For many millennia, necklaces have not gone out of fashion, adorning women's necks all over the globe. The materials from which necklaces are made are changing, plastic and crystals are replacing precious stones, but the essence of this luxurious jewelry remains the same - as before, it emphasizes the femininity and beauty of its owner. Let's trace the history of the necklace along with “Atmosphere”.
People began decorating themselves back in the Stone Age. And what could be simpler than hanging the fang of an animal killed during a hunt around your neck? Archaeological research confirms that the first pendants were carved from animal bones suspended on a thread of salted animal sinew. Their age is as much as fifty-five thousand years. As soon as humanity learned to work with metal, medallions became less primitive. Bronze and copper elements appeared in them. But in general, we will consider these simple jewelry to be the prototype of a modern necklace.
Luxurious items appeared in Ancient Egypt. Pharaohs wore necklaces made up of many polished and glazed gold plates. Such a necklace, naturally, was very heavy, and for convenience, a counterweight was even hung on the back. Finding Egyptian necklaces was not difficult, since the owner was buried with them. The most famous pendant is the golden scarab beetle of Tutankhamun.
In ancient times, neck decorations were treated with special reverence. They were not only an attribute of luxury, but also a sacred thing. For example, the Inca priests wore jewelry made of gold beads woven in several rows, and the Aztecs wore a necklace of bird feathers around a person’s neck before a sacrifice.
The necklace in its more familiar form appeared several centuries later in Ancient Greece. It was a decoration made of small shells strung on an ordinary thread. Even men wore such a necklace as a talisman when they went to sea, as well as on holidays honoring the gods and wedding ceremonies. IN Ancient Rome the pendants were of a more utilitarian nature: all legionnaires wore pendants with their names. They helped determine the names of soldiers who fell on the battlefield and convey the news to relatives. This type of medallion is still used in the army today.
In the Middle Ages, only members of the royal family, ecclesiastical nobility and members of the upper class could afford necklaces. The fact is that at that time they became especially popular gems- And ordinary people could not buy such expensive jewelry. But the rich had a place to roam, both women and men. Church necklaces were often decorated with a crucifix or a Maltese cross, and were made exclusively of gold or silver. A sapphire or emerald was placed in the center of the cross. And we can judge the jewelry of the highest nobility from many paintings and testimonies in fiction. The record holder was, perhaps, Marie Antoinette, who had huge collection decorations Among her necklaces were hidden items of such value that even the royal family had difficulty acquiring them. The wife of Louis XVI loved diamonds; one of her most expensive necklaces used stones weighing almost two hundred carats, including pink, yellow and clear diamonds. Queen Elizabeth I had a special craving for pearls, which at that time was considered a love stone.
Tighten the noose
Let's go back a little to the roots and remember that the word “necklace” comes from the French collier, which translates as “collar”. This strange meaning The explanation is very simple: at that time, most of the necklaces were tightly wrapped around the neck.
Collar necklaces (or, as it is now fashionable to call them, chokers) became popular in France in the 18th century during the Rococo period, and in Victorian era Queen Victoria began wearing them. Later, in the 19th century, in England, the wife of Prince Edward of Wales, Danish Princess Alexandra, loved wearing a choker so much that she was popularly nicknamed “the dog lady.” And so strong love there was a reason for chokers. The princess had an accident as a child, which left a large scar on her neck. To hide it, Alexandra began wearing a necklace made of strings of pearls or velvet ribbons studded with precious stones high under her chin. By the way, this is where the fashion for “suffocating” necklaces originates, the most extravagant of which were described in the works of the Marquis de Sade.
The most popular in those days were chokers made of velvet or strings of pearls, decorated in the middle with a tablet with various patterns. They were made by the famous French jeweler of that era, Rene Lalique. There could also be a lintel studded with diamonds in the middle. But not every beauty could afford such luxury, so jewelers began making necklaces from less expensive materials: precious stones were replaced with crystal, and strings of pearls with lace.
