Starting a collection is a favorite pastime for many people of all ages. Serious collectors will display their collections and incorporate this as an important element of their home decor. If you decide to start a collection of items for display in your home, think about what would go well with your current decor and how you would like your display to look. Try to estimate how much space you will need and if these items should be enclosed in some sort of glass display case, or if they can handle frequent cleaning, would you prefer to display them on wall shelves, a mantel, desk, hutch or other furniture.
If you like old- fashioned, traditional American folk art, the Jim Shore Heartwood Creek collection is favored by many who like to collect these types of figurines. Jim Shore is a self taught artist from South Carolina. His grandmother was a master quilt maker who inspired Jim with the skill, patience and detail that go in to making hand sewn quilts. Jim started his own collection of quilts and the detailed patterns became his source of inspiration for his beautifully crafted figurines.
While art was always a passion for Jim Shore, he earned a living as an engineer. He sculpted and painted whenever he had the time and eventually founded Designs Americana. His company grew to over 350 employees with more orders than they could fill. Jim decided to partner with Enesco, a leading marketer of gifts, collectibles and home accessories, so that he could focus more on the creative and artistic side of his business. He has also won several national awards from the National Association of Limited Edition Dealers, including Artist Of The Year among others.
