Collectors vs. Non-Collectors

A recent reader-written article in the Washington Post about a collector and his wife, who is definitely not a collector, made me think about this common point of contention. The author writes about his wife reaction, "my God, not another" look every time you add a little something to your collection? Is "What do you want that for?" often spoken in not-so-endearing terms. Or, "How much did that cost? You don't have any more room." You love to collect, but your spouse or significant other does not. You want to accumulate as many of items you are passionate about. By doing so; however, will this cause friction and the loss of passion between you and your loved one? What is an avid collector to do? The non-collectors call it junk, trash, cluttter. Whereas, we see a museum-quality display. Some non-collector tolerate collections...to a point. I've heard stories from collectors who hide their newly-found items, thereby avoiding any conflict. In the past, I've written about collecting and the psychology of collecting. Do you have a collector / collectionless story to share? Let us know via the 'Comments' link below.

Regis College's Norman Tower Ceramic Replica

Recently, I found a ceramic replica of the Norman Tower on the campus of Regis College. The miniature stands 7 inches tall, has a gray finish and is solidly built. The top is open and looks as though it could have been made as a pen holder, drinking cup or something else. This souvenir building is not in 'The Book' (Monumental Miniatures), so I contacted the Regis College archivist to get more information. According to her, "The Tower is a college souvenir. They were likely sold in the college bookstore, but are not sold there now. The Tower is a music box and plays the college’s Alma Mater. There is no date on it." That answered a few questions including the fact that mine was missing the music portion. I see now that the bottom has an area which could have housed the wind-up mechanical workings of a music player. The school's campus is in Weston, Massachusetts, not far from Boston. Regis College Tower is an historic monument in the medieval French Norman Style erected on the property in 1911 by the original owner. A decorative stone structure, Designed by Harold S. Graves, was originally built to house a water tower and a Westminster clock and to enhance the estate setting. As part of the process of refining her estate, in 1911 Mrs. Morrison initiated the construction of the stone tower, "a copy of an old Tower in Chartres" that she had seen in her travels to France. Originally this medieval style tower served the dual purpose of water tower and clock tower, from which Westminster chimes reverberated over the countryside. Because it is one of the highest points in the town of Weston, in 1942 the tower became an observation post for the U.S. Army Air Force. Regular shifts of Weston residents manned the lookout tower twenty-four hours a day to watch for enemy airplanes. Today the edifice serves as a clock tower and chimes ring out on the hour with recorded music. Through the years the tower has been kept in excellent repair. An interior circular staircase leads to the roof, which affords an expansive view of the campus and surroundings. A long gravel path runs from the front of the tower to the main drive directly opposite the entrance to Morrison House connecting these two historic structures. Through the years students have walked this path during significant college events, such as the conferral of Cap and Gown and Graduation ceremonies that take place on the broad lawn in front of the tower. Frequently and historically the Tower has served as a visual symbol of the College on letterhead or as a design motif. Regis College is a Catholic liberal arts and sciences institution founded in 1927 by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston. After eight decades as a women-only college, Regis enrolled its first co-educational class in fall 2007. About 1,600 undergraduate and graduate co-ed students attend classes on the beautiful 132-acre campus.

Haggling & Negotiating Tips for Collectors

You find your alpha - the building replica you've always wanted and searched for. A quick check of the price and are stopped in your tracks. Wow, That's too high. However, you can't walk away and really want this piece for your collection. What can you do? Negotiate, haggle, barter, bargain, beg - different terms for a possible solution, but just how do you start? Here is a story in the Washington Post about one haggler and his adventures. I have a few strategies I employ to negotiate a lower price. My theory is, you want the seller to give a starting price - either via the price tag or verbally. This establishes the base price, but usually does not represent the final price. From here, you can ask "Is this your best price?" You always want to be polite and respectful. Get the dealer mad with a low-ball offer and the price may not move. "Can you do any better on this price," is also a good opening question. Then you have to see where the bargaining goes and be flexible. The back and forth suggesting of prices can go on and on depending on how much the seller is willing to play the game. Gage whether the seller is in the mood to reduce the price or not. They may have paid a price close to the base price and not have room to go too low. Bottom line is, how much do you want that building and what price are you willing to pay to add it to your collection? Do you have additional bartering tips or methods? How about a successful negotiating story to share? Let us know via the 'Comments' link below. (Update: Be sure to click on the comments link below to read a great story personal negotiating story from a reader)

