QCI Charter Member Diane Robinson remembers the early days.

In a recent blog post Susan C mentioned one reason why there may be so many Q collectors in Dallas and to be sure there are some wonderful collections lined up for QCI members to visit during the upcoming annual meeting, in October.

However, one private collection that won't be on the tour belongs to QCI charter member and Web Committee member Diane.
Diane has very kindly agreed to share with us some pix of her collection and some recollections of the early days when the Club was just getting under way.

"Ten or eleven years ago I found an internet web site called "French Faience Collectors". Lucy Williams had already started soliciting members for the new club she was forming and I signed up.
One day I saw a posting on the Collector's site from someone in Wichita Falls, Texas telling of a find there, a French Armoire. I quickly responded and told them all about the new Q Club that was forming having no clue that the posting was from Lucy Williams! Well, I was embarrassed! I was just so excited to find another person in Texas who was interested in Quimper.

In the beginning I had no collecting philosophy, it was just a hunt to find something. Of course, there was no local source (that I knew of) to find the unusual, different or spectacular in Dallas.

I remember when I found ebay and how strange it was to see a lot of items, some good and some not so good, in one place.

One day I received a newsletter telling about a trip to France and the Q factory led by Ann Marie O'Neill. I convinced my sister to accompany me and off we went never dreaming of where this adventure would eventually lead us. A great time was had by all and some of us had to have friends help us carry our finds on the airplane home, thanks Sheena! That was just before all the high tech security began.

It was on this trip in '96 that I purchased my first Paul Fouillen "Pecheur" plates, I think that decor is one of my favourites. In a market with Ann Marie we found a pair of Pecheur type vases which I really wanted. AM was to return to purchase them but that didn't happen, sigh, they have never been seen by my eyes again.
Lesson: buy it when you see it!
One of the best things that came out of this trip was making special friends, many are now QCI members too.




During this trip we accompanied AM to the market at Chatou and during the cab ride she suggested that she might be able to come to Dallas for a private showing. She did just that and we wiped out her inventory which she was planning to take to Houston for the big show there later that month. We have had that fun party many times since then.

It seems like yesterday since I sent Lucy that first email. Through the QCI I have made good friends from all parts of the world, I always enjoy the annual faience sales but the friendships we have formed are the icing on the cake."