In the twentieth century, Coco Chanel made chokers one of the main accents of her collections, and they took on a new fashionable life. Now their fan is John Galliano. He considers the collar a universal accessory that fits both an evening dress and jeans. But they don’t leave the necks of royalty either; for example, Princess Diana adored pearl chokers, constantly wearing them to social events.
On all screens
Nowadays, necklaces have become an exclusively female attribute, while men wear only strict pendants. Of course, to this day there are varieties of men's beads and amulets, but they are used only for ritual purposes. But the ladies mastered all types of complex necklaces that jewelers began to come up with. And, of course, celebrities started wearing the necklace. Thus, the unrivaled Sophia Loren posed for Vogue wearing a luxurious riviera necklace encrusted with diamonds. Its peculiarity lies in its design: the stones are connected to each other so tightly that it is impossible to see where they are fastened. This creates the illusion of a flowing stream.
Marilyn Monroe also had an iconic piece of jewelry. She wore the Moon of Baroda necklace with a canary yellow pear cut diamond in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The words of her song “Diamonds - best friends girls" could well be dedicated to this unique stone. By the way, its history goes back half a century.
Elizabeth Taylor once told reporters: “My mother told me that I didn’t open my eyes for a week after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was wedding ring" Her huge collection included almost three hundred legendary jewelry, most of which were bought by her husband, Richard Burton, indulging the desires of his beloved. At that time they cost about twenty million dollars. However, at an auction dedicated to the actress, they were sold for one hundred million. Elizabeth loved jewelry so much that she dedicated the book “My Affair with Jewelry” to them. Moreover, Liz not only wore other people’s jewelry. Thus, the design of the legendary wandering pearl “Peregrina” was invented by the actress herself, and the jewelry was eventually given to her by her husband. The pearl crowning the necklace is considered one of the most significant in history. Found in the 16th century in the Gulf of Panama, it became part of the Crown Jewels of Spain. In 1969, the pearl was purchased at auction by Taylor's husband. Impressed by the portrait of Mary Stuart, the actress commissioned Cartier jewelers to create a new ruby frame for her.
And the most recognizable necklace appeared in the movie Titanic. The necklace with the romantic name “Heart of the Ocean” was crowned with a fifty-carat blue tanzanite in a ribbon. Since then, many jewelry companies have produced analogues of necklaces with blue heart-cut stones. After the film was released, an exact copy of the jewelry was created, although this time with a sapphire weighing one hundred and seventy carats. It was sold at a charity auction to the husband of singer Celine Dion, who performed the song My Heart Will Go On in Titanic. Moreover, the “Heart of the Ocean” had real prototype. This is the blue “Hope” diamond necklace, created by jeweler Pierre Cartier in 1910. I bought it socialite Evelyn Walsh-McLean wore it almost without taking it off. After her death, the necklace went to her grandchildren, who sold it to jeweler Harry Winston, who in turn donated the stone to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, where it remains today. By the way, this is perhaps the most famous unlucky piece of jewelry in the world: everyone who ever wore it either went crazy or was killed. Thus, Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI had their heads cut off, and Princess de Lamballe was beaten to death by a crowd. In 1911, Mrs. Evelyn McLean became the owner of the pendant, who was not afraid of the diamond’s dark past. However, the fate of this woman confirmed the murderous energy of the jewelry: Evelyn’s son died in an accident, her daughter died of a drug overdose, her husband left for his mistress, and the owner of the necklace herself ended up in a homeless shelter.
The Kohinoor diamond is also notorious. It was brought from India in 1850 and presented to the royal family. It is now in the crown of Elizabeth II. Fortunately, the diamond is harmless to the queen herself, but each of the men who wore this stone was soon deprived of their crown.
Practical method
It’s not without reason that ladies love these jewelry, because they can visually lengthen the neck, emphasize the line of the neckline and elongate the entire silhouette. To do this, you just need to choose the right necklace model. A long necklace is suitable for those with a short neck, which will look more elegant and graceful thanks to it. Light jewelry with pendants will help highlight your neck, which is distinguished by its beauty without additional tricks. Choker necklaces are best combined with dresses that reveal shoulders and a deep neckline, but long models are also suitable for closed dresses.
