Life Cycles of a Chalet Collector
Collecting and building a collection does not remain static. There are transformations, ebbs and flows, highs, and lows. Changes in the process are both emotional and physical. They reflect and respond to many variables – budget, timing, physical space, availability of and access to the collectables, interest in, desire for, curiosity about and connection to the collectable, motivation, impulse and triggers for the collector, random chance, and time available being the most common. However, although the variables may be different for each of us, we all experience and share similar as we move through stages in our collecting and collections.
This was very much on my mind recently as I and my collection went through a pronounced change – a move. This move is not the first or the most drastic since I began collecting in 2009 as I have moved both from house to condo life and then across the country but nevertheless it got me thinking as I deliberated on which pieces might need to be “rehomed” with this move, packed up those I knew I could not and would not part with, planned displays and shelving for the new digs, and then physically moved. As I unwrapped my glass, I began thinking that writing about and sharing experiences of my “collecting life cycles” might be interesting. So, although I tend not to “do” personal articles, here goes!
I became aware of “Chalet glass” when a friend began collecting it in about 2004. I was her interior designer as well and as such helped work her collection into the décor of the 3 houses that I “did” for her. Although I found it beautiful and bought a few pieces myself as accent décor, I was not a collector. However, in 2009, I found a piece that triggered something – a huge, signed Chalet “crystal twist” vase. I was out and about with my husband on a week-end away (not roaming in “the wild” with her) or my Chalet path might never have been taken! This find was one of those “collecting variables” here at play – random chance. I was looking for vintage teapots – my collecting focus at the time. Well, that was about to change in a big way!
For a time, I maintained collecting both vintage teapots and glass, but that overlap was short, and my sole collecting passion quickly became focused on Chalet Artistic Glass pieces.
My Chalet 17 inch “trigger” led to another, and another and then “just one more” … “Glass fever” - I will explain this term below.
I still have it today.
On display (background, left) in our new digs.
The first “life cycle” is the “newbie” stage. During this period, most new collectors develop “glass fever.” This fever incites a frenzy of searching, buying, and accumulating. During this stage, most collectors assume or hope that everything is Chalet, rare, and valuable. Often, they fall prey to uninformed or dishonest sellers. A very few “newbies” embark on building a very curated, researched, and thoughtful collection. I have met several – I was not one of this group as a “newbie.”
Some of my glass fever “Chalet” buys:
A few succumb to a regrettable side effect of this fever and begin to think that they are “experts” about the glass and can be obnoxious and/or spread misinformation. Most outgrow this hubris and laugh about it later. In my case, on one trip into “the Wild,” I was so positive that I had found a rare form! When I triumphantly showed my treasure to the experienced collector hunting with me, she asked” Why did you buy a broken basket?” It was a treasured lesson and served to check a growing smugness.
Unfortunately, for a very few, the glass fever never breaks, and it turns them into “glass zombies.” As with any other type of zombie, any involvement or interaction with a glass zombie is strongly advised against. For most, once the initial compulsion to race about buying everything in sight subsides, curiosity about the glass builds. Many join collectors’ groups and begin to research and start to build resources as well. This is the next stage of the collecting life cycle.
For me, this stage proved crucial in my “life cycle.” How so? Firstly, in the early years of my collecting, I lived in eastern Ontario and was easily able to access the Cornwall area where I met sellers that were specifically aware of the Chalet product. In 2009, one directed me to the Chalet Community Museum where Mario Panizzon (son of Chalet Maestro Bruno Panizzon) had made his tribute booklet “Chalet” available. Travelling there, I eagerly anticipated and expected that a museum, in a city so significant to the history of Canadian art glass, would have a spectacular collection of the glass and detailed information regarding Chalet’s history and its artists. I could not wait to learn more! I was extremely shocked and disappointed to find the opposite - no Chalet on display, only a very few in storage and poorly organized archives that the then curator really cared little about. That curator excused this because “the museum was a pioneer museum and only concentrated on Cornwall history up to the 1940’s.” Why? Fortunately, the present-day curator has grown the museum’s collection and done deep dives into its archives and generously shared what he has uncovered and researched.
On meeting with the curator, I was able to purchase Mario’s publication as well as being allowed access to pieces, photographs, newspaper articles, and some records in the archives that were available at that time. I made several trips to Cornwall, combining glass buying with continued research at the museum. However, although I had spoken with the curator quite extensively on each of my visits, I was quite surprised to get a call from him one day. He would be in Kingston and wanted to meet for lunch to discuss something. I met him for lunch and surprise turned to amazement when he asked me to coordinate and lead a Chalet exhibit in Cornwall at the museum. I refused for quite some time because I was a brand-new collector and felt totally ill-equipped to do justice to such an undertaking. I expressed this to the curator who replied, “That’s why you would be perfect to do this. You don’t think you know everything.” I still do not know why I finally agreed to mount a Chalet show but agree to do so – I did. On Saturday, October 30th, 2010, the opening reception of “The Art & Artisans of Chalet Glass” took place. However, the venue had changed to Cornwall’s Regional Art Gallery as the space was more appropriate. I am not going to go into detail regarding the exhibit as it is well covered in The Time Machine pages. I have provided the link here.
The exhibit was the single most critical event of any of my collecting life cycles. Meeting the artists, having access to their knowledge and experiences, and growing my primary research and resources exponentially because of this access had a profound impact. Both these factors led me to concentrate on more than acquiring glass – they taught me “Never to say Never” and that I knew/know so truly little about Chalet. Most significantly, these experiences made research, learning, writing and then bringing and sharing what I had discovered with the community my primary motivations for collecting glass. I am not saying that I do not love the beauty of the glass for itself as well and still have a good “gloat” over certain pieces from time to time but suffice to say – I did not turn into a glass zombie!
