Father-Husband-Marketer-Geek

What got you started collecting villages? I had been buying DV pieces for my BIL & a cousin as gifts, but never any for myself because we lived in a very small apt in NYC. I always said that someday, when we moved into a house, I would start my own village. That day came & did I go crazy!! Someone told me about a store that was going out of business & the village pieces were being marked down weekly. By the time they closed, I had 16 bldgs & a bunch of accessories & didn't pay full price for any of them. That was it, I was hooked for life! Now I'm in a bigger house & thinking about a permanent CIC (Christmas in the City) display. How many years have you been collecting? I started in '96 with my 1st 2 bldgs...Grand Central Terminal from CIC (for my DH who was a NYC Transit Cop & Grand Central was his post for many years) & North Pole (for my 4 yr old son, had to get a train station just like daddy for him too). When D56 started Time to ...

What got you started collecting villages? A combination of loving miniatures, seeing villages in stores, my Mother's putz houses from my childhood. How many years have you been collecting? 10 years What is your favorite D56 series? North Pole How many displays do you build per year? Christmas is divided into 3-4-5 displays, halloween & fall, 3 easter baskets & may exclude carnival & harbor from these & do them as summer displays. Do you keep a list of all your pieces that you own? Yes, except a few small non-village accessories and handmade accessories. What's the latest piece you've bought? D56 Turkeys/Geese in the Field What's the first piece you bought? A cheap little house at the drug store. How many people have you turned on to D56 collecting? Probably not any. I'm pretty much the only one in my circle that does this. Do you keep track of values of the pieces or not? The retail price, not the sale price I paid. I haven't included the off-bra...

Yesterday I posted a survey for collectors and received dozens of well written responses which I think many readers will find very interesting. I know I did...I also think many of you will relate with each collectors' story. For the sake of anonymity, I'm going to give each collector a nom de plume - we'll call this first collector by the codename "Cumberland House" . Many of the D56 regulars will recognize her display from her website, I am sure. A picture of her magnificent display is below. What got you started collecting villages? I started buying the house to put under the Christmas Tree w/ a train. I didn't know they were collectibles until years later. How many years have you been collecting? 20 years. What is your favorite D56 series? It's a toss up but I guess NP edges out SV by a slim margin. How many displays do you build per year? Still working on permanent display. Do you keep a list of all your pieces that you own? Yes. I use Excel. What...