What's going on with the trends this season? Of course, voluminous jewelry does not go out of fashion and can become a key detail of your look. These models are generously studded with stones, crystals and beads and are perfect for simple monochromatic outfits.
Ethnic style is no less popular. Combine such necklaces with hippie-style clothes, just don’t overdo it, otherwise they won’t be able to distinguish you from the “flower children.”
Multilayer pearl necklaces are also very trendy, especially if they are decorated with an original brooch-type clasp. They should be worn openly, exposing the neck and décolleté. Also this fashion accessory Can be worn over the collar of a shirt, sweater or dress.
Have you ever loved collecting postcards, stamps, or gum inserts? Surely these hobbies have faded over the years... But these people have devoted more than one year to their hobby - collecting - and this is not the limit. Dimitris Pistiolas from Athens owns the largest collection of video cameras - he has a total of 937 models, from antique to modern. 
Since 2003, Chinese collector Wang Guohua has been collecting cigarette packs, some of which he keeps in his room in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. The collection includes 30,000 cigarette packs from more than 100 companies from 10 countries. 
Lisa Courtney's Pokemon collection was included in the Guinness Book of Records. There are 12,113 toys in the collection. 
Ron Hood, who lives in Lewiston, Maine, has had his basement converted into a veritable PEZ candy museum. Now he has more than 3,000 PEZ candy toys in his collection, although he considers it “small.” 
Farmer Heinrich Kath displays some of his 20,000 beer mugs in Cuxhaven. He himself does not drink beer, but has been collecting mugs since 1997. 
Wally Hammer's collection of rubber ducks was not the largest in the world, although there is not a single repeating duck in the collection. Her collection of 2,469 ducks was just a few hundred short of breaking the world record set by one California woman. 
The Guinness Book of Records has recognized Pam Barker's collection of owls from Leeds as the largest in the world. There are 18,000 owls in her collection. 
Mary Ann Sell of Cincinnati owns a collection of 40,000 View-Master films. 
The keychain, purchased in Vietnam (where he served as a helicopter gunner), was 41-year-old Ron Tyler's first in his now huge collection. 
Sharon Badgley's collection of Santa Clauses is so large (6,000) that it took her three weeks to get them all together.
Find out about the ten strangest collectors and their collections:
1. Bob Gibbins and Lizzie: 240 sex dolls
60-year-old Bob Gibbins and his 55-year-old wife Lizzie have a rather unusual collection of 240 various types sex dolls that they dress up and take with them on shopping trips.
Bob says he was always interested in these dolls, but his passion really began to develop when he bought various rag dolls and other toys for their two children. He then moved on to buying mannequins for stores, which he spent two years acquiring, amassing quite an impressive collection. However, he only realized what he really wanted to collect when he found himself on an online forum for silicone doll lovers. In 2007, with the support of his wife, Gibbins purchased his first silicone doll, Beverly, for about $4,000. But that was just the beginning, as the couple continued to buy different types of sex dolls, from cheap inflatable ones that cost a maximum of $639, to lifelike silicone dolls like Jessica, who blew a serious hole in the family's budget, cutting it by $11,202. Overall, Bob and Lizzie Gibbins estimate they've spent about $160,000 since they started collecting sex dolls.
Although sex dolls are commonly purchased and used for sexual purposes, Bob says he has never used his girls in this way. He admits that he finds most of them attractive, especially considering the fact that they are created with perfect figures, but he considers them all family members.
2. Graham Barker: The largest (and probably the only) collection of belly button fluff in the world
Collecting belly button fluff may not be a hobby worth bringing up in conversation, but that hasn't stopped a 45-year-old library worker from collecting his own belly button fluff for 26 years.
Graham Baker from Perth, Australia, has been building his strange collection ever since he noticed lint in his belly button one night and became interested in how much belly button lint a human being can produce. The only way to get the answer to your question was to watch your belly button and collect your own belly button fluff. Contrary to what many people think when they first hear about him strange habit Graham isn't obsessed with belly button fuzz, and he doesn't spend all his time looking at his belly button either. He is driven by pure curiosity and devotes only ten seconds of his time to collecting belly button fluff, doing it right before he goes to the shower.
