Kristina Kallur is asking why do you collect sand and I want to answer that.
My husband and I are great collectors. So it is no surprise that sand became an obsession.
It all started with this image from a magazine so many years ago. Small bottles of sand from around the world displayed in a single row on a small shelf. Instantly in love with the idea. The variety of subtle colors of the earth gave me a chill.
I lived all over the world with my step dad working for an oil company and I soooo wish I had started collecting when I lived in Malta, Scotland, Majorca. But then I forgot about collecting sand until a couple of years ago and that image popped back in my head. I think I started when I was laid off from MSNBC, my job for 14 years. I was a little depressed and in my 50's. I am now 67 so I have been collecting for some years. This sounded like something to take my mind off of that blow, while I freelanced and traveled with a friend of mine as a her photographer assistant. It was a perfect time to start my collecting. I put the call out to my traveling friends to bring me back a surprise! Now I am a little possessed. I have not successfully achieved to build a wall full of sand but I have big plans.
I also love this display.
I don't travel as much as I did in my youth, thankfully, I have friends who never forget my hobby! Just think of it as a cheap but well-loved birthday or Christmas gift!
My husband and I recently took a road trip through new Mexico, Arizona and Utah and got some lovely samples! I think he was more excited than I was about the wonderful samples we had!
I purchased 8 Dram / 1 oz / 30 mL, Clear Glass Sample Storage Specimen Vial Container w/Black Screw on Caps for a consistent display. Mind you, these vials have become so much more expensive, I will need to rethink my display once I use up my present supply
I also collect seedpods and feathers, rocks and shells.
I am a part of Sand Collectors United and International Sand Collectors Society on Facebook. I want to go to some meetups. I want to join the
Everett Rock and Gem Club for grins. I have meet some wonderful people online that I chat with all the time. Mainly I ask them about the ins and outs of collecting since I still consider myself a novice. One of my friends is
Jim Rienhardt. He shared his Excel reference example for keeping track. He sent me lots of samples from New York and encouraged me. I think we met on Pinterest! I am not as diligent as a serious collector of the cleaning, and measuring and documenting for me to be confident to trade. I do send off samples to friends. And I am much better at getting all the information correct. I guess I just feel a little intimidated.
I consider myself an internet sleuth and LOVE looking up the area on Google maps where my sand comes from, what the sand consist of, about the area where people found it. It is a mystery always worth exploring which is one of the reasons I started my Something Sand blog, for myself to document my discoveries. Also books and videos that I had found interesting. There are also wonderful groups who make natural pigments, like the
Wild Pigment Project.
My husband LOVED my sand collection. Always encouraged me. He passed away recently which makes our car trip through AZ, NM, and Utah even more precious.
My kids want to keep it once I have passed. My granddaughter stood looking at my display of sand and shells and collection of art, she stepped back, spread her arms to the heavens and said "Just think, all of this will be mine some day". Boy, did I have a giggle inside but I am thankful they are interested in my favorite hobby.
I don't see any downfalls of this hobby. Just take a small amount. Make sure you identify it while you are taking it because trust me, you will forget. I have lots of samples that are unmarked. I think this is a great project for school kids and younger adults. It is not expensive, it is very interesting, it gives them something to do on vacation instead of buying knick knacks. It teaches them about earth, geology and geography.
For 10+ years now I have wanted to put together a sand collecting kit for kids. It would include some bottles or vials, a printed log book and an example of how to note your sample, a nice box to keep your collection safe, maybe a FB group just for them to share their finds, a program for their school. I just love the idea.
