The Criterion Collection has long been an infamous and desirable collection that all film collectors have coveted. Having only been available in North American and the corners of the internet that make these editions with the grasp of a collector. As the Criterion collection is forever growing, with some titles being unavailable and out of print, it seems at times, an impossible achievement to collect them all or even the titles that you want the most. For some reason, I thought back to my childhood when, like many Millennials who actually admit it, I collected Beanie Babies. I believe it started when I was 8 or 9 and I was given one for my birthday. I wasn’t an avid toy collector at the time, I like my pens, books, child size post offices so when this little dog landed in my lap I was confused. But it didn’t stop there. As well as this dog, Wrinkles, I was gifted a cat (forgotten the name) and a leopard, Freckles. With these three in my hands, something clicked. I could collect more!
In just a few weeks, I had Ringo the raccoon, Pouch the kangaroo and Nuts the squirrel. These were my first 6 Beanie Babies. Over the years I had in my collection 67, which may not seem like that many considering how many other people had at the time of the Beanie Babies boom. My friend and I were competing over who had the bigger collection, she definitely won by a mile because she used to buy a handful at a time it seemed and her Grandad doted on her so bought her as many as she liked. I was a modest collector to be honest, where I went far but not too far. I did of course buy a couple of editions of the magazine and I did collect the cards too (still have those) and my dad did take me to a Beanie Babies fair once. I was so happy with my three purchases as well as some cards and tag protectors and then I saw my friend role up and point to the bags full of swag in the back of the car. That’s when I thought, maybe there is such a thing as too much. I was still very happy with the three I had bought. Fast forward to today and the Beanie Babies that remain are boxed away in my parent’s attic, waiting for the day they will be worth something. A few have disappeared or given away over the years and I still have my favourite one with me (Waddle the penguin) along with the card collection. I still hope they can be sold but until TY stops making them, they’ll remain in the attic. The way this collection ended is how I worry about my other collections I have started over the years will go. Despite not collecting soft toys at a child, at least not that many, I still had a large Sylvanian Family collection, boxed up in my parents shed and a Polly Pocket collection, solely from the 90s era, safely stowed away in a box in my old bedroom. My extensive card collection which included many Beanie Babies cards, a handful of Pokemon cards I found in a car park, the PG Tips cards my Nana used to save for me and a loud of The Two Towers stickers which must be saved at all costs, the whole lot is with me right now. Why? Because I just can’t bear to part with them. This is the case with all the other collections. I realise I have a habit, may it be good or bad, of starting collections. My mug collection had got me into many a massive argument with my parents when I Iived at home and has since been thinned out, taking only the precious few with me to my flat. My postcard collection, which I still have, has not been added to in a long while because I have actively stopped myself in obtaining any more. My tarot deck collection has grown to the point where I sold off a few and stopped buying so many. Even books I have slowed down in the last year as I know I have too many. I don’t buy physical CDs anymore, haven’t for years, plus they are outdated now. I own a handful of vinyls and that’s all I want. I don’t need a big collection of those. I stopped buying so many Funko Pops because I could see the trap I was falling into. Sold off some of those too. But when it comes to film, I will never stop collecting DVDs and Blu-rays.
The reason why people collect is something ingrained in them when they are young. We desire something and we must have it. Collecting is essentially desiring something, which is a strange way to put it but absolutely true. Collecting has been described as an addiction and I very well believe that is the case. Just like caffeine is addictive. An acceptable vice in society. As obvious as the negative side to collecting is, the positives outweigh the negative. There is community, there are way to meet people with similar interests (not talking about Beanie Babies now) and of course the personal feeling of accomplishment and the inevitable joy of adding something new to the collection.
I worry that all the other collections I have will end up in the attic of my parents’ house but never my film collection. So many people, growing up, thought that my film collection was ridiculous, they didn’t see the point and thought it was unnecessary. But I would see their shoe collection, their music collection, jewellery, figurines, make up etc and think, why is your collection justified but my film collection isn’t? We all have our vices and mine just happens to be films. Sometimes I do think back to when I would open my cupboard at there the Beanie Babies would be. I knew the TY craze wouldn’t last and as I entered Year 6 (11 years old) I drifted away from them. I moved onto other things, it just happened. I stopped thinking about where I could get my next Beanie Babies fix. Whenever they come up I conversation, my dad liked to remind me when he was on a work trip in the US, how he was running around crazy looking for Beanie Babies, but I think he secretly enjoyed the hunt. My parents collect too. Not the same things as me, but they do like to collect. They judge me for my collections (particularly films and Tarot) because they know what I’m like. I like to collect. People collect what they like to collect and I see no harm in that.
Coming back to the Criterion Collection, of which I have a collection within the bigger film collection, I’m happy to continue on picking up titles I’ve been waiting for in the UK as well as looking longingly at those still not available yet.