Washington Monument Souvenir Buildings

What is officially called Washington's Birthday, today's U.S. Federal Holiday, is sometimes called Presidents Day. Perhaps people wanted to also commemorate President Lincoln on this day. I've written previously about souvenirs and memorials related to Lincoln, so lets explore souvenirs related to George Washington. There are many monuments and memorials to Washington around the country. Everyone knows the famous obelisk in Washington D.C., but the very first monument to Washington was built in Baltimore. This Washington Monument was the first monument completed to recognise George Washington. In 1815, a statue and column was designed by Robert Mills - who also designed the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. Construction began in the Baltimore neighborhood of Mount Vernon in 1815 and was completed by 1829. The 178 foot white marble doric column holds a ground-floor museum offering information about Washington as well as construction of the monument. Climbing the 228 steps to the top provides an excellent view of the city from the historic neighborhood where it is located. The monument consists of three main elements: a low, rectangular base; an unfluted column and a standing figure of Washington. InFocusTech makes a replica of the Baltimore Washington Monument finished in new pewter which stands 6 1/2 inches tall. The memorial to the first U.S. President, George Washington, everyone knows is the towering Washington Monument in the city named after him, Washington, D.C. The Washington monument, made of marble, granite and sandstone, is both the world's tallest stone structure

and the world's tallest obelisk, standing 555 feet 5⅛ inches (169.294 m). (There are taller monumental columns, but they are neither all stone nor true obelisks.) It is also the tallest structure in Washington D.C. Construction began in 1848 but was not completed until 1884 - 36 years later. This hiatus in construction happened because of co-option by the Know Nothing party, a lack of funds and the American Civil War. A difference in shading of the marble, visible approximately 150 feet up, shows where construction was halted for a number of years. The aluminum capstone was set on December 6, 1884 and the completed monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885, but didn't officially opened October 9, 1888. It became the world's tallest structure and held this designation until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris. Souvenirs of the Washington Monument can be very common, but a few are older and rare with unusual design aspects. I've seen monuments made from materials including cast iron, bakelite, plastic, metal and with uses such as S&P shakers, pencil sharpeners, thermometers and more. Today, replicas are being made in resin, plastic, lucite and pot metal. Also, don't forget Mount Vernon which also has had miniature building souvenirs of Washington's historic home.

Florida Condo to be Imploded Sunday

The saying goes, out with the old and in with the new. But when the old is 30-story structure, getting it out is no easy task. A controlled implosion is scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday) morning in West Palm Beach Florida. Reader Howie G. sent me this tip about the fate hurricane-damaged, uninhabited condo tower at 1515 Flagler Drive. The implosion is expected to take just 6.5 seconds to bring the building down - making it the third-tallest building in the United States to be demolished in this manner.

Snow-In Souvenir Buildings

If you've been watching the news, you'll know that the northeast portion of the U.S. has gotten a double-dose of big snow storms. To illustrate the predicament, Building Collector reader Mark M. from Pennsylvania sent me a photo of the his state's Capitol Building and the Zembo Shrine almost covered in snow. I'm sure the real buildings are in a similar situation. Scott D. also sent photos of a souvenir building becoming covered in the multiple Virginia snow storms. Most of his collection is safe and warm while a miniature Taj Mahal is buried on the outdoor window sill. Do you have funny or unusual photos of your souvenir buildings? Send them to me and I'll post them for everyone to enjoy.

Bottle Shaped Buildings and Figural Decanters

I recently found and purchased two glass tower replicas from a second-hand store. The tall greenish glass replicas of the Eiffel Tower and Leaning Tower of Pisa, came empty and without labels. They seemed to be either wine, alcohol or liquor bottles. Through some research, I discovered the Eiffel Tower was a 750 ml bottle of X.O. French Brandy. Thus far, I've been unable to locate a source for the Leaning Tower of Pisa bottle. We've all seen other collectable liquor decanters, usually made of ceramic, in the shapes of things including buildings (photos below). Many other bottle or vessels shaped like buildings or structures exist as well. In Japan, water bottles in the shape of the Tokyo tower are sold to thirsty tourists. Priced at $300, Sabino Art glass makes a hand-blown opalescent crystal perfume bottle in the shape of the Eiffel Tower. Avon also made a much more common perfume version in the 1970's. Bottle related buildings include a handcrafted cast metal Eiffel Tower Wine Bottle Stopper, bejeweled with fine Swarovski crystals. How about something to put that wine or liquor into. Perhaps a set of wine glasses with Eiffel Tower stems. The Eiffel Tower seems to be a very popular design for decorator items like this. It is the tower's romance or just due to its popularity?

