SERIES: 10 Things I Would Do Differently If I Started Collecting Today - Jonathan Walford
Jonthan Walford,
Kickshaw Productions
This is an entry in an ongoing series. We're asking a range of vintage and antique clothing collectors what they would do differently if they began their collecting journeys today. Our experiences can make us better collectors and caretakers.
SERIES: 10 Things I Would Do Differently If I Started Collecting Today -
Jonthan Walford,
Kickshaw Productions
This is an entry in an ongoing series. We're asking a range of vintage and antique clothing collectors what they would do differently if they began their collecting journeys today. Our experiences can make us better collectors and caretakers.
2) Never collect anything you aren't passionate about and never buy during a trend. The quickest way to overspend on your collection is to buy what everyone else is buying at the same time. I have never collected something I wasn't passionate about but sometimes I get caught up in the "air du temps" of trends and spend more than I should on items everyone else is buying so I think I have to have one too. If I wanted a pair of butterly-embroidered Capezio cowboy boots from the 1970s, which I don't, I would wait until the trend is over and buy them later.
3) I would concentrate on a smaller area of interest. Maybe just men's 19th century clothing, or women's American designer shoes, or only hats. If you collect too broadly its hard to specialize and really seek out the rarest and best because you will never have enough money to spread that thinly or enough space to store everything properly. In order for your collection to be important and retain its value it is important to buy the best you can obtain and afford. You can't have it all -- it's not about quantity, it's about quality.
4) I would isolate and/or clean every item when it comes in before it gets put in with the rest of the collection. I have had one moth infestation and one carpet beetle infestation. I caught the problems before they got too out of hand but I did lose a green wool suit from the 1930s and all my white furs due to the moth infestation.
5) I would not worry as much about price. Its funny how after a period of time you forget what you paid for something. Like any collector I have paid too much for some items but many items have been free or way under priced, so it all evens out. I have not bought some things because they were expensive and now I wish I had bought them when I had a chance, like the $1,000 Fortuny delphos dress I turned down 20 years ago. Money comes and goes, a collection is for a lifetime.
7) I would photograph every item in my collection in a high dpi before I sold it. There is value in having publishable quality images and I have sold items I wish I had taken publishable quality images of for future articles and books. Also, you might even be able to sell the images to an author who is looking for illustrations for their book or at least get a credit and a free copy of their book!
8) I would always spend the appropriate amount on storing the items to protect their condition. I have damaged a few items in my collection, not many, perhaps four or five items, but it hurts when I discover this. I tore the strap of a Jean Desses evening dress when the hem got caught under the wheel of the rack and I recently tore a French slip when a hanger slipped off a rack and snagged on the lace. If I had only properly boxed or hung these garments, the damage would never have happened. If you spend $600.00 on a Victorian dress, make sure you also buy an appropriate box to store it in!
9) Inspect items thoroughly for alterations before purchase. I have a good eye but every once in a while I buy an item that has been severely altered. The most original condition is always the most valuable. A dress with a chopped hem is worth less in my opinion because the original design is lost. Sometimes remade items can be important if it represents a thrifty wearer who survived a depression by spending time on updating their wardrobe but many times it's a quick fix for a costume party or a vintage fashion wearer updating a garment to their taste, or worse, a dealer covering up damage. Look at seams and hems and button placements. If it isn't easily fixable to its original state or will leave noticeable scars and dirt lines, the item may not be worthy of being in a collection.
10) No matter what you collect, share your passion with others and tell everyone! I haven't always told everyone what I collect or why but I talk a lot louder now because you never know who might turn up treasures for you or know somebody who knows somebody who has an aunt... As well, its not just about things but also knowledge. The more generous you share your knowledge, the more generous other people will be in sharing their knowledge with you. It's not about being better than everyone else. For that reason I always call my self a specialist, not an expert because there is so much to know and I have only scratched the surface.
About Jonathan Walford
Jonathan Walford was born in 1961 in Vancouver, BC where he attended Simon Fraser University, receiving degrees in Canadian history and museum studies. He started working in the museum field in 1977 and has held curatorial positions with several institutions including the founding curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. Mr. Walford is also a private collector of historic fashions from the 17th century to the present and has amassed a collection of over 6000 pieces ranging from the major couture houses of Paris to humble frocks from mail-order catalogues. He has lectured and published on the subject of historic costume and social history for 25 years. Mr. Walford has been the president of the Costume Society of Ontario and a founding member of the Vintage Fashion Guild. He is now the artistic director or his own company, "Kickshaw Productions," which promotes the history of fashion through a variety of media and venues.
www.kickshawproductions.com
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