Types of Mandolin Collections

[Marcus CA]

In 2004, when we moved into our new house. I carried 40 instrument cases from house A to house B. Haha, friends were helping, but they already knew I was in deep.

Other than wall hangers, I'm now with four guitars (1930 L-1, 1997 Braz 914, OM-28A and a GA3-12) and four mandolins - a pancake, a redwood/walnut, a spruce/maple and my A3. (Oh, and the Eastman OM.)

Sure, I'd want a Gil or Nugget or a Dude. It'd be cool. Not sure I'm heading towards one; however.

Well, I have four, all different, and the most expensive was under $700 (not counting the case). So it's not a big grouping. In addition pheffernan says that my next one will cost more than the rest combined. That would break the sequence for sure.

These lead into an entirely different no-right-answer discussion of consolidation vs. expansion of a collection/accumulation.

[JeffD]

I "collect" old novels in the manner that there are specific authors whose work I purchase whenever I see them ...

OMG don't get me started on books. My accumulation of books is going to drown me. And the same lack of criteria. I bought the book because i wanted it at the time.

It is a collection only in so far as it is organized pretty much by subject. This subject this shelf that subject that shelf.

[JeffD]

These lead into an entirely different no-right-answer discussion of consolidation vs. expansion of a collection/accumulation.

This is a good point. At some point the collection itself seems to made the decisions. You do or don't get this because of what you don't or do have in the collection, as opposed to what you may really really want.