09 September,2009 08:44 AM IST | | Aanchal Kurmi
The 14-year-old International Collectors' Society of Rare Items offers a platform for those interested in stocking unique, invaluable articles
Do you nurture a hobby of collecting pencils, pens, wine bottles, seeds, wrappers, old documents, drift wood, fossils or stamp papers? If yes, then International Collectors' Society of Rare Items is the place for you.
Started in 1995 as Collectors' Society with seven members, it now has 100 life members out of which 29 are Limca Record holders and three have applied to theu00a0 Guinness Book of World Records.
Platform
Basti Solanki, one of the founder members, said, "I collect gold, silver and copper coins and my collection has coins from 6 BC till the Mughal Era. The society is a platform to present our hobbies to the world."
The society organises various exhibitions and competitions on local, state and national levels. Besides, a Numismatic Competitive Exhibition is held every alternate year. The club holds its general meeting once a year and society meetings are held randomly at members' homes.
Unique hobbies
"The society also teaches newcomers how to collect items and even arranges exhibitions for those who want to showcase their treasures," added Solanki.
Vinayakrao Natu (82) has been a member for the last 10 years and holds a Limca Record for collecting 220 Hollywood pictures, 275 movies and 50 books. "My pictures include those of Thomas Alva Edison with his movie camera and making of the MGM logo, while my movie collection includes The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) and The Birth of a Nation (1915)," he said.
Another collector, Benoiffer Suratia, has a collection of period furniture. "I have been associated with this society since the last 10 years. Some of the furniture in my collection is 80 years old and my piano is a century old. These are my family heirlooms and I will keep them forever," he said.
To become a member, e-mail info@collectorssocietypune.
com or visit www.collectorssocietypune.com