The amount of lint he finds in his belly button each night depends on the type of clothing he is wearing that day, but he has found that warm underwear is the most productive in this regard. Every night he collects his belly button fluff and puts it in a clay jar that he bought specifically for storing belly button fluff. At the end of each year, he adds that year's belly button fluff to his vast collection. In the 26 years he's collected his own belly button fluff, he's been able to fill three glass jars and is already working on a fourth. Believe it or not, his entire extensive collection weighs only 22 grams.
After he entered the Guinness Book of Records for the largest collection of belly button fluff, his three glass jars with navel fuzz ended up in a museum for an undisclosed sum.
3 Eric Ducharme: Latex Mermaid Tails 
When Eric Ducharme dons his beautiful mermaid tail to explore the crystal clear waters of Florida's natural springs as a merman, he says he transforms himself mentally, too. This is the unique, exciting life of a Florida man who says he eats, sleeps and breathes mermaids, while trying to physically look and act like them as often as time allows.
Ducharme has been fascinated by mermaids since he was a child. At the age of 16, he performed his first show, swimming as a mermaid prince at the Weeki Wachee Springs Little Mermaid Show in 2006.
Today, Ducharme has his own business called “Mertailor”. He produces custom tails made from silicone, urethane and latex, just like the ones he wears.
4. The most large collection chewed nicotine gum in the world 
Have you ever heard of someone who rolls chewed nicotine gum into a ball as if it were dough? No? Well, then listen.
When Barry Chappell was on an international flight, he started chewing nicotine gum because he couldn't smoke. Since there was no garbage disposal nearby where he could throw the gum, he simply held it in his hand and rolled it into a small ball. Piece by piece, his ball of chewed gum noticeably increased in size. It was at that moment that his amazing idea was born. Why not roll the world's largest ball of chewed nicotine gum and quit smoking in the process?
Now, six years and 95,200 chews later, Barry is a non-smoking superstar. He rolled a giant ball of chewed nicotine gum that weighs almost 80 kilograms!
5 Paul Brockman: A Collection of 55,000 Dresses He Handpicked for His Wife 
If love were measured by the number of dresses, Paul Brockman would most likely receive the title of the most loving husband in the world. Over the past 56 years, the German-born, Lomita, California-based contractor has given his wife Margot 55,000 dresses, each of which he hand-picked.
The first ten dresses in Paul Brockman's impressive collection were free. He got them while working at the seaport in Bremen, Germany, where workers could choose what they wanted when bales of goods were opened. He gave them all to his then-girlfriend Margot. After they had been dating for some time, Paul asked his girlfriend's hand in marriage from her parents.
Margot shared his passion for dancing and they went to the dance floor every week, but Paul wanted her to wear a new dress every time, so he bought her more and more dresses.
Margot never liked shopping, so Paul chose and bought dresses himself. He bought dresses before work, after work and even during work, sometimes coming home with a pile of thirty new dresses. He bought them during end-of-season sales and wherever he saw something he liked. At some point, his obsession with dresses got out of control and he stopped caring about their size.
He never set any budget for his purchases. Sometimes he would spend everything he had in his pockets and wait until the next week if he didn't have any money. The most expensive dress was a dress that he spent $300 on and that Margot never wore. As you can imagine, most of the 55,000 dresses were never worn by Margot.
6. Jian Yang:
The white exterior and spartan gray staircase of Yang Jian's tidy home give no hint of what lurks inside - the pink floor in the living room and his collection of more than 6,000 Barbie dolls.
The 33-year-old from Singapore favors minimalist decor, but Barbie dolls and 3,000 other dolls fill three of the four walls of his living room, the nine mirrored cabinets in his dressing room, and the shelves in his office.
Jian has professional interest to toys, as he is the director of marketing at Omicom Media Group. However, he began collecting Barbie dolls at the age of 13, when he bought a Barbie model called " Great Shape" (Great Shape), dressed in a turquoise tracksuit and striped leg warmers.
