Collector's Items

I have a love/hate relationship with collections. I love the idea of collecting little things over time, and I love the way things look in a place when they are displayed creatively. However, when I think of collections, my mind also tends to go to kitschy shelves of porcelain cats in a grandmother's dusty formal living room. So when I began looking at sweet vintage brass animals, I knew I was walking a fine line. But when you find a little bird wearing a crown, how can you not want to create a collection around him?

According to the description, he's cast iron gold (maybe spray painted?), not brass, but he is adorable. He's also on his way to my apartment as we speak, and I'm excited to find a place for him.

I also love these little guys (who are not on their way to my apartment--not quite ready to make the full-fledged collection plunge yet). I would just need a way to display them in a way that says "Look at my cool and interesting little brass animals, don't they make me also cool and interesting?" rather than "Look at my weird collection, I should get out more."

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It's really the story that surrounds the objects that makes a collection interesting. I have a small collection of street art that I gathered while studying in various places in Europe during college, and each one makes me smile when I think of the experiences I had there. With that said, I realize snatching up every brass animal does not a collection make. So, for now, I'll be happy with my little crowned bird.

How do you display collections without it looking like you're a great aunt that collects plates with pictures of ducks on them?

xoxo,

E