I am not a hoarder. I am a collector.
What is the difference between collecting and hoarding? What really makes a piece of clothing vintage?
Claudia Chan Shaw is a self-confessed Collectomaniac who believes the world is made up of collectors and non-collectors. Some collect for investment, others for fun. Some love the social interaction and others love to preserve the past. Thrilled by the pursuit, the hunt and the final possession and sense of accomplishment, Claudia likens collecting to an addiction.
Collectomania by Claudia Chan Shaw
Sound familiar? Is this the story of your life or someone close to you? Pick up a copy of Claudia’s book Collectomania: From Objects of Desire to Magnificent Obsession and have this desirable little first edition signed and dedicated by the author. Send Claudia an email with your name and details and she’ll send you a copy. What a great gift! Price $30 plus $10 delivery if you live in Australia.
UPDATE : COLLECTOMANIA IS NOW SOLD OUT!!! TRY TO PICK IT UP ON EBAY IF YOU’D LIKE A COPY. CLAUDIA HAS SOLD OUT!
A beautiful illustrated book showcasing people’s magnificent obsessions from tin robots to classic cars, letters from celebrities and US presidents. Snow domes, first edition books, vintage fashion, contemporary art, Bakelite radios and wine. Claudia Chan Shaw admits to a fondness for all of the above and more. She admits to buying, collecting, displaying and falling in love, often, with objects from markets, shops, garage sales and auctions. She admits to having collectomania! Come with Claudia as she navigates the world of collectors and their obsessions, celebrates collections both strange and beautiful and shares secrets about her own love affair with everything from Humphrey Bogart memorabilia to Astro Boy. ‘well designed, full of photos and written in an approachable, conversational tone. It will make an excellent gift for either novice or expert collectors.’ FOUR STARS, Bookseller+Publisher
Dear Ms Shaw Last night I finished the final chapter of your book Collectomania and feel compelled to congratulate you on an excellent work. I found your book successfully weaved a path through the collector psyche, societal context, personal anecdotes, how to get started in collecting and of course information about the items themselves. I have been both a collector and dealer and found your book to be an extremely interesting and balanced representation of collecting and what it means to people. Well done and thank you for putting in the effort to create it. Kind regards Daniel
One of my obsessions is collecting robots. Wind up, battery operated, tin, plastic, Japanese, Chinese, I just love them! Sydney Living Museums had a delightful exhibition in 2015, Toys Through Time, and I lent the museum a number of my toys.
Here’s a video that accompanied the exhibition – Robot Romance