I collect it all, a fact haunting me as I pack the 50,000 plus objects currently housed in my home, the former Vera Cruz (PA) elementary school. When you are a collector, the scientific principle that nature abhors a vacuum applies. My home/school contains over 14,000 square feet of space. It is filled to the brim.

My first inclination is to answer the question no. I do not collect Halloween collectibles in principle. However, I have a large Halloween collection. The two concepts are not contradictory.

For me when I acquire an estate of vintage clothing I want to know the story of the original owner. I think buyers are interested in where this lovely 1950's cocktail dress was purchased and who wore it. Did it attend parties in New York City or just a simple small town Christmas Party. Evening gowns to house coats, together they all tell the story.

Recently a large vintage clothing estate came into my possession. I was given my pick of all the personal items belonging to the lady of the house who was down sizing and moving to a smaller home.

You may recall that in 2008 Ruby Lane celebrated its tenth year in business. In celebration we offered a series of 10-Cent Tuesdays, where the Listing Fee is only 10 cents instead of the usual 30 cents. In 2009 we are continuing this promotion. The next 10-Cent Tuesday will be held Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 beginning at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time and ending at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,

Voices whisper in the trees, "Tonight is Halloween!"

- - - Dexter Kozen

In my yard there stands a 6’ tall shrub, which was covered with light purple flowers in late summer. Today these flowers have turned into clusters of dark red berries along almost every branch in the bush.

Accumulator and collector are not synonymous. While there are some similarities, the differences far outweigh them.

The accumulator and collector are committed to the joy of collecting. They are passionate and enthusiastic, bound by the act of collecting and not what they collected. There is no limit to or prejudice toward what is collected. Watermelon-theme objects are as acceptable as antiques and collectibles. It is all égale.

I call it the" little old lady syndrome". You know what I mean. A seller states "I bought this from a 90 year old woman and she said this belonged to her mother, so it's an antique". Really? I've got an orange and white cat figurine from the estate of a 97 year old woman. It was given to her years ago by her 98 year old mother who remembers playing with one just like it as a child. So that makes it... 25 years old. That's right. My great-grandmother died about 25 years ago at 98, my grandmother died last year at 97. The figurine was bought at a big box store in the mid-1980's. I know.

We asked Harry Rinker: "What are some of the common reasons antiques and collectibles fall out of favor?" Here is his response:

The reasons are many and growing. There are endangered antiques and collectibles collecting categories. The guarantee that once a collecting category is created, it will continue indefinitely, has vanished.

And as shop owners we have more than the goose to think about! The Christmas shopping season is upon us and there is much to do. Most online customers will complete their gift buying by the second week of December, giving us just about 60 days until the end of 2009 Holiday shopping! So, if you haven’t already started—NOW is the time to prepare your shop.

Whether you are a buyer or seller there are those things that you always seem to forget that make the experience a little challenging.