Interview: Jackie

I decided, when visiting my subjects, that I would interview some of them and ask them some question, to gain a clearer insight into why they collected these items.

When did you begin collecting?

I began collecting bric a brac from a young age; my grandparents used to take me to car boot sales every weekend and I always used to come back with a number of items, ranging from dolls to jewellery boxes and ornaments. There was never a theme, just the item being unusual or interesting. I guess that’s when my fascination with seashells began. They make me feel calm and at ease.

Do you ever think that maybe you have too much stuff?

I don’t think there is such a thing as ‘too much stuff’. One or two objects cannot define a collection; it is a huge amount of items with no end, hence why it’s a collection.

What do your friends and family say?

The husband is not impressed, but if they’re kept in a box out of sight, can he really complain?

Do you think the collection could ever ruin your marriage?

Maybe, but the collection would always win. The collection doesn’t invade into his life, so why should he invade into my collection?

When will your collection be complete?

Never, my collection will never be complete.