His boyish interest has grown into a "crazy obsession" that is supported by his friends and accepted by his family. He spent more than 20 years and $404,681 building his collection.
Note: Although Jian has an impressively large collection, the 2013 edition of Guinness World Records gave the award for the largest collection of Barbie dolls to a German woman named Bettina Dorfmann, whose collection includes more than 15,000 of these dolls.
7. Chris Reid: The World's Largest (and Coolest) Collection of Super Soakers
Just look at crazy collection Chris Reid's huge water pistols. The huge water pistol first appeared in 1989 and quickly replaced other types of water pistols. With its pumping system, the huge water gun practically gives you the ability to shoot water over long distances many more times than regular guns.
In total, he bought approximately 340 huge water pistols, including 240 unique designs (the rest were either models in other colors or repeats). His very first huge yellow and green water pistol, a Model 50, was signed by Lonnie Johnson, who invented this type of water pistol.
8. Robyn Amato: Collection of 3,000 Raggedy Annie dolls
Despite being surrounded by more than 3,000 Raggedy Annie dolls, Tampa, Florida resident Robin Amato can't bring herself to stop adding to her collection. She never had a Raggedy Annie when she was a child, so her craze didn't start until she was 40 years old. Now the 58-year-old Florida woman admits the dolls have taken over every room in her home.
So far, she has spent over $20,000 on dolls, Raggedy Enya cookie jars and other doll-related collectibles.
Amato loves to dress up as Raggedy Annie and takes some of the dolls from her collection on her daily walks. She hosts tea parties and also spends time every day in a special bedroom reserved for her clan of Raggedy Annies.
9. Vic Clinco: World's Largest Hot Sauce Collection 
Vic Klinko has the most extensive collection of hot sauces in the world. His astounding collection consists of 6,000 bottles, which he has purchased all over the world. His collection even includes a rare bottle of sauce called Blair's 16 Million Reserve, which is the hottest sauce on the planet. The shelves in the dining room of his home in Phoenix, Arizona are lined with bottles of sauces from ceiling to floor. can also be found in built-in cabinets and refrigerators.
He has been collecting sauce bottles for the past 17 years and is rightfully the owner of the largest private collection hot sauces in the world. Mr. Klinko, who works as a cook at the Four Seasons Hotel, said his most prized bottle of hot sauce in his collection was worth about $900 and that it was unique. The most expensive bottle of hot sauce in his collection cost $4,000.
10. Paul Luke: World's Largest Collection of Milk Bottles
A former milkman was forced to build a museum behind his home in the garden after his house became too small for his collection of more than 10,000 milk bottles.
Dedicated 33-year-old Paul Luke saved his first milk bottle when he was just nine years old and earned his own pocket money by working as a milkman's assistant. However, over time, his collection ballooned to more than 10,000 bottles, the rarest of which date back to the 1890s.
9 April 2015, 08:35Among the stars there are many true connoisseurs of art who are willing to pay big money for the right to own rare creations. For example, Madonna is a fan of the avant-garde. She collects paintings by Léger and Picasso.
Brad Pitt collects antiques. Of particular interest to him are jewelry, paintings and rare tableware.
Barbra Streisand is proud of her collection of exclusive furniture made in the Art Deco style of the 30s of the last century.
Bill Gates is the owner of the world's largest private collection of books. Its collection includes very rare publications, including the most expensive book in the world - the Leicester Codex, the handwritten diary of Leonardo da Vinci. Bill Gates paid $30.8 million for the rarity.
ROMAN ABRAMOVICH
paintings
Roman Abramovich is considered the most influential collector in Russia and is included in the world list of influential collectors. The billionaire collects mainly paintings by famous modernist artists. His collection includes works by Alberto Giacometti, Francis Bacon, Lucien Freud and many other famous painters.
Abramovich purchased paintings by Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon at Christie's and Sotheby's auctions in New York for $120 million; in addition, he acquired a sculpture by Alberto Giacometti “The Venetian” for $14 million. As it turned out later, Roman purchased works of art as a gift for his beloved Daria Zhukova and her Garage art gallery.