Dubai's Burj Khalifa Closes Observation Deck

The word's tallest building unexpectedly closed access to its record high observation deck due to electrical problems. Read more about it here. Below is a video of the view from the top of the Burj Khalifa observation deck.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Today, the New Orleans Saints will battle the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. The pig skin pummeling will take place in Miami, Florida. Will any of the players' actions from today's game be worthy for entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Years ago, souvenir building replicas of the hall were created. Versions in both pot metal and a plastic coin bank were sold in the 1960-70's. The metal version is 2 inches tall and is unusual, while the plastic version stands 4 inches and is more common. I've seen a few different color plastic including beige and red. The real Pro Football Hall of Fame is for professional football players in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League (NFL). Located about an hour south of Cleveland, It opened in Canton, Ohio on September 7, 1963 and the original buildings contained just two rooms with 19,000 square feet of interior exhibit space. Since then, two additions have been built since, but the Hall’s original architect was Bob Forsythe. The unusually-shaped dome of the building is reminiscent of the pointy end of a football while others like to think of it as an enormous orange-juicer. What do you think of its design? A while ago, I also wrote about other sports stadium souvenir buildings.

SBCS 2010 Convention Announced

Entitled the "Metro New York Convention," this year's Souvenir Building Collector's convention has been announced and details confirmed. Held from Friday June 11 until Sunday 6/13, the convention's base will be a Stamford Connecticut hotel, just north of NYC. Building collectors Howie Gelbtuch and SBCS President Darron Copeland will open their homes so attendees can experience their impressive collections. SBCS member Ed Rensin will also display some of his favorite buildings. Early Saturday morning will be the famous and fast-paced SBCS swap meet. Following that, attendees will take a 50 minute train ride into Manhattan for architectural tours of two buildings not generally available to the public (locations TBD) courtesy of Howie Gelbtuch. While in the city, there are also plans to visit Ronnette Riley’s collection in her office inside the Empire State Building. Later that afternoon, everyone will return to Stamford for a live auction of souvenir buildings, dinner and annual raffle. On Friday June 11, the convention team will also offer attendees an opportunity to visit Philip Johnson’s Glass House, located in New Canaan, Ct. Tickets for this significant structure are difficult to obtain, so my advise is to get to the "Constitution State" in time for this tour. More information about convention activities in registration will be available soon on the SBCS website. This convention is always a great opportunity to meet fellow building collectors, tour amazing building collections and usually add a few building replicas to your own collection. See you there!

Building Collector's 2nd Anniversary

Its been two years now since I launched this blog for Building Collectors. To date, people have visited the site over 25,000 times and have read over 45,000 pages. This site has become one of the go-to sources for new and seasoned building replica collectors. Our 'building community' would not work without all of you. Thank you for all of your support, ideas, comments and contributions of information and photos. Special thanks to the many contributors including: Scott, Bob, Howie, Steve, Rich, Mark, Neville and Richard. Below are some of the comments I've received over the past year.

Rich P. of California wrote, "I recently discovered your Building Collector blog and love it! Woo Hooooo! ... I have been collecting souvenir buildings off and on since about 1981 ... I am emailing you to of course express my gratitude and appreciation of your online efforts but also to offer additional information regarding the Sunsphere."

Joe K. of Brooklyn wrote: "Thanks again for all the good work you do with the blog. It's always interesting. And to think I needed someone from D.C. to tell me what's happening in Brooklyn!!!"

Chris S. wrote, "Thanks! Love your website!"

Luis A. from Mexico, "I am a big fan of your blog."

As always, I encourage everyone to utilize the comments link below each post. Tell me what you think the blog, add information to the posts, remind me of something I missed and send me your content tips. Cheers to the start of a third year of inspiring information, new souvenir sources and collecting camaraderie.

Souvenir Buildings at Target

Calling them 'Decorative Figures,' Target stores are selling large metal replicas of some famous landmarks. I happened upon a few of them in the furniture aisle of my local Target and was pleasantly surprised. The Chrysler Building, Eiffel Tower and Big Ben are available in cast polished aluminum and the tallest is 16 inches high. They are for sale in stores and online and range in price from $19 to $34. The detail is not as crisp as I'd like, but its still very good and they look great. The needles on the Eiffel Tower and Chrysler Building replicas are a bit out of proportion, but at least they are not too thin and breakable. Buy two and use them as bookends. My suggestion is get them quickly because there were just a few at the store I went to and who knows how many were produced.