Building Your Collection
Building your collection is a creation. It will show who you are and what you stand for and it also tells something about your personality. Before starting a collection you should ask yourself what your goals are in relation to your personality.
1) Must my collection consist of items with high value at the short-term (buy only antiques) or long-term (you can also buy contemporary creations)?
2) Do you want a mixed collection or rather focus on a special theme, like a specific animal (e.g. snake, elephant, monkey ), or some utilitarian type of object ( pipes, headless-pulleys, gold weights, Ibedji's twin figures, etc...)?
3) Abstract (textiles, utilitarian items) or figurative; fine carvings or rough; used (items with patina) or not?
4) Will you pick up what comes your way, like a fisher, or will you actively chase after your pieces of choice?
5) Is my collection a work in progress, or will I keep my pieces forever once I have them. Or will I have some goals (e.g.: 100 spoons from different regions), and once attained will I sell it as a collection and start some new collection ?
6) Will I focus on a specific geographic area (e.g.. All Lega material) or not?
7) Do I want pieces that show European or cross-border influences ?
8) Will I document every piece and try to find similar items?
9) Will I try to find the best samples from current tribes or do I try to be complete by finding the most rare samples?
David Norden