PENELOPE CRUZ
hangers
When it comes to quirky collections, Penelope Cruz could easily take the top spot. Beautiful, rich and famous actress collects hangers. They say she collected at least 500 types of hangers. At the same time, the star often adds to her huge collection.
JOHNNY DEPP
hats
The famous Hollywood actor Johnny Depp has several collections, all of them very original. First of all, Depp collects hats. He already has so many hats that they do not fit into the two large rooms allocated for them. The actor buys his favorite pieces for his collection everywhere. There is a known case when he purchased a hat from a homeless man, paying him an indecent amount of money. However, Depp's largest collection consists of figurines of clowns, but not ordinary ones, but evil ones.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
Hummer cars
Iron Arnie collects Hummer cars and all-terrain vehicles. Schwarzenegger literally became obsessed with these cars after he saw an SUV created by AM General for the American military. At first, they refused to sell him the miracle of automotive technology, explaining that it was developed exclusively for the Pentagon. But the actor stood his ground.
After negotiations that lasted several months, the concern gave up. Since then, as soon as Hammer released a new product, it immediately ended up in Schwarzenegger’s garage. Today, the actor’s collection already includes more than 80 copies, ranging from a tank to environmentally friendly models running on electric fuel; Arnold acquired them when, following the advice of his image makers, he became a fighter for a clean environment.
QUENTIN TARANTINO
Creator " Pulp Fiction» collects old board games. He not only plays them in his spare time, but also keeps them in perfect order. All copies of the collection are systematized by title and genre and listed in a catalog, so the owner always knows what and where he has it. In addition, Tarantino collects vinyl records and rental copies of films.
“For a film lover, collecting videos is like smoking weed. Laserdiscs are, of course, cocaine. And rental copies are pure heroin. It's like you're high all the time. I have a good collection, I’m proud of it,” Quentin admitted in an interview.
DUSTIN HOFFMAN
Teddy bears
Dustin Hoffman's hobby is no less touching than Tarantino's - he collects teddy bears Teddy (the toy got its name in honor of US President Theodore Roosevelt, who refused to shoot a tied bear cub while hunting), the actor already has several thousand of them. Hoffman stores his collection in special cabinets with glass doors, which allow a good look at the exhibits displayed in them.
TOM HANKS
typewriters
But Tom Hanks collects vintage typewriters with keyboards different languages. So the actor knows absolutely everything about the ancestors of modern computers. Moreover, he can easily disassemble and then assemble any, even the most complex, specimen. But Hanks has no order in his collection - friends say that both models of cars and their individual elements are always scattered around his house, like toys in a nursery.
REESE WITHERSPOON
textile products
Legally Blonde Reese Witherspoon collects antique linens, vintage fabrics and antique embroidery, mainly on tablecloths. Reese already has a huge collection of truly unique items. The actress buys copies for her at auctions and sales, in specialized antique stores, and she doesn’t disdain flea markets - if you’re lucky, you can find real works of art there.
Witherspoon likes to sort through the exhibits in her collection - she says that contemplating beautiful things self made not only brings her pleasure, but also inspires her.
HEIDI KLUM
shoes
Top model Heidi Klum collects shoes. While working in the modeling industry, mother of two daughters Heidi has accumulated many pairs of shoes. According to conservative estimates, there are already 2,000 pairs in her collection. The model explains this by saying that she is a very thrifty person. The girl saves and saves something all the time. She even has a separate storage room at home for things. Now the model dreams of one thing: for her beautiful daughters’ feet to grow to the desired size. Only then will they be able to wear out all these boots, sandals, sandals and shoes.
ANGELINA JOLIE
knives
Angelina Jolie doesn't exactly have a ladies' collection - she loves collecting rare daggers and knives. The first dagger was given to her at the age of 11 by the dearest person on earth. She passed this “love” on to her children. Her husband Brad Pitt is interested in much more peaceful subjects - his passion is collecting pieces of furniture and coins that may be of artistic value.