I made many mistakes in selecting “Chalet” to show at the exhibit. However, these mistakes led to an outpouring of fact and sharing from the artists, so I am very thankful that these mistakes were made. Without them, I wonder if as much would have come to light or as much discussion and follow-up would have resulted. Learning from mistakes and experience being the best teacher are not trite but true.
A few examples of pieces of the “Not Chalet” shown at the Cornwall show.
Secondly, at the same time as coordinating the exhibit, I launched my first Chalet Website. Attached to it was “The Collectors Forum.” Although cumbersome and not particularly “user friendly,” it was breakthrough. Although I am saying this laughingly, you must remember that social media and real-time postings did not exist at that time. “The Forum” was the first avenue that many collectors were able to take to join others in the Canadian glass collecting community that was emerging. Indeed, quite a few members of 50 Shades belonged to “The Forum” as well and I marvel that we have been able to maintain our ties.
Lastly, I had purchased many pieces of glass for the exhibit that, although important for the show, I did not want to incorporate into my personal collection. This led to me entering the next “life cycle” stage – the “culling the herd” stage. During this period, which lasts for years and usually goes together with the research and resource building stages, most collectors start to look at their collections with critical eyes. They begin to concentrate on shaping their collection and improving the quality instead of just growing it in number. The majority of collectors start to “rehome” pieces that they no longer feel connected to or were purchase errors. “Culling” is a quite common and natural life cycle stage among collectors. Every now and then it leads to a complete selling of a collection as the collector moves on to another interest. However, there are some collectors that find it impossible to sell even pieces that they have fallen out of love with and these get bundled away in storage. I have heard of collectors with storage lockers, basements, and sheds full of glass!
Some of the Chalet glass (all verified pieces) I have rehomed over the years:
Here is a gallery of “The Top 10 I regret parting with”:
I have been able to replace the clear molded owl, olive tornado vase and to repurchase the elephant but still am kicking myself regarding the others.
My Chalet “smoked” elephant on display October 2025. His companion is a vintage “fumato” F M Ronneby Konstglas (Swedish glasshouse) “buddha belly” owl.
As stated above, a collector’s interest in collecting and their collection has highs and lows. My personal experience is that this ebb and flow cycles for me. Moreover, I have never become totally disengaged as I did about collecting vintage tea pots. I think the difference has been that I was not connected to more than being intrigued by the teapots’ appearance and appreciating their quirkiness - I never was motivated to research their origins or the artists that had created them. During the times that I have been less engaged with my glass, I have also done some “culling.”
The “downsizing” life cycle stage is more extreme than the “culling” stage. It is usually brought about by changes in circumstances – actual physical evolutions like a move or renovation, stressful financial emergencies, or a lifestyle change. At the peak of my collecting, I had over 400 pieces. A typical average number for an engaged, experienced collector. My collection never reached the ranks of “huge” (600+) as my interior designer training kept the rampant “glass fever” urge to collect more, more, more in check. My displays have always been quite “curated’ and intentional. If they are not in tune with the rest of the space, I find them distracting and stressful.
Currently I have 205 pieces – the halving of my collection is due to “downsizing” because of moves and lifestyle changes. From a smaller city suburban home to a big city, downtown condo. Then from one Toronto condo location to another, then across the country to Vancouver and then from our first condo here to another. I found choosing the pieces to “re-home” because of the first move quite difficult initially but was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it became easier and how much it had renewed my interest in my glass. I honestly had no regrets for having to pick and choose. The subsequent moves did not involve any drastic reductions – just some “fine tuning” which was a bit harder. However, still not a gut-wrenching process for me.
I have kept a collection size of 200 pieces as the ideal goal. Of the 205 pieces I have, 192 are on display, 3 of my Chalet Christmas trees are in storage and 10 pieces are “boarding” in my daughter’s displays. I am not ready to sell these but cannot bear to just pack them away. I like to live with my glass. When she moves, I may be forced to make some tough decisions – again!
Characteristically, following the “downsizing” stage, a collector enters the “picky collecting” life cycle stage. This translates into, “If one comes in, one has to go out.” This mantra forces you to really, really consider how much you want that new piece over those you already have. The number of pieces in your collection tends to remain constant with neither substantial number increases nor reductions. I find that in the case of 99% of my post-fever “I must have that!” urges if I can capture a photograph for my files the urge is satisfied. If not, I get up and inspect my existing displays. If I see a place for the piece that does not compromise the display or if only a little “rearranging” is necessary, then I see what piece could go. Normally, I will zone in on a piece that I have had a “niggle” about – glass about which I have already had prior, “I could sell that” thoughts. And then I consider price, something I did not do very often as a “newbie” with glass fever.” Nowadays, this is a more- or-less automatic question to myself of, “But do I want it enough to pay $$$?” If the answer is “Yes,” I determine next how difficult it will be to “re-home” the piece that has to go. All in all, a much more considered and deliberate buying process than when I first began collecting.
So, to sum up the predictable life cycles of a typical Chalet glass collector:
- The “newbie/glass fever” stage
- The “finding stuff out/research/resource building” stage
- The “culling” stage
- The “downsizing” stage
- The “picky/one in/one out” stage
Do you recognize yourself as having gone through any of these stages? If so, love to hear what collecting life cycle stage you are in now!
