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.

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.

Written by Alistair Duncan

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