ELTON JOHN
glasses
The most talented British rock singer, musician and composer is a famous collector. Along with rare cars, of which he already has 26, Elton John collects glasses.
His collection contains more than 250,000 of the most different glasses. There are so many of them that on tour in Brazil in March 2013, the artist, as expected, filmed numbers for himself and his assistants, but also filmed a separate number for his glasses! Lenses of all colors of the rainbow, glasses with antennas, headlights and other devices. His collection even includes glasses with wiper blades, like on windshield car.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG
bakelite jewelry
If you're too young to remember the Bakelite craze, in the 1970s, Bakelite (a type of plastic) became popular as a material for toys, buttons, household items, and even jewelry. This is the type of jewelry that Goldberg collects. She has been known to wear her Bakelite jewelry to various events and on The Today Show. She even wore some of them to the Academy Awards. Other Bakelite lovers include Barbra Streisand, Diane Keaton and Lily Tomlin.
DEMMY MOOR
porcelain dolls
The Striptease star may not seem like someone who would be interested in dolls, but Moore doesn't just collect new and vintage dolls, she also collects them in very large quantities. She has so many of them that ex-husband Bruce Willis bought her a second house just so she could keep her collection there. Her collection consists mainly of lifelike dolls and unglazed porcelain dolls. Unglazed porcelain dolls are famous for their matte, skin-like finish and large size(sometimes the size of a baby). These are exactly the kind of dolls that can often be seen in horror films. The value of her collection? Over a million dollars.
ROD STEWART
model trains
When it comes to model trains, Stewart may easily be the most avid collector. In fact, he has such a passion for them that the third floor of his Beverly Hills home was transformed into a huge model of a 1940s Chicago train, measuring 7 by 37 meters. The model is complemented by terminals, parks, warehouses and much more. Stewart calls his train collection "very calming" and often goes away to play with it. He even takes some models with him on tour, or builds some of the model elements himself. Oh yes, Stuart is far from alone in his love of trains. His passion for model trains is also shared or shared by Phil Collins, Family Ties star Michael Gross, Frank Sinatra, Patrick Stewart and Neil Young.
ROSIE O'DONNELL
McDonald's toys
Just because you're a rich celebrity doesn't mean you have to collect very expensive items, and Rosie proved that when she started collecting McDonald's toys and eventually turned her entire office into a colorful display. Rosie started her collection the old fashioned way: by going to McDonald's and buying their food to get toys. At one point, she visited McDonald's every day to collect 101 tiny Dalmatians from famous film. Of course, McDonald's heard about this and decided to send her the entire collection. Her decision? Go on to collecting other toys from the Mickey D series. Rosie's collection includes more than 2,500 items and is constantly growing. When asked why she chose Happy Meal toys, the comedian said they were a simple reminder of her childhood.
CLAUDIA SCHIFFER
insects
The model's image does not at all fit with collecting insects, but nevertheless it is so. German model Claudia Schiffer is the owner of a large collection of various insects.
DAVID ROCKEFELLER
beetles collection
The oldest member of the Rockefeller family has a passion for bugs. Insects, not cars. In fact, David Rockefeller Sr. began collecting beetles when he was less than 10 years old (he is now over 90 years old) and even discovered several rare species.
TAYLOR SWIFT
snow globes
Popular singer Taylor Swift loves snow globes! The girl regularly adds new items to her collection and shares their photos on the social network.
DITA VON TEESE
stuffed animals
The extravagant dancer also holds her own when it comes to collecting. In one of her interviews, Dita admitted that she collects stuffed animals: “Antique or “ethical” stuffed animals - I mean stuffed animals that died a natural death. I think they are very beautiful." For the sake of the hobby, von Teese even had to re-equip the apartment in a special way: change the wallpaper throughout the house and create special rooms with an ideal temperature for storing exhibits. Storage for the furry collection was converted from two bedrooms.
KIEFER SUTHERLAND
Gibson guitars
Kiefer can be considered one of the most ardent collectors of Gibson guitars. At last count, he has 38 guitars, which he stores in his studio. Love these musical instruments he's been feeding since he first heard about Jimmy Page and Angus Young.
