Great collections don’t just happen; they are built, each piece a block –some a cornerstone – of a concept. A collection develops over time. It will grow quickly in some directions and more slowly in others as ideas mature and evolve. That is the beauty of it; it’s a living thing. Attached to it are emotions and memories. Collecting is started on a whim or a want, and –pun intended – there is an art to it. Read all the books, visit all the museums, talk to all the experts. My steadfast advice is to start when you are young and buy just one good, if not great, piece each year -- the best possible piece you can afford. Forget all the garage sale fodder at the mall and stop purchasing the landfill fodder in catalogues. If you start a collection in your 20’s by your 40’s it will be magnificent; by your 50’s it will be world class and by your 60’s it will be the envy of museums. But remember, focus focus focus!