CONFESSIONS of a COMPULSIVE* COLLECTOR.........by Cerelle

* obsessive, enamored, addicted, fixated?

After so many years with so few finds, a couple of things happened that helped my collection to grow.

My friend across the street kept telling me I needed to get a computer.

I resisted.

I didn't want to be secretary for clubs to which I belonged, and having a computer would make me "eligible."

But one day she said, "I want to show you something."
She went to her computer, brought up eBay, and put in the search word, Quimper.
Suddenly, up came hundreds of entries. Right there were more Quimper pieces than I had seen in decades of looking!! OMG!! WELL! THAT was THAT!

Soon I had my first computer, and with help from my friend and mentor, Annie, I had it up and searching ... and getting me into trouble.

One day not long after, as I was browsing the world's offering of faience, I saw an interesting note at the bottom of an auction. It said something like,

"If you are interested in joining a club for Quimper collectors, write to me."

OH BOY! I typed in my response as fast as my fingers would move..
and that is how I met Lucy!

(Queen Lucy later in Dallas at the 2002 meeting)

Only a few weeks later there was the first meeting in Santa Monica...just next door in California. Bill and I happily drove over to attend.



We talked with Lucy and bought a nice piece of Desvres faïence from her.

























(Is that Adela?)


I had all of my Quimper books signed by the authors.
But I pretty much went around in a daze.


(Co Queen Katie at the first meeting in Santa Monica 1999)

All these beautiful pieces of faïence! WHERE had they been all of my life?



I look at my photos rather guiltily now, as there is hardly one of my friends in them except by accident, but then, I did not yet know them.






I had my dazed eyes and the camera lens focused on the fabulous faïence, much of which I had never seen before.








Now I see that, yes, there is Joan, and there in another photo is Katie, but there are people in the photos with their heads lopped off. Oh dear...Well, I hope I did better in Dallas this year!

(still, I have to admit..I take LOTS of photos of the faïence)

So this is how my collection grew...

...the Quimper Club with their wonderful sales and exciting meetings,
and the capability to browse auctions on the Internet.




Now our little house "runneth over" and still I browse compulsively for there is always something I have never before seen.

* and yes, I have served as secretary in a club or two...drat!