NICOLE KIDMAN
Jewish coins
When she's not filming or playing games, Nicole can be found looking at her collection of ancient Hebrew coins.
luxlux, wday, newrezume, plitkar, bugaga
The unusual discovery was made after representatives of the Protestant congregation Celebration Church in Lakeville (Minnesota, USA) came to inspect the house bequeathed to the church by recently deceased parishioner Dennis Erickson, reports Kare11.com.
Dennis Erickson, who died last December, donated the house and its contents in his will to Celebration Church, where he had been a member for many years.
The head of the community's financial service, Lisa Lindstrom, in a commentary for the publication, said that her first visit to the house donated to the church made an indelible impression on her.
“When I walked in, it took my breath away,” she testified: almost every room in the house, every free space - from the hallway to the bedrooms - was filled with shelves on which thousands of scale models of cars were stored. “Literally: from floor to ceiling, in every single room.”
Even the hallways, laundry room and bathroom had shelving on the walls.
It took several weeks to inventory the collection. According to the compiled catalog, it contains more than 30 thousand car models.
“This is one of the largest collections in the whole world,” noted L. Lindstrom.
Dennis Erickson and his only and main hobby
Lakeville resident and engineer by training Dennis Erickson began collecting model cars at the age of nine and devoted all his free time to this hobby.
He was a regular at antique shops and a regular at car shows, and spent a lot of time searching for models on the Internet. Before last days Erickson placed orders for various models throughout his life, and some of them continue to arrive in the mail at his address even after his death.
Dennis Erickson was the only child in the family. He lived in the house with his parents, and after their death he became its only occupant. The Lakeville church member never married and had no children.
In addition to a huge collection of car models, D. Erickson collected and cataloged thousands of brochures on automotive topics. He assembled the shelves on which his collection was stored with his own hands. The shelves were covered with plexiglass to protect the models from dust.
“He took better care of these little cars than people take care of each other,” said Lisa Lindstrom.
Dennis Erickson died in his sleep at the age of 69.
The fate of the Erickson collection
Since D. Erickson had no family, the Celebration Church community took care of organizing his funeral.
It was decided to sell off the Dennis Erickson collection. Lisa Lindstrom, named executor of D. Erickson's estate in the will, believes it is likely that the unique collection will be sold off in large parts, since selling a collection of thousands of individual models may take too long.
L. Lindstrom estimates the Lakeville church could raise six figures from the sale of Dennis Erickson's collection, most of which will go to Celebration Church. The church already has plans regarding this money: the community intends to use the funds to develop youth ministry.
"I think using the gift that Dennis gave to impact future generations is exactly what he would have wanted," said Celebration Church Pastor Derrick Ross.
Largest collections of car models
The origins of modern model car collecting date back to the 1940s. The authors of the idea for a scale model of the car were sales agents largest French automobile concerns.
To make it easier for a future car buyer to imagine their purchase, traveling salesmen began to carry with them exact replicas of the cars they were offering. And the most popular scale today, 1:43, was chosen based on numerous consultations with engineers, artists and even doctors. According to experts, models of this particular scale are both visual and easy to manufacture. Over time, models of other sizes appeared, multiples or close to 43 - 1:87, 1:160, 1:24, 1:12.
However, the most common and popular format remains 1:43. The collection discovered in Lakeville is made up of models of this exact scale.
As of January 2014, Lebanese resident Nabil "Billy" Karam was considered the holder of the official Guinness World Record for collecting model cars. His collection included more than 30 thousand unique models.
However, a resident of San Antonio (Texas, USA), Hank Hammer, has amassed a collection of almost 36.5 thousand scale models since 1968. And taking into account accompanying artifacts (brochures, catalogs, automotive souvenirs, etc.), this collection numbers about 100 thousand items.
At the same time, the collector preferred Porsche car models.
By now, Hank Hammer has abandoned his former hobby. His collection is stored in two specially equipped houses with a total area of about 280 square meters. m.