We are custodians – nothing more….
I recently, as mentioned in other posts, secured a long wanted
item…the autograph of Jeremy Brett.
Like, I suspect, many of my readers, I am a hoarder of
things Sherlockian; although I am quite focused in what I do and do not collect. This is
partly driven by my personal taste but also by space (or lack thereof).
Inevitably, a lot of what I collect is second (or third, or
fourth….) hand. Time and again, I buy a book from a second hand shop or (more
often) eBay and discover the name of the previous owner inside it. Quite a lot
of the time it is a name I know.
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Come here my pretty! |
Sometimes, the previous owner has sold on a duplicate but
things also tend to find their way onto the market as a direct result of the
previous owner passing beyond the Falls.
So, when it comes to Sherlockiana of all kinds, there is something akin to a catch and release policy. The Sherlockian, like an
old style hunter or collector, tracks down trophies and becomes, in effect,
their custodian. Then, either at their instigation, or that of their heirs, the
Sherlockiana finds its way back into the wild to be tracked down and (hopefully)
looked after by someone else.
I really like this as the hunt for items is part of the fun.
I wouldn't go so far as to say the thrill is in the chase not in the
capture as I think that being the (brief) owner of Sherlockian items is a
joy. But I cannot deny that I really do enjoy hunting for these Sherlockian
truffles and the unearthing of such gems is definitely as much a part of being
a Sherlockian collector as any other aspect.
Therefore, in order for the hunt to continue to be part of
the pleasure, I look forward to the catch and release process continuing. We can only
have anything for a limited period of time and it’s only fair that we allow the
generations behind us to have that same collecting experience.
![](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3004456/minime.png)
"Therefore, in order for the hunt to continue to be part of the pleasure, I look forward to the catch and release process continuing. We can only have anything for a limited period of time and it’s only fair that we allow the generations behind us to have that same collecting experience."
ReplyDeleteI'm not really a collector of anything (thank god! because I've no self restraint), but that is a lovely thought!
Hey, want to collect a Sherlock series one slate signed by Steve Lawes?
ReplyDeletehttp://marybegone.tumblr.com/post/127770731296/mid0nz-heres-the-sherlock-series-one-slate-im