I have a lot of stuff.
I can’t deny it. I got the bug when I was still a kid. The collecting bug. Books, comic books, magazines, trading cards, toys… all sorts of weird stuff. And y’know, it piles up over the years… and I have seen a LOT of years now.
Thankfully, I am not the only one with this odd affliction. Ryan Condal, the showrunner on HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, collects movie and television props, and he and his friend David Mandel of VEEP and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIAM fame have a wonderful podcast called THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF, about their shared passion. They’ve just launched the second season of the podcast, and invited me to be their guest on the premiere episode.
I don’t actually collect props myself, though I have picked up a few over the years from the shows I have worked on. I do collect miniature heraldic knights, and of course I still have a zillion books, and… well, it was huge huge fun to talk about collections.
You can check out our conversation on Spotify and Apple, if you’re a collector yourself:
(Comments permitted — but ONLY about collecting. Books, comics, movie props, toys, miniatures — what do you collect? How did you start? Tell us about it. But off topic comments and questions will be deleted).
Current Mood: 
geeky
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I have a collection, but Kind of an unusual one. When I was a kid Pokemon first came out, and they allowed you to keep trading Pokemon from game to game. So in theory, you could have some Pokemon from the first game and still use it in the current games. And I have one, a Dragonite that I first used to beat the elite four. Since then, each new game I keep my end of game team from the previous games as digital relics. It feels kind of strange to have such an attachment to what are effectively a database entry in some computer code.
Hi Mr Martin, I hope you are doing well. Is there a movie prop you dream of having?
Only my severed head, as I mentioned in the podcast.
Ryan is gonna make that dream come true Happy for you George!
I collect gray hairs courtesy of the Bengals year after year
I have a collection of five books. I am waiting for the 6th.
We all are 🙁
Collecting is an addictive hobby. Throughout my life I’ve collected many different thing, cards (marvel from the 90’s), comic books, and action figures (90’s marvel again). Currently, I collect Nintendo games (3DS/Switch) and good books.
In all honesty, you can never have enough books 🙂
I’m twenty-two years old, and I’ve been collecting Pez dispensers since I was a kid. As a child, it seemed like a win-win: I got something I could use as a toy and candy for my massive sweet tooth. Obviously, as I got older, I stopped playing with them as a toy, and I’ve had the candy so much I’m sick of it. But I do have over a hundred and enjoy picking them up at the store from time to time.
I loved listening to the podcast, and I wish everyone a happy time collecting.
To become a hoarder you first need to make sure you have room for all your beloved stuff…I learned that lesson too late in my one-room-apartment…
I collect books, posters, and antique tribal masks…if I could I would probably have some ancient weapons hanging on the walls (like medieval swords, halberds and longbows). First…I need to get myself another room.
I started collecting modern hobby board games about 10 years ago, and haven’t stopped. My collection is in the thousands now.
Flavors, cans, and foreign bottles of Mountain Dew. Less so for a love of the product and more in relation to an old tradition in my high school theater program called the “Dewsiasm.” A former teacher of the program had several mantras, one of which was about having a lot of energy on stage as though on a sugar rush. “Enthusiasm, Mountain Dewsiasm!”
Wow first time I’ve seen comments permitted, this is exciting. Being born in the 90s when the Pokemon craze was just starting, my brother and I were avid fans. We watched the show, played the games, and very ardently collected cards. It was one of those things that died as we transitioned into middle and high school.. or so I thought. During covid there has been a tremendous influx of pokemon card collectors online. There are Youtube videos, and twitch streams of influencers unboxing new cards they bought for thousands of dollars. I never thought I would pick up the hobby again but I have learned collectibles can truly be timeless.
It’s not unique or strange but I love to collect books. I have certain titles and subjects that I seek out and grin with pride when I obtain.
I’m a new falconer in California so I collect every book I can find on the subject. Falconry is distinguished as being the oldest field sport, having been continuously practiced for at least 4,000 years, giving ample time for the accumulation of many texts. Some are common and still in print, some are rare pieces of unobtainium somewhere out in the world.
For over a decade now I have collected the early editions of the book Between Pacific Tides by Ed Ricketts and Jack Calvin. Ricketts was a nontraditionally educated scientist in Pacific Grove, CA that fathered the modern ideas of marine ecology while also influencing literature through his deep friendship with John Steinbeck. He also helped mythologist Joseph Campbell develop the concept of the monomyth, or the hero’s journey. It took me 10 years to find and purchase one of the 1,000 first edition copies of Between Pacific Tides printed in 1939.
I collect first edition first print novels, for me its a great pleasure to hold a book that was in the first print. I have 1st prints of frank herbert, ayn rand, philisophical works, a 200 year old bible, sikh scriptures that are dated over 300 years old that have been protected by my ancestral village. My biggest desire is to one day own the 1st print of TWOW, winter 2021 is coming george , kill the draft and let the manuscript be born.
I Collect Vinyl! My grand father (on my mother’s side) had a huge collection of jazz and tango records, my father had over two thousand records too, mostly rock and roll (including a copy of every record Frank Zappa ever released on vinil), so now I must carry the torch, having inherited both collections, my prized jewel is an original print star shaped Artaud, it’s far from mint condition (but given it’s star shape, is hard to keep it mint0.
I also collect new vinyl records, my latest one is Lucy Patane’s EP, the truest rocker to come out in a while, tho her first album is better, she didn’t release it on vinyl.
I usually don’t have enough money so i coplect the books in old condition. its a hobby of mine i like to collect every fantasy book i could buy. I do some side works for getting money so i could buy currently collecting for your ZILLION other Books which publish soon( i hope ).
some spell mistakes as coplet is collect in start
I usually don’t have enough money so i collect the books in old condition. its a hobby of mine i like to collect every fantasy book i could buy. I do some side works for getting money so i could buy books ,currently collecting for your ZILLION other Books which will publish soon( i hope ).
I used to collect stamps when I was a kid, my grandma sent letters to her mother and I’d cut out the stamps from the replies.
As a teenager, I started collecting coins. Special ones from my country (Brazil) and others my friends would give me when they came home from other countries, as I’ve never been abroad.
I love books, but don’t collect them myself. I’m more of a library girl.
I collect X-Men comic books! It’s a passion (others might call it an obsession). I just bought a few CGC 9.8 graded issues from an award winning collection. This gentleman had the world record for the best x-men collection of all time. He just sold the collection this month. I was fortunate enough to win a few auctions. Is anyone reading what Hickman has been doing with the X-Men on Krakoa?!? I love it. It feels like the X-Men are finally evolving (pun intended). One aspect I don’t like with Hickman’s era is that they have mastered immortality, so it doesn’t feel like there is much at stake when the mutants go on their missions. If they die, they just reboot ‘em. Thematically, I like the concept, but it really takes away from the tension. Then again, these are comic books, so does anyone really stay dead?
P.S.
I saw you and Paris at the Hellfire gala. Did you have a blast?
I collect ASOIAF books. Waiting for the next one.
I started collecting star wars Topps cards a couple years ago. It’s really cool to have open a pack of cards and find something autographed or (once) original art. Do you own a lot of autographed stuff?
An almost complete collection of Groo the Wanderer comics. When I’m old and feeble, I intend to sit in the sun and read them all.
I started collecting illustrated/special editions of my favorite books last year. It started when I treated myself with the ASOIAF UK illustrated editions (Hopefully the other two are coming out soon). I love them so much, so I decided to get more. As a 17-year old teenager in his last year of High school, that isnt great for my Wallet lol (dont regret it though).
To everyone reading this,
have a great day 🙂
Hello, Mateusz from Poland here. i collect old, smelly books 🙂 my library sometimes organizes books giveaway and boy do i love it. not so long ago I found The Jungle Book edition from 1904!!
Good luck with eveyrthing in your life George, sending good vibes!
Hey George, I just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday to you I really hope you enjoyed your birthday I collect comics and books and physical movies vhs dvd and blu ray and funko pops
and I know I’m supposed to stay on topic but just wanted to tell you how much joy you have brought into my life over the course of last year I read all your a song of ice and fire books and really appreciated them and am very thankful that you were so kind to share them with the world I was also wondering if there’s another book that you’ve written that you’d recommend for me to check out thank you again for sharing your gift of storytelling with us all I hope your having a wonderful day and sorry if my English is no too good
Try DREAMSONGS. The best of my short fiction, and a lot of biographical interludes.
Books, music records, miniatures.
Books. Lots of’m. I just finished filling a fifth bookcase in my “study”. At first it was just books I’d read as soon as I bought them. Now, about 10 years later, it’s turned into 1st editions, signed copies, special editions and whatnot. My wife and I actuallyI just took a trip to Santa Fe where we visited Beastly Books! Picked up a couple signed books from there as well. Loved seeing the Forbidden Planet props/costume you had on display!
I collect games and books. Super fun but also super expensive.
If collecting is contagious I am super spreader 😀 I collect books of course, well past thousand now (Kindle and public libraries do the damage to my proclivities), which probably sounds like peanuts to a guy with a separate house for library. Pens, key chains, lighters, fun thing to chase at the various conventions and trade fairs. Cans, mostly beer now, I have several hundred from dozens of countries, easily stack-able and wall of shiny, colorful aluminium is wonder to behold. To complete my magpie tendencies there are also pretty boxes (mostly metal, but some paper ones were to nice to throw out). I have over a hundred 1:43 miniature cars, relic from my childhood, but I don’t buy new ones. It points out to my parents fault for my collecting habit, always bringing me toys, sticker albums, promotional pens, key chains and such. I don’t really actively search for anything, it’s all spontaneous now, the best way to go about collecting if you ask me, joy of discovery is the most positive thing about the whole affair.
First, I guess, I started collecting toys; dad used to buy me a lot of ’em. Then, when I was about 10 years, I loved go to a book store and get some comic books – then it became another “collecting phase”, I suppose. And currently, my addiction is books – a (not that much) healthy addiction, I’d say. My parents are kinda tired of I asking them new books (hehehe).
So that’s it.
Hi George,
Am from India and a huge fan. Am a book collector and have almost 400+ books till date. Are you a book collector as well?. I saw your miniature toy collection in the video with Sibel.Loved all of them the little toy soldiers
I would say yes, he is a book collector. But he reads every book he buys. There is no book left unread in his shelf.
I like to collect coins. Different coins from different countries or different eras. I also like to keep mundane stuff that I got when I was visiting some place. Like a train ticket from another country, or a specific water bottle brand that I can’t find in my country. I keep it all in a shoe box that I call my box of stuff.
Coin collector here. Mostly US coins from the 19th and 20th century. I also collect pocket knives and Kentucky Bourbon.
When I was a kid, I collected pencils, lol.
Hello Mister Martin and fellow not-a-blog-readers,
beeing at university and in my mid-twenties means that money and space are tight. So having extensive collections of things I like is not justifiable. I would love to own all of my favourite movies and TV shows on DVD or bluray, but the digital alternatives are far more convenient. So at this moment I only collect books – which is not the most unique thing to do.
But when I was a child, I had a quite interesting colletion: Chocolate. It all started when I was about 6 years old and I felt bad for killing and eating a Chocolate Easter Bunny. So I spared him his life and put him in a display cabinet. The following Christmas I added a Chocolate Santa and so on and so on. A few years later the cabinet was full of chocolate figures I was very proud of my little Chocolate Museum. In the beginning my family tolerated this weird obsession and gifted me special chocolate creations from some of germanys most famous chocolate manufacturers. But later they wanted me to get rid of it. In retrospect this was the right call. But it took some convincing for me to trash my museum.
Nowadays I can only laugh about this kinda disgusting chocolate collection and I do not want to start this collection again. But I also have to admit, that the first chocolate easter bunny is still in my posession and now over 20 years old.
That concludes the litte collection-anecdote from my childhood.
Have a nice day and greetings from germany!
Did you trasj your chocolate collection, or eat it?
I have always collected books; LOTS of books. I had to downsize when I retired and meanwhile my Kindle collection was building up so I donated a lot of hardcovers/paperbacks to my local library. But I still buy SIGNED books; mostly GRRM-ASOIAF and a few others. [Meanwhile Kindle is topping off at over 700; hey, it gives me lots of room for my collection, right?) 🙂
Thanks for sharing. I really love your collection of knights! This brightened my day.
Despite of being a girl I loved to play the Mortal Kombat on my Sega ii and had big collection of Mortal Combat caps, unfortunately I lost them when we moved to another city.
I still love to rewatch the Mortal Kombat movie from 1995, imao it is still the best film adaptation of the games.
Love collecting – my favorite are concert posters, especially jam bands. Emek, Mouse, Pollock, Stout, Wood to name a few – all kinds of great artists out there. Wall space is always at a premium.
With kids came funkos and other blind bag figures and squishee things. Especially Marvel, Star Wars, Harry Potter. They love those. And of course they will occasionally get more adult IP for their dad. Still have some of my older ones – all kinds of vintage stars wars figures. But not just the more well known ones, also some of the miniature die cast figures (both painted and unpainted). I never seemed to be able to get rid of my and my brothers action figures. He’s got the non Star Wars stuff.
Have a small card collection too that is in the same state it was when I was 14.
I think all of this comes from my Dad, who collected comics and especially stamps.
I got started collection old books from my grandmother, who still has a full set of Encyclopedias and a wardrobe completely full of National Geographic Issues. The other day going through her large collection we found the book “Forty Years At Sea” that was bound with a cover to Mother Carey’s Chickens, and inside had a series of comments from prominent figures in late 19th century world like the Queen of England and President of the Unite States! What’s the practical value of that? There isn’t one, it’s just cool for the sake of coolness.
Howdy George, I met you during a signing of A Dance with Dragons and gave you a couple of knights, Ser Brady and Ser Sanchez in the livery of house Patriots and House Jets locked in eternal rivalry. I was wondering if they made it into your large collection?
Thanks,
Brian
Hey George, how is your collection of written books going? Are you close to adding another one to the collection?
As Lame as it sounds- Marmite memorabilia. Had lunchboxes, limited edition snack bars and peanuts! Ventured into mugs and toast stands, stick a marmite label on it and 16-22 year old me would buy it!
I’ve collected and purged so many times in my short life. Not being able to stay in one place long, natural disasters, or money are the usual factors in what prevents my shelves from expanding.
More so, when I do start collecting something I love, I always end up giving it to my friends to share my new interest. There have been countless books I have given away to friends so I can talk to another reader about them, or likewise games, cards, even musical instruments.
I have a house to fill now, and a job that lets me have hobbies so we will see what I fill it with. I think I could use a nice sturdy bookshelf first, to fill with all the books I’ve read and given away.
Happy belated birthday George! I’m reading Fevre Dream for the first time, really enjoying it 😀 Then many more of your work to read. Have a great day!
Hi George, I would like to collect any miniature possible from aSoIaF. Though I don’t know where I will get those here in India. Will be coming to States sometime in future and see if I can grab some!
Thanks for the amazing books as always 🙂
I just got back into collecting comic books during quarantine, mainly Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer. After watching the original X-Men movie the theatre gave my brother and me free comic coupons. He collects X-Men. Then we stopped collecting for too long a time. But getting back into has been such a joy. And now that I pretend to be an adult during the day and make living I can be a kid and collect comic books, I don’t think I’ll be taking a break anytime soon. What are some of your favorite issues you have?
I love collecting books, comic books, movies and video games. It is just so staisfying to have a huge collection
What is your most prized possession in your collection?
PS: Goodluck with Winds of Winter
Great podcast. Funny, at first – for some reason – I heard “collecting MICE” (and I thought I never knew THAT about George R.R. Martin), but then of course I heard correctly that you’re still talking about collecting KNIGHTS. Yes, yes.
About comic books: I was born in 1983 in Estonia, which was at the time under the regime of Soviet Union, which collapsed in 1991 (I was 8 at the time) and the doors were more open to the Western World, so the first regular series of comic books about Mikey Mouse (featuring Donald and other Disney characters) were translated into my language in 1992 (one stand-alone translation of a Donald Duck comic book was printed already in 1972) – so I still have these and I really value them. There were also many Soviet era tin/toy soldiers and toy cars and trucks that unfortunately got lost. I’m 38 at the moment and it seems to me that at a certain age one begins to look back at one’s childhood and wishes to look at these long-lost playthings again. That sense of nostalgia is actually quite fantastic! It has given me an idea that it’s actually never too late to collect some things you may find valuable – after 5 or even 10 years you may look at it with ‘new eyes’ and appreciation.
One more practical thing I started collecting lately are fountain pens and typewriters. I’m much into this “analog technology”, enjoy writing by hand, and as every fountain pen and typewriter gives a different experience I soon found myself from a situation where I wanted to try out different fountain pens. So now I have about 10 pens (5 modern, 5 vintage) and 4 typewriters. Neil deGrasse Tyson seems to be a fountain pen enthusiast as well, and Neil Gaiman, and Tom Hanks I think has about 200 typewriters. It’s strange to think that nobody will ever produce a new typewriter again and that these which are still left are the only ones; and of course needless to mention the movie-related items you talked on the podcast which are totally unique!
My other not-so practical collectable items: coins, stamps and of course books (a lot of books). Then again: all this DOES take space eventually, so, yes. But it’s still fascinating to see people collecting stuff! – I think it shows they’re still young at heart:)
I’m collecting miniatures that I paint myself as well as manga (Japanese comics), and obviously I love books that are well made. Looking to get the Folio Society edition of the ASOIAF series.
My brother and I collected Dragonball comics in Spanish. We would buy them in Spain when we were kids. My dad through them all out one day. Now I suffer from OCD.
I collect vintage color-coded Penguin paperbacks – but only if the spine is in pristine condition. Foxing, dings on the cover, the occasional dog-earing I can live with. But that spine can’t have any of those white lines on it.
It started when I bought South Wind, by Norman Douglas. Knew of it from mentions in a Dorothy Sayers novel and Sinister Street. It’s almost a hundred years old and it’s absolutely cherry. No intention of actually reading it. I’m just the caretaker. Will pass it on to my similarly book-obsessed daughter. I inherited my father’s books, who inherited his father’s books. It’s a family trait. A sacred duty.
I just turned eight and ten, so my life opportunities to collect have been rather short. However I would bet I have the largest Song of Ice and Fire collection in at least my state (Minnesota). It started when the first folio society of GoT came out. Then I went out on my hunt to own every alternative copy of a Song of Ice and Fire. I have hardcovers, soft covers, folios, illustrated, and my personal favorites are my other language copies :). I also own a crazy amount of other Ice and Fire collectibles. From blankets to music boxes, spears to swords, and coins to socks, my goal is to have it all. Incredibly excited for Folio’s Feast for Crows later this year!
This is my goal! Do you have the Ja’i Lu copies? They’re in french so I wouldn’t be able to read them, but their cover art alone has made me consider buying them.
As a recent Psychology graduate, I remember reading an interesting tidbit regarding the psyche of collector’s and how it is a valuable continuation of youth into our adulthood. The perspective in the article indicated that this ability to engage with our younger selves is in effect a source of time travel which, in comparison to those who are less sentimental, results in a much more emotionally mature, positive individual.
Personally I collect books as if they’re going out of fashion, much to the detriment of my better half. Needless to say bringing up this article is an excellent first line of defence!
Keep collecting!
I collected mostly trading cards as a kid, though I don’t know where they are now because my parents have a bunch of stuff burying them somewhere. I *try* to collect books, but having 4 small children doesn’t leave enough disposable money to do this in the way I’d like to.
Good stuff. My collecting never went beyond baseball cards as a kid. Used to have a Barry Bonds rookie card that I ended up losing. It prob wouldn’t be worth much now given his steroid drama, but that dude could hit. Had an on-base percentage almost at .500 during his final year smh. Absurdly skilled hitter.
Anyway, happy birthday George!
where do you collect all the little knights from? They seem really dope
Ebay. Auction houses. Antinque stories. Shows, especially the Old Toy Soldier Show in Chicago. Various specialty stores, in London, New Orleans, San Diego, all over.
I collect the books of the song of ice and fire series. Cant wait to complete the collection.
Love you George,
Greetings from Germany!
What about McDonald’s Happy meal TOYS ??????
MY GRANDSON AND I COLLECTED a lot of those !!
I have collected so many miniatures and models. I have a bunch as well from CMON’s a song of ice and fire game that I’ve painted myself. I really love them.
Hey George,
What is your most prized/treasured book in your collection?
Do you have every edition of your own books or are there gaps in your collection?
Thanks for sharing your talents.
Take care.
-Peter
I have the vast majority of my books in all editions, but there are a few I missed… and some I may not even be aware of, like samizdat editions printed illegally in Iron Curtain countries before the fall of the Soviet Union.
Thank you, Sir.
Happy collecting
From a collector’s standpoint, wouldn’t those illegally published books in addition to the historical context behind the illegality of them, make those books pretty valuable/rare for a collector off GRRM novels?
I suppose
Best collector moment in pop culture is in the original Ghostbusters:
Janine: Have you got any hobby?
Egon: [apprehensive pause] I collect spores, molds, and fungus.
First of all, happy name day good Ser. I hope you had a wonderful celebration. Second, I hope you and Parris are staying safe and healthy.
I really enjoyed this discussion, but I’m surprised that you don’t have a sports collection (unless you don’t count sports as collectibles.)
For me, my biggest regret these days is that I got rid of my Pokemon card collection which I collected in the late 90s. I wish I knew better, but when I entered high school in the early aughts, I sadly got rid of my “childish” toys, including a sizable Pokemon cards box.
I’m so glad you’re allowing comments!!! I love your collectibles. So far I’ve only collected Funko pops, I have a majority of the Game of Thrones ones and I’ll be getting all the House of the Dragon ones I see. Off topic you’re my Idol.
Hi George,
Thanks for opening up the comments and hello from Australia!
I discovered Jack Vance during the pandemic and have been building up a collection of his novels and short stories. Through Spatterlight Press basically all his works are available in the way he intended them to be published, or so I gather. The Gaean Reach reminds me of your 1,000 worlds so far, I do love it when there are multiple stories set in the same universe, and can’t wait to read more.
Also slowly making my way through the Sci-fi Masterworks series by Orion/Gollancz. I didn’t plan on it being a collection, but it’s going in that direction!
Happy belated, Mr. Martin! I collect watches. I have my great-grandfather’s Hamilton pocket watch from when he worked for the railroads; it even has some watch inspector etchings inside the back case cover.
I dream to answer your post! I am proud of my collection of socks with different prints: avocado, beer, pirate bananas, scrambled eggs, dragons and many funny designs on my socks! Nothing can be cooler than socks. The next passion is the love of playing musical instruments, so I have a small collection of ukuleles and a few acoustic guitars! ❤️ And of course, collecting book sagas – after all, this is the creation of the universe on your bookshelf! ✊
Lego Minifigures! It’s always nice to come home to hundreds of tiny friends.
Hello. As a kid i collected stamps and coins. I have a LOT of collections – comics, non-sport trading cards [ a a few collectible trading card series], books { SF & F } & magazines, rpgs [ books, miniatures], DICE, action figures, toys, lego minifigs [ and compatibles ], playmobile figures, genre minis – Star Trek ships, LotR characters, Dr Who characters, lately i’ve been able to get comic art at local conventions [ & celeb photos ], comic & genre statues. Actually, i need a separate house so i can display them all.
When i have the opportunity to get books signed, i look for 1st editions.
I collect a lot of things myself I definitely try to collect anything related to Tiny Tim… I genuinely think Tiny Tim is one of the greatest artists of all time and I really think he needs to be recognized more he was the last major recording artist to release anything on wax cylinders.
I also collect listening things like old comics and vinyl records and cassettes but I feel like the thing that’s going to stand out to most people is my obsession with Tiny Tim and my collection of things related to him.
I collect books and have since I was young and that was decades ago. I still have a lot of the little golden books I had as a kid and my collection has multiplied immensely. Now I have grow children of my own and I still have a lot of their old books we used to read together. Now throw in all the books that I’ve collected for myself over the years and my library is over 3000 books and thats only the ones I have finally put in a catalog so I could check before I buy new books (this is not counting the once I have on Kindle, Nook, and Audible).
I love going to used books stores and just can’t pass them up. Our Library does quarterly book sales and I go to each one and look for books I may be missing in a series. We bought a new house and I remodeled the basement to be a personal library. And its not big enough! LOL I may never get them all read in my lifetime, but I sure am going to try!!
I also collect Pop Vinyls, coins, records, movies, and World of Warcraft games and items.
I used to have a big collection of pen and paper RPGs when I was a kid, during the late 80s to early 90s. I didn’t have many opportunities to play pen and paper RPGs, and when I did it was with a bunch of teenagers who treated every game as just an excuse for random violence, but I still loved reading all the lore and systems.
Every week, my mom would let me buy an RPG or game supplement at the bookstore if any caught my attention, so I had core rulebooks and supplements ranging from all kinds of different game systems: AD&D, Call of Cthulhu, Shadowrun, Paranoia, World of Darkness stuff, Palladium system games, you name it.
It all ended up being sold a few years back. I wasn’t there for the sale, but I was told the people at the game store were geeking out over how rare some of the stuff I had was.
I like to collect books in several languages. Mostly fantasy and sci-fi books, but I also tend to enjoy other fiction genres like mystery and horror – when it’s well written, of course – and russian romance epics because you can’t ever go wrong with russians authors. My brother likes to collect Dc and Marvel comic books. And nerf guns.
I have a question for you if you don’t mind:
What is your favorite Lord of the Rings character? Mine is probably Sam, the Brave.
I hope you and your wife have a nice year. Bye!
Sam is great, but I love Boromir the most. So grey.
When I was younger it was comics and trading cards and action figures. Now strictly sneakers. In a way it works as the consumption goes along with the utility. Besides, if you don’t wear them the shoes rot over time…
I love collecting daggers. I have like 30 daggers and I found that one that belongs to Littlefinger (a copy of course) and the one from the WOT. Some people think I’m an assassin, but I’m okay with it.
The knights are indeed a collection to be proud of! Have you ever seen Guillermo Del Toro’s horror collection? (museum might be more appropriate)
Which brings me to the question: What does it take to be involved in a TV adaptation of your books (well, TWO adaptations now!) and not take home every single prop used in it?
Wish you the best, always.
Yes, I have visited Guillermo’s house and seen his collection, which puts all the rest of us to shame. Just astonishing.
I collect all the usual stuff (books,comics,games) but my real interest is in collecting storyboards for film and TV. I wish it was more common for the studios to release them though.
Great podcast, it was good to hear from you, Sir!
When it comes to ‘collecting’ I’m pretty much the same in that I don’t collect only for collecting’s sake – I just happen to gather books, artbooks and artworks that I really enjoy reading and looking at. And they just pile up… 🙂
I was interested in books and comic books since I was a kid, so I don’t really remember how it all started, mayhaps with Donald Duck comics which were fantastic. And artbooks started perhaps with Kenneth Grahame beautifully illustrated children stories. Artworks, however… With anime, manga and then – Luis Royo. I remember vividly when I was a kid seeing those images for the first time, I was mesmerized and promised myself that I would get some of those images, but of course – at the time I didn’t have any means to aquire them. That was a good thing, however. I don’t think one should have all that one would want at the start of their journey. And I firmly believe many artists start their career simply because they don’t have money to buy things that they want, and so they learn to draw them. I think it is the case with many things. But I digress! Anyway, now that I have some of the things that I wanted and am myself a novice (but working) artist, I was very glad to see The Ice Dragon written by You and illustrated by Royo – it was like a dream come true. I like to think that Royo’s artworks have a similar delicate and brutal and melancholic and mysterious sensibility that is present in your books. Or vice versa. Either way, I was very glad.
Getting back to collecting – over the years I’ve seen some great artworks in ASoIaF universe, but most of them have been taken away before I even knew of their existence, like Donato Giancola’s depictions of Arya, Justin Sweet’s Jon Snow with Ghost, Ted Nasmith’s Castles or Gary Gianni’s inks. I think some of the best artworks I’ve seen were done by Michael Komarck, but I missed that wonderful calnder and now can’t seem to find one… Do you have your favorite artwork that’s been done in your universe? And as much as I love some of those artworks, nothing can really match images that I’m seeing in my head when reading your books, not even the show was able to override them. Well, maybe music by Ramin Djawadi is better in real life than im my head. 😀
Well, either way, that’s probably way too much text, but I just got excited by this chance to write to you. Thank you so much for all you’ve done, I’m relistening to ASoIaF with immortalized Roy Dotrice’s voice for the third time now. So bloody good! Have a good one, Sir. 🙂
I collect water bottles (my favorite is a clear one from the Titanic exhibit at the Luxor.)
Also books from my childhood/teens, bookmarks, those hat/scarf/gloves combos, and perfumes/body sprays. Yes, I am that woman that has my dresser top covered with bottles of nice-smelling stuff. ♀️
I collect books (the older the better), pen and paper RPGs but mainly I cant help collect miniatures. I got my first ones in the 90s and is getting progressively worse every decade sence. And I cant help myself, now we truly live in a golden age of miniatures and its harder than ever to not get more! And the quality of the miniatures now! I cant help but to love it haha! How about making some thousand worlds miniatures? I would love some if they where to be made! Some Hrangans and perhaps a Githyanki soulsucker!
I have a collection… of A Song of ice and fire books. Waiting for the WINDS OF WINTER to add to it
Hello George,
thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on collecting!
Being a film buff I have a huge DVD/Blu-ray/VHS/Laserdisc/8mm collection. It all started when my mother bought me the 2 Disc Special Edition of James Cameron’s “Titanic” (yes, I’m also pretty young actually).
I’ve read that you own a movie theater and I’m wondering if you also have/had a VHS/DVD collection?
And do you also have that story, like every collector, of purchasing a rare item for an extraordinarily low prize because the seller didn’t know it is that valuable? I once bought a rare DVD collection of Jack Arnold flicks for 5 bucks on a street market. You can’t imagine how lucky I was the rest of the day!
Greetings from Germany!
Kevin.
Yes, I have lots of movies and TV shows, though as with books and comics, I consider myself more an accumulator than a collector. I have Blue-Rays and DVDs, of course. I also have VHS tapes, lots of them. I have a sizeable collection of laserdiscs. I even have Beta tapes. I am a lost soul.
I collect books by subject. I have lots of philosophy books (and specifically an extensive collection of titles on epistemological contextualism), books about christology and church history, books about political philosophy and political theory, and books about constitutional law and court history (those are just the subjects that really catch my eye). I also, thanks to your work, am growing my fantasy and science fiction collection. I used to think I had no time for fiction, but my life is so much more enriched by reading fiction.
Hi Mr. Martin, Vittor here, I like to collect books and comic books (especially the ones with beautiful covers), cheers for us and a hug from Brazil
the “cheers” is one error, i’m sorry 🙂
What Do I collect? Throughout my life a lot of things coins, stamps, capsules from beer bottles (yes I grew up poor) and a lot more, now a day at age 45, not so much any more. I still treasure my comics and my books though. (among them offcourse also my cheap paperback copies of a song of ice and fire, and a knight of the seven kingdoms, which is one of my alltime most treasured book because of the drawings, the stories and so on). I hope in the future to be able to collect and keep good friendships and love above all else. I would also like to collect all sorts of diorama stuff because I love some of the stuff you can find online, castles, dungeons, medieval scenes and so. (I like your day in a village scene much as well). To all and everyone who reads this: Have a nice day, evening or night, and what do we say to death? 🙂
A series of philosophy books. It is curated by a publishing house. The weird thing is that I could just go and order them in a local book store, but instead I use every opportunity to scour for missing books when I’m in a different city and have spare time on my hands and a book store nearby.
I already own some of the works I buy; just not the exemplars from the collection.
Lego and model trains.
When I was a kid, I was really into Space and Castle Lego. Got back into it around 2005 when I noticed all the great Star Wars sets. After 16 years it occupies way too many cubic meters!
I had HO scale trains when I was a kid. When I got back into it as an adult, I switched to N scale as I could do more with less space. Most of my collection is Canadian freight, lots of CP and CN with a focus on wheat cars and intermodal containers. I also have a few of the Kato TGV trainsets. Whenever I get around to building the next layout, it will leave the rivet counters aghast. I have details like N scale dinosaurs…
I collect board games, but ones that aren’t common. I have a Dr. Kildare game and a game from the 80’s called Hotels, but my favorite is another one from the 80’s based on the “Nightmare on Elm Street” movies. It’s great. One player is Freddy and chases the other players around a 3D game board. I started when I was a kid and it can get expensive, but I go to yard sales and moving sales and have found so many interesting games there!
I collect nerdy tee-shirts. I started when I first went to comic con and saw all of the awesome shirts they had there.
Hello Mr. Martin,
The most noteworthy things I collected as child and a teen were political caricatures, Hägar the Horrible comic strips from the daily my parents read and Karl May books. My father wants me to read them, he even paid me 20 Schilling to read Winnetou till side 100. Well, it ended with me having nearly every book from Karl May. So I was quite an oddball for a millennial. When I moved to Vienna, I only kept the most beloved 12 books from him,because my flat is small. My solace are libraries. Now I only keep books, I will reread regularly. Some fantasy, dystopia, historical (crime) novels, novels and non fiction about history, politics, and environmental issues. Last but not least cookbooks. As well I collect recipes. When I overthink 3 boxes with cookie cutters are a collection. I even have big ones for gingerbread, because I like to decorate them with icing. As I love Christmas I am collecting bohemian Christmas ornaments and other nice Christmas things.
I have basically three collections.
Books: I started with mostly SF and fantasy novels, but in the last decade I’ve branched out into classics and mainstream “literature” too, once I’ve decided that the prejudice against genre fiction cuts both ways, and there was no reason why I should stop myself from reading non-genre stuff.
Comics: I’m Brazilian, so they’re mostly the Brazilian editions of Marvel and DC comics from the 1980s (my favorite decade in comic book history). The funny thing is that I had quite a large collection when I was kid, then I lost it all, and in the past couple of years I’ve rebuilt a significant portion of said collection.
Movies: I’m a film buff, so yeah. I have a LOT of DVDs. I have a pretty ecclectic taste too, there is everything, from genre movies to European art films to classic Hollywood. I am one of those freaks that loves books like “1001 movies you need to see…” and I try to watch them all. Of course, with the coming of streaming, my collection has stagnated a little bit, as I’ve most watch movies nowadays in several streaming services.
Would it please be possible to build a museum for your collections in Santa Fe? And could the museum please be a “crazy” building like the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao so that many tourists come to Santa Fe? Thanks so much!
According to my wife, I collect spices – asafoetida, garam masala, celery seeds, cinnamon (both Ceylon and Vietnamese), Madagascar vanilla, nutmeg, cardamom, saffron, monk’s pepper, mustard seed, dill weed and Hungary’s annual export worth of paprika.
It gives me the solace that should I ever been thrown back in time into the Middle Ages, I would be richer than the richest king. Or murdered by bandits for my stash. Either way would be an interesting fate.
Hot Wheels!
And the local comics!
Then our parents gave them out without letting us know. The Hot wheels hurt. The comics…. eh not so much. We were still able to read it online for a while.
We didn’t have a vast Hot Wheels collection {~20} but we had stories and names for each car. Our favorite cars got multiple stories because we couldn’t settle on the best (or remember) but funny enough… I can hardly recall most of those Hot Wheels now. We had no pictures of them, only memories.
I have the collecting bug in a few different guises, but my main outlet is in 1970s-1990s home computers and games consoles. My collection grew rather a bit during lockdown when I realised I had a bunch of money I hadn’t been spending and a load of time to scour eBay…
Love ASOIAF, planning on reading more of your books when I get a chance. I like sci-fi though I haven’t read too much of it so your other books will probably appeal to me.
I have a small collection of old videogame consoles, most of them I inherited from my uncle when I was very little. I’ve been a big fan of retro gaming ever since. I wonder If you were into videogames back in the day or even these days 🙂
Greetings from Brazil, wish you the best!
I love collecting autographed books and antique Roman coins.
What is your earliest collection that you can remember?
Happy birthday wishes even if late.
Always thanks for creating the world of ASOIAF.
I collect video game and book series. Particularly the Destiny, Sonic, Mega Man universes for video games. The books would be A Song of Ice and Fire, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter.
Hello, where can I buy this miniature heraldic knights for a reasonable price on-line?
PS. The blue black knight on the right corner looks particularly nice!
Oh, ebay always has listings, and there are shops. Just goggle “miniature toy knights” or “toy soldiers” and some will come up.
I do not possess a collection, but my girlfriend’s parent collect wine bottle caps, of all the bottles they/we’ve drunk. My girlfriends collects books. Of our ASOIAF books, this week we are adding Fire & Blood to the collection. Nice to see a commentable post. Good to hear about the hobbies of our favourite author.
Card games for me, notably Magic, since 1998 when I learned to play… can’t complain about the way cards have appreciated in value, though I miss the “older days” when it was all relatively cheap stuff, riding in normal (sometimes tracked, but that was it) mail parcels.
Now it takes a myriad of authenticity checks to work out a trade, and when you finally send and think of all that “value” riding in the mail, the excitement of the wait quickly gives in to stressful, unhealthy anxiety.
I collect mainly rare canadian whisky and hockey cards. both can be very expensive.
Every kid starts collecting, I think, at about the age of two.
If they have a wagon or a bucket, they will fill it with rocks.
They’ll pick up rocks of different colors and shapes.
Rough rocks, smooth rocks, red rocks, black rocks,
brown rocks, white rocks, dull rocks, sparkly rocks…
Some have mothers that look at their child’s rocks in horror.
The lucky ones have mothers who say, “Wow! Show me all those rocks!”
And they will proudly use what words they have
to tell of their adventures and show their prizes.
Hello from Austria! I collect the fangs of foxes…probably sounds weird, but I’m a hunter so i guess it is kind of alright.
Fountain pens, vintage media (RCA VideoDiscs, VHS, Cassette, 78/45/33 records, etc.), particular web domains, and more. I have weird collections for sure. One of my favorite collections are web domains actually. Over the years, I have bought up domains that either used to be owned by Disney, NBC, etc. for forgotten projects, or were featured in TV Shows or Movies.
Gosh i’ve been collecting so much stuff since I was a child… books,cards,comics, dvd’s, random miniatures, pop culture series merch, disney merch… but the one collection people always wanna see when they come into my house is the Coke one. I have lots of empty special editions Coke cans, what can I say, i’m really into soda ( yes, eveni knowing how bad they are).
I know it’s a bit random but i got ask: are you also a fan of Coke, Mr. Martin?
My one truly great collection, which began in high school, is my collection of RPGs and related paraphernalia. Highlights include the core rules of almost every edition of Dungeons and Dragons, the version of Deities and Demigods with Elric and Cthulhu, an almost complete run of the Hogshead version of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, the core rules for ever edition of every Star Wars RPG, the 1st edition of Bunnies & Burrows and the original GoO Game of Thrones RPG (which in a collection of very big books holds pride of place as one of the biggest).
Books and miscellaneous items.
Comics & related toys when I was a kid (Batman was my favorite character, though I never got any of his toys… odd!).
Music as a teenager, specifically CDs. Still have most of them in the old Case Logic Binders.
Movies on DVD in my 20s.
Guitars in my 20s.
Now it’s vinyl records and old stereo equipment in my 30s, nearly 40s.
And daughters, though two is the max size of that particular collection.
The one constant is books. I’ll always love used book stores.
I have accumulated many things over the years, including sports cards as a kid and books since then. These were just things I liked and kept as I bought and enjoyed them. I do have one collection that I build intentionally. When growing up, I always admired pinball machines, but spent most of my money on books so never played much until college. After I graduated, I went to a holiday party and the hosts owned an Eight Ball Deluxe pinball machine. I had never imagined that a person could own their own machine and figured out that the machines were actually pretty reasonably priced (that has changed. Now, approximately 30 years later, I won about 50 machines, ranging from pinball to skeeball, and from 1953 to today. I buy them, fix them, and play them whenever I have time. I have played the Game of Thrones games many times.
Typo, I win a few games but I meant to type that I own 50 machines.
I collect cameras. I have around 30+ vintage cameras ranging from the 1890s-1980s. Then I also have the new gear that I actively photograph with. I started my collection 12 years ago when my great aunt died. She left me her husband’s cameras in her will. I cherish all my cameras (working or not). I will also continue to collect. 🙂
Hope you are well GRRM 🙂
Sorry for being off topic. Last year I’ve read Dreamsongs and loved it. I’m wondering, will you be able to post the other out of print short stories to your website?
I may do another collection one of these days.
I love collecting magnets from every place I visit. It’s a nice, small memento from my travels. I just need to find a large enough magnetic surface to display them all haha. I also collect books and mugs! I love finding a new weird mug. I have this huge one in the shape of Jabba the Hutt. I call him Jabba the mug. I love collecting so I’m really hesitant to start a new hobby because I know it will take over my life. As a child I collected gemstones and seashells.
I’ve had many collections (video games, action figures, books, mtg cards, etc.), and many I’ve sold off, or at least kept very trimmed down for the ones that remain, especially since I live in a 750 sq ft house now!
I’ve held onto a few dozen antique u.s. coins, and another dozen momento tokens and pins from my travels. Then nintendo games and systems stretching back to the original, a few shelves of books, movies, and other various knick knacks like lighters, knives, and mini brass kerosene lamps.
These days I find myself ‘collecting’ hiking and backpacking equipment for my ‘adventures’ outdoors, since the pandemic started in a bid to be healthier, social distance, and see places rarely seen by others. I completed 41 trails last year!
Speaking of which, you’ve inspired me to visit Santa Fe, and we’re coming down next week. I’ve been making a plan of things to see and do around town, including your places, and a few hikes nearby. Besides Meow Wolf & BB, what else is your must see or do places, restaurants, etc. that you like to bring folks from out of town?
By the way, I love your knights! Makes me want to start collecting those now! =D
Santa Fe has many great restaurants. Depends on what kind of food you like. We are best known for New Mexican food, but be warned, that can be quite spicy… especially for those know only TexMex or Taco Bell. My own favorites include the Shed, La Choza, Tomasita’s, but there are many good ones. If you’re a foodie with a healthy wallet, the five star places to check out would include Sazon, Bull Ring (steaks), Geronimo, and Coyote Cafe. Chow’s for Asian. Whole Hog for barbeque.
The Geprgia O’Keefe Museum is great, if you like her art. And the Palace of the Governors on the Plaza is fun for lovers of history. Lew Wallace wrote BEN HUR there.
It’s a great town. Enjoy.
I particularly enjoy finding and collecting unique covers of books I like. Trips to small, used bookstores are always fun for all the unexpected covers I might find. Other than that, I can never resist movies on dvd/blu ray (particularly the Criterion Collection). Especially since they take up far less space than most other collections, like comics. I had to stop collecting them as they become so burdensome, much as I’d like to get more.
There’s a subset of the Norse sagas called the fornaldarsögur. They are quite old, and generally more mythical than factual. One of them tells about a fierce warrior called Starkad, and when he was a young boy, he was brought before the council of the gods, where Odin and Thor respectively bestowed blessings and curses upon him (he was Odin’s protege, hence the blessings from the former, and he was a descendant of the jotun giants, whom Thor hated, hence the maledictions from the latter). As a man who rents a studio flat, but owns an ever growing collection of books, there is a part of that saga which strikes a very personal chord with me:
– He shall own neither house nor land, said Thor.
– But he shall own a multitude of stuff, said Odin.
– He shall never feel that he owns enough, said Thor.