For some of us, our personal collection does not stop at a well-read copy of the Canon. Instead, it is usually just the beginning…
Collection Curios
Aside from editions of the Canon, let’s discuss a few of the unique and prized items of note from your personal Sherlockian (and/or Watsonian) Collection.
EDIT TO ADD: “Dash” sent in a photo of two treasures from his collection!
To quote “Dash”:
“I keep our invitations to Sherlockian events posted on it with a jackknife. Next to the papers is a small pewter figurine of Holmes. I had purchased one of these at the New York Public Library when I was in high school, my first bit of Holmesian memorabilia. Some years later, I lent it to an exhibit and it was stolen. Several years ago I was able to replace it thanks to the late Vinnie Brosnan, JHWS “Beeton.”
Thank you, everyone, for sharing!
In my case, I love my mice-sized Dawson and Basil figures, because I have a big soft spot for The Great Mouse Detective. I often fear that my resident cat may one day sneak into my room to steal my little friends away – kitty loves small plastic toys, unfortunately.
Three other items I treasure highly are two original drawings from noted Sherlockian artist ghostbees, a copy of the “221 BBC” monograph written by Bert Coules (which helped me so much while I wrote my first essay for The Watsonian), and a signed edition of the radio script for the “Hound of the Baskervilles” gifted to me by my friend, David, the president of the Sound of the Baskervilles (who knows how much I adore the BBC Radio 4 series).
I used to have a tiny lego Sherlock Holmes figurine, but I think it must have gone the way of the rest of my possessions and is with my parents in Oregon. Most of my physical non-book collection is art: I too have a few ghostbees originals, which are displayed on my wall along with a handful of Paget postcards from the Holmes exhibition in London, some prints from the London Sherlockians tea party last year, and a limited edition letterpress quote “the air of London is the sweeter for my presence,” also from the Holmes exhibition. That’s all situated next to a giant 1906 foldable tourist map of London, which is of course hanging, not folded.
That is awesome, Misty! I love collecting sherlockian postcards and buying prints when I spot them at conventions. 🙂
Thank God I am not a collector, since this facet of our Holmesian/Watsonian passion can be very much time-and-space-consuming. I have some pins that I treasure (one that I won for a quiz at the Gaslight Gala in NYC in 2013, and the pin of the Speckled Band of Boston, a gift of my friend Richard Olken.) I have an autographed poster from a meeting of the Spanish friends in Barcelona in 2010. Also some mugs, among which one with Paget’s SILV famous illustration in the train carriage, that I bought in 2005 at the old shop of the SH Memorabilia Company in Baker Street that doesn’t exist anymore. An empty tin can of “Sherlock Holmes Tea” and some “first day” covers… the rest is all books and magazines, not very valuable ones. I only have a couple of first editions: the British printing of “The private life of SH” by Starrett and a copy of “My Dear Holmes” by Gavin Brend.
Hey Reggie: that sounds like a great non-collection. 😉
The only first edition I’m fortunate enough to own is a lovely copy of Isaac Asimovs limericks. Those you have and the one Kirby won in the first Treasure Hunt sound wonderful. My favorite treasure beyond the books is a lovely Sherlockian chess set I received as a Christmas gift several years ago. The hound is just fabulous to look at!
The chess set sounds cool! we should play with it sometime!
In addition to the usual ephemera of posters, pins and plastic chatkas that seem to follow one home from Sherlockian events, I have a collection of stuffed animals for almost all of the various fish, reptiles, birds and mammals mentioned in the Canon.
What!? That is amazing! A themed animal collection is so cute. Did you plan that from the start or did you have some stuffed animals already and started thinking about all the various ones in the Canon, so your collection took on that idea? Also, do you have a Hound?
The collection started when I felt I needed an excuse to buy a toy baby gorilla. Then I remembered the Body Master from SIGN and I bought McGinty. I have eleven different breed of dog, including a bull pup, but I’ve to find a hell hound.
My favorite piece of jewelry is a sterling silver deerstalker pendant. It is constantly around my neck. What I really want is a sterling silver bowler hat to wear alongside of it.