill of trying to get something, and then having a good chuckle about it later. I’ve encouraged a lot of my friends to collect. I’m sure there are several husbands who don’t love me!

What makes a collection complete: When you have everything you want in it, and you know in your heart you’re done.

Advice to an aspiring collector: Have each item authenticated if it’s expensive. If it’s a usable antique, use it!