I Collect... #mfrwauthor

At first glance I thought this topic would be easy. Over the years I've had several collections. According to the guidelines of various organizations I belonged to is a group of two or more items that share a common characteristic.

If you have a dozen antique blob-top soda bottles on the shelf, that is a collection. Three binders of postcards from the town you live in is a collection. As a reader I've had collections of books. Sometimes they were the complete the works of a given artist, or every book in a series. There was Don Pendleton's Executioner Series, Ann McCaffrey's Tower and Hive series, and of course, her Dragon Riders of Pern. What might be the first collection I ever had (besides a Barbie doll and her handmade clothes) were the Cherry Ames books I inherited from my mother.

However, the there is nothing odd in any of the above. And the topic specified "odd." Does that mean odd as in the shape? Or in something a rationale human being would think as unusual?

Now I don't want any angry messages from those with dissenting opinions, but the collection I"m showcasing is New Jersey ceramic tiles. Now, there are reference books on the art tiles in both their own right or included with American art pottery. The decorative tiles won't be considered odd. They are works of art, some of which are by world renowned craftsmen. 

If you've followed last year's posts you might recall in one of my past lives I was a tile historian. As part of that I built a research collection, not just of the art tiles above, but also the plainer, industrial tiles. Built with Earth, the history I wrote of the New Jersey tile industry showcases not just the decorative but the plain white tiles including those used in the New York City Subways.

So what is the odd thing I collect? Industrial ceramic tiles. What's yours? This is a hop. Be sure to visit the other posts on the topic. ~till next time. Helen