Blog Hop: Collections

This is my first blog hop! I came from Bebeh Blog, run by the fabulously creative Suzanne.

I can't help but participate in this particular blog hop--it's about collections, and we all know that I have one weirdly obsessive collection: Snoopy memorabilia. I had to share.

My Snoopy obsession started before I was born, really. My brother loved the little paperback comic books and owned a ton of them. When I was small, I wanted to do everything Aaron did, so if he was watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas," well then, so was I. Some of my collection is stuff that belonged to Aaron and/or me way back then. The rest of it is stuff I've found in antique stores, on eBay, or that has been gifted to me.

My tastes have definitely changed and I no longer buy something just because it's got the Peanuts characters on it. I stick mostly to antique toys and items that are special or hard to find. It's been a while since I've added to my collection, and in fact, I've started thinning it out a bit over the last couple of years, selling things that aren't particularly meaningful (please, people, do NOT give me another Whitman's sampler with a plush Snoopy on it!).

I found the Life magazine on eBay, and the table decoration at an antique store.

The poster is from the Snoopy Gallery and Gift Shop in Santa Rosa, California. The air freshener was found in Paris. The two taper holders come from England, and Mom bought me the cookie jar one Christmas. The rainbow bank (found on eBay) is one of my favorite pieces.

Another favorite piece--Snoopy's World War I Flying Ace is my favorite of his many persona's.

Mom found this awesome Joe Cool phone. It used to dance when I pressed a button, but it broke in one of my many moves. : (  The bank was an eBay find.

Two large plush dolls sitting on the antique school desk that my mom gave me, between the paper shredder, the cat boxes, and my rubber stamp collection (most of those have been sold off, too).

A large chunk of my collection sits on these low bookcases or hangs on the wall.

I found this at Target a few years ago. It's perfect for carrying music, so it's my official Chorale bag. Inside are some Snoopy pencils for marking my music, my fancy-schmancy choral music folder, and a big bottle of water.

A close-up of one of the bookcase tops. There's a ton of Avon bottles from the 60s, found at antique stores and on eBay.

Yes, on the very top, that's a Snoopy Snow Cone Machine! OF COURSE I have a Snoopy Snow Cone Machine! There's also some antique jars and glasses. On the next shelf down are my McDonald's Camp Snoopy Glasses. Those are from my childhood--Aaron and I collected them. Behind them you'll see four small cardboard cutouts of scenes from the glasses--those were an amazing eBay find--they were sent to the various McDonald's stores to use in the display case for the glasses, and this set are unused. Below all that are some more modern things--I got the astronaut Snoopy at Hallmark, and kept him on my kitchen counter for a whole week last year when Stockton's own Jose Hernandez was on a Discovery Mission for NASA.

Most of these books go back to my childhood--the TV special books and the 'Cyclopedia set. The collectibles book is great for figuring out what my collection is worth.

My Flying Ace collection.

I would estimate that my Christmas tree is probably 90% Peanuts ornaments. Mom made the tree skirt for me a few years ago.

The teapot was a WONDERFUL eBay find--it's by Lennox. The plate is from 1981 (found in an antique shop). The scraggly Charlie Brown Christmas tree was found last year at Target--I HAD to have it.

Various plushies from Hallmark.

This is a set of toys that I found at Target.

I bought this with the teapot pictured above--a Lennox plate.

I found these at Sears last year and had to have them. Living in an apartment, it's hard to have an outside display for worry of things getting stolen. These have stakes for putting in the ground, but I found I could tape them to the inside of the window to prevent them getting stolen or ruined.

Most of these mugs were Aaron's. He graciously let me have them. (P.S. Have you noticed that my tiny second bedroom houses not only this massive collection but a piano, two litter boxes, a craft table, four bookcases, an antique desk, a DVD rack, a floor lamp, and drawers of stamping/scrapbooking stuff? No? Well, take my word for it.)

A close-up of the red shelf. Some of my favorite items are my Snoopy For President things--I wore that button (badge to my English readers) on Election Day 2008. I drove my kids crazy all day telling them I voted for Snoopy.

The best piece. I am not entirely sure this is actually Snoopy. All I know is that I've had him as long as I can remember, and my Grandma Bean used to always pretend he could talk to her. I've never packed him away, and he sits on my nightstand to this day. He went to England with me--in my carry-on, not my checked baggage--and while I don't cuddle with him, he is a great comfort. His nose and mouth are gone, he's a dirty brown-gray color, and I adore him.

Okay, so this is my first blog hop! I hope you enjoyed my collection.