Quote Originally Posted by browningautorifleicon View Post
Nice, nice, nice...the kind of room a gun guy would gravitate to and stay long periods. You wouldn't need TV with a hideout like that. I had most of those over time, now all past. I never had much in Jap though, just a couple of swords.
Jim, I envy you those swords! I have not been able to identify mine yet, but surely there is a Japaneseicon Sword forum somewhere!?!?

I stopped collecting when I had to move out of the house where I created that display room/library. I didnt complete the display room in the current house, though they are all in the loft where such a display could have been created very similar to the previous display room. It started to occur to me that I could not keep this collection forever. My four daughters will not want them nor know what to do with them and my 2 grandsons, so far, will likely NOT get to be influenced by Grandfather in this way, nor much in anyway as it seems...such is the nature of respect for family traditions these days.

I had been lamenting the thought of a future, a future not so far away as Id like, when Id have to liquidate the collection. So I can understand that many have had such a collection in the past. I dont really want this collection to go away, but the reality is that I will someday go away from it! I wish I'd had to funds to start collecting earlier and enjoy the collection longer, but Id still be confronted with the same ultimate reality. So the loan to the museum seems a best of all worlds option, at least until Im gone!

Even better, it got me collecting again (though in truth, I really cant afford it and I may be causing some near term financial difficulties with my current spending (6 rifles, missing or replacement parts, scores of slings, bayos, scabbards and frogs, display flags I was missing, etc....almost $12000 this year!) Will not SOMEBODY STOP ME! But I am truly enjoying it and the forum resources that I neglected to utilize over the years! :-)