[00:01.080]--- lesson 59 Collecting
[00:05.240]--- Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
[00:11.040]--- What in particular does a person gain when he or she becomes a serious collector?
[00:19.840]People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so.
[00:25.920]Indeed they can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful which they did not know they owned.
[00:33.360]Those who never have to move house become indiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter.
[00:41.040]They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics for years, in the belief that they may one day need just those very things.
[00:50.800]As they grow old, people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons,
[00:56.640]lack of physical and mental energy, both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away, and sentiment.
[01:05.800]Things owned for a long time are full associations with the past, perhaps with relatives who are dead,
[01:13.040]and so they gradually acquire a value beyond their true worth.
[01:18.120]Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoid waste.
[01:23.120]Among these I would list string and brown paper,
[01:26.880]kept by thrifty people when a parcel has been opened, to save buying these two requisites.
[01:33.360]Collecting small items can easily become a mania.
[01:37.880]I know someone who always cuts sketches out from newspapers of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had the money.
[01:46.680]As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford such purchases are remote;
[01:53.040]but she is never sufficiently strong-minded to be able to stop the practice.
[01:58.640]It is a harmless habit, but it litters up her desk to such an extent that every time she opens it, loose bits of paper fall out in every direction.
[02:09.800]Collecting as a serious hobby is quite different and has many advantages.
[02:15.680]It provides relaxation for leisure hours, as just looking at one's treasures is always a joy.
[02:23.120]One does not have to go outside for amusement, since the collection is housed at home.
[02:29.240]Whatever it consists of, stamps, records, first editions of books china,glass,
[02:37.640]antique furniture, pictures, model cars, stuffed birds, toy animals,
[02:45.240]there is always something to do in connection with it, from finding the right place for the latest addition, to verifying facts in reference books.
[02:55.720]This hobby educates one not only in the chosen subject, but also in general matters which have some bearing on it.
[03:04.280]There are also other benefits.
[03:06.880]One wants to meet like-minded collectors, to get advice, to compare notes, to exchange articles, to show off the latest find.
[03:16.920]So one's circle of friends grows.
[03:20.000]Soon the hobby leads to travel, perhaps to a meeting in another town, possibly a trip abroad in search of a rare specimen,
[03:29.240]for collectors are not confined to any one country.
[03:33.200]Over the years, one may well become an authority on one's hobby and will very probably be asked to give informal talks to little gatherings and then,
[03:44.200]if successful, to larger audiences.
[03:47.400]In this way self-confidence grows, first from mastering a subject, then from being able to talk about it.
[03:56.080]Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom.