The passions and pursuits of
collectors and their collections
The fifth month of the year with 31 days, May is traditionally the month when the somewhat stormy weather and cool days of spring transition into the warmer days of summer. It’s a time when nature begins to regenerate and is in full swing with greenery flourishing everywhere, and the surrounding countryside is splashed with brilliant patches of bright, colorful flowers and blossoming trees.
This is the time of year when Antelope Valley residents begin concentrating on warm-weather pastimes. And to many people, this often means adding items to their collections. That said, we decided to focus this May issue of LIFESTYLE on people’s passion for their collections and collecting.
In this month’s Collector’s Corner column, senior staff writer Rich Breault, with illustrating photographs by his talented photographer wife, Liz, in his story called “The makings of a history detective,” visits with longtime Lancaster resident Ron Garcia. A 43-year resident of the Antelope Valley, Garcia collects and is passionate about Valley historical photos and ephemera, including postcards, magazine and newspaper articles and ads, fliers, menus, matchbooks, telephone books, and much more.
And staff writer Julie Drake, in her story “Vintage Vinyl Music Man,” with illustrating photos by photographer Ron Siddle, describes a visit with Wayne Tarasoff, a Detroit native and resident of Quartz Hill, who has been collecting records since he was 14. Tarasoff’s collection grew so big that eventually he opened his own record store, Full Score Music, in Quartz Hill. Also speaking of collection, staff writer Vern Lawson, in his Hometown History column, describes Kern County’s time capsule—which is currently stored inside a 300-foot-long tunnel in the Tropico Gold Mine behind 10 feet of concrete. The time capsule, sealed in 1966, is due to be opened on Kern County’s 1,000th birthday in 2866. It’s loaded with a treasure cache of 20th Century artifacts.
Additional stories related to collecting include staff writer Aaron Campbell’s “Pulp fiction printed in paperback, bound in blood,” with illustrating photos by staff photographer Ruby Alvarado, which describes Campbell’s visit with John Hall, former U.S. Marine, retired English professor and Antelope Valley Press columnist, who explains how his collection of 1940s and ’50s “hard-boiled detective” fiction came about. And staff writer Alisha Semchuck, in her story “Barbie dolls that have it all,” with illustrating photos by staff photographer Alvarado, visits with Barbie collector Susie Buffalo of Quartz Hill. Buffalo, who never played with Barbie dolls when she was young and didn’t start collecting them until after her two daughters were grown and had left home, has amassed a massive collection that she estimates is between 600 and 700 Barbie dolls.
But this May issue of LIFESTYLE isn’t just about collecting and collections—there’s a great deal more. All of our regular features and columns are here, including Good Kids, Horse Tales, Kovel’s Antique Forum, A Taste for Wine, Out & About, Classic Car, Travel, Arts as well as a complete calendar of events for May.
So please join us for this exciting issue of LIFESTYLE—we’re sure you’ll enjoy it. Financially healthy for the new year; Rich Breault’s story called New beginnings, a mother’s road to a home and stability; staff writer Gabriela Garay-Diaz’ story on the Girl Scouts’ annual Cookie Rally, which will kick off 95 years of sales for the Girl Scouts USA; staff writer Vern Lawson examines how the Railroad and Homestead Act opened up the Valley for 19th-century settlers in his Hometown History feature; Rich and Liz Breault visit the Orange Empire Railway Museum, a place that fulfills dreams of kids of all ages in Out & About; and in their story, “A Stylist’s Evolution,” the Breaults visit and talk with Donna Weil, a distinguished artist who loves change and whose talent has transformed through the decades and revolved through various mediums.
Additionally, staff writer Vern Lawson examines the origins of probably one of the most famous songs ever written—and sung by just about all of us every year at midnight on Dec. 31—“Auld Lang Syne.”
These are just a few of the stories featured in this exciting and informative January 2008 issue of LIFESTYLE magazine. We hope you’ll join us for new beginnings as we begin this bright and hopeful new year. |
