THE CALL? COLLECT! : Rubber ducks and TV memorabilia --as well as a 10-year-old’s bug collection --should light up young eyes and bring back fond memories for older folks.
Kids are stuff magnets. Dead bugs, baseball cards, sticks, stones, chicken bones--you name it, in a week any child old enough to wear pockets or shove things under a bed can easily amass his or her own weight in loot.
And woe to the parents who blunder through the treasure trove with a vacuum or broom, scattering the small fortunes and jamming up the Hoover. Time and again they find themselves disentangling Barbie accessories from the high-low shag, muttering that universal parental mantra: “It’s only a phase. It’s only a phase. It’s only a phase.”
But lots of kids never outgrow their urge to accumulate. Though the object of their desires may change, the drive remains--and in some cases even increases--well into adulthood. For proof, you need look no further than the Fullerton Museum Center’s “Gotta Have It! The Nature of Collecting.” The exhibit, which showcases the collections of 18 local residents, opened last month and continues through Feb. 19. A free family guide that includes information and suggested questions and activities pertaining to the exhibit is available in the museum lobby
Taped interviews with the participants reveal that almost all of the collectors in this show first caught the bug as children. A woman who is bonkers for Bozo started her collection at age 12. A veteran who collects war artifacts started out with bugs and G.I. Joe figures as a boy. Now, his collection includes one of the few remaining prisoner uniforms from a German concentration camp, one of several pieces he has on view in Fullerton. As he explains in the show’s catalogue, he hopes his collection “teaches people . . . (and) brings up thoughts of ‘Hey, we’re not going to let this happen again.’ ”
“Gotta Have It!,” which includes 8-year-old Roxanne Butler’s collection of memorabilia from the “Annie” film and play, and a display box filled with 10-year-old Johnnie Maldonado’s bugs, is nothing if not diverse.
Six hundred rubber ducks and a staggering array of antique pencil sharpeners are steps away from souvenirs of war. A huge display of 1970s television memorabilia showcases toys inspired by the old “Family Affair” show, ranging from a Mrs. Beasley doll to a Buffy Make-Up and Styling Set whose box invites kids to join “the swinging world of hairstyling and make-up fun!”
Across the room, vintage radios stand shoulder-to-shoulder. They are owned by a man who built his first crystal set at age 8 and recalls that his parents were “very patient in letting me string aerials all around the yard.”
Parents who encourage, or at least tolerate, their kids’ need to amass stuff are doing their families a favor, says Laurence Becker, an Orange County psychologist specializing in child development.
“There are a lot of stresses in children’s lives these days,” Becker said. Developing a collection “is a good way for kids to have a quiet time and relax. And building a project, going from point A to point B to completion, is very helpful in building self-esteem.
“A collection gives kids at least one little area of their lives over which they can feel they have control.”
Of course, Roxanne Butler didn’t need a mental health professional to sell her on collecting. Having sat through at least 20 live productions and countless screenings of “Annie,” Roxanne is almost certainly the most thoroughly versed third- grader in the county when it comes to the musical red-haired orphan; her items on view in Fullerton include “Annie” recordings, “Annie” lunch boxes and a sky-blue toy “Annie” limousine complete with matching chauffeur.
Roxanne may just have collecting in her blood. Her dad, Chris Butler, whose collection is displayed next to hers at the museum, has one of the largest known collections of Lucille Ball and “I Love Lucy” memorabilia around. The two often scout out items for each other’s collections.
“When we’re out at collectible shows, I’m asking for Lucy and she’s asking for Annie,” said Chris Butler.
“For me, (one of the appeals) of the Lucy thing is that it brings back fond memories of my childhood. Roxanne is just drawn to the Annie character; she identifies with her because she’s strong and outspoken and . . . stands up for people.”
“I like her because of what she does,” agreed Roxanne. “She’s nice and she helps people a lot.”
She also takes pride in displaying her collection. “Probably what I like best about collecting is stacking everything on the shelves, arranging them. People come over and see it and say, ‘You collect Annie? Cool!’ I like that.”
* What: “Gotta Have It! The Nature of Collecting.”
* When: Through Feb. 19. Museum hours are noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; noon to 8 p.m. Thursday.
* Where: Fullerton Museum Center, 301 N. Pomona Ave., Fullerton.
* Whereabouts: From the Riverside (91) Freeway, exit at Harbor Boulevard and drive north. Turn right on Wilshire Avenue. The museum parking lot is on the left, just before Pomona Avenue.
* Wherewithal: Gallery admission is $2.50; $1.50 for students and $2 for seniors. Children under 12 are admitted free.
* Where to call: (714) 738-6545.
MORE KID STUFF
COSTA MESA: CLASSIC MAGIC
Billed as an “elegant, fast-moving presentation (of) the classics in magic,” Dale Salwak’s “Stars of Magic” show will be performed Saturday, Jan. 14, at 2:30 and 8 p.m. in Orange Coast College’s Robert B. Moore Theatre, 2701 Fairview Road. $7 to $18. (714) 432-5880.
IN BREA: ‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC’
The national touring company may have Marie Osmond, but this Brea Youth Theatre production features nearly 200 local children and young adults. Weekend shows are Friday, Jan. 13, through Jan. 22 at the Curtis Theatre, 1 Civic Center Circle. $7.50 to $9.50. (714) 990-7722.
IN ORANGE: ‘ALADDIN’
Audiences get two--count ‘em, two--genies in this hourlong musical adaptation performed by the Broadway on Tour children’s theater company, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. through Feb. 26 at The City shopping center, 20 The City Drive. $5. (714) 385-1555.
