Many people collect things but some just don't know when to stop. Noor-Jehan Yoro Badat speaks to four people about their obsessions
THE COLLECTOR OF LIFELIKE DOLLS
Shannon de Jager,eight, of Brackenhurst, has more than 100 Baltorina reborn dolls, says her mother, Sylvia:
'Five years ago we read an article in a magazine about Rina Muller, the owner of Baltorina's Unique Dolls. We tracked her down and asked her to make a doll for Shannon. Rina sent us photos of the types of dolls she had. That's how the collection began.
Shannon loves her “babies”. She's very maternal with them. She's very caring, soft and looks after them well. She loves all of them, she has no favourite, but she definitely notices if one is gone.
If one of the doll's hair needs to be re-rooted, I have to send them back without her knowing because she's afraid that they won't come back.
We don't mind making space for them at our home. We love having them. Half the dolls are in her room and the other half are in a baby nursery which has four cribs.
Shannon shares her dolls easily with her friends and she's very popular in school, because she's kind.
She takes turns to play with a different doll every time.
It's an expensive hobby - the most expensive doll cost about R3 500 - but it doesn't bother us.
We never imagined that she'd own so many. But there was nothing else that she wanted. No other dolls could compare, because they look so real, so we don't buy other types of dolls because Shannon is simply not interested.
Most dolls were shipped to us, but we also buy them from Reggies or Toys R Us. They even contact us when they have a new collection. When we go to places like Durban, we'll visit stores there to see if they have anything different.
I also get excited when we buy a new doll. They are fun. I think Shannon will continue collecting them.”
THE COCA-COLA COLLECTOR
Hendrik Botha, 57, of Pretoria, has thousands of items of Coca-Cola memorabilia:
'In 2000 I bought a number of Coca-Cola bottles and old cans from a deceased estate. I also got divorced, moved into a townhouse and bought a bar. I'd always wanted one, even though I'm not a drinker.
But it looked empty. One day I bought a Coke can set. It looked nice on my bar, but it needed more.
I now have cans, bottles, merchandise and advertising material like mugs, key rings, lighters, rulers, posters, stationery, soft toys, T-shirts and interesting bottles from other countries. The oldest SA can I have is from 1988.
I've bought a cap from somebody's head on the streets for R50. I also have a 1954 lighter in the shape of a bottle that still works. I also have a mini fridge which I won in a competition.
Sometimes a unique object goes on promotion - a free yo-yo with every two-litre Coke bottle purchased at a petrol station, for instance - and that's exciting because it's new.
I try to sell quite a bit of my SA cans. With that money, I buy, on e-Bay, Coca-Cola-related Christmas items. During the festive season we build a massive Christmas display.
My most expensive purchase was a bottle which cost R200 at a fair in Benoni. I told people about it on Facebook. Five minutes later, I got an offer of $800 from someone in the Far East. But I didn't sell it.
Space is a big problem - three-quarters of my collection is permanently packed away. My garage is full, so is my bar area and half of my lounge.
My current wife met me with my collection, so she does not mind as long as it's contained to an area of the house.
I'm always on the lookout for things. I'd like to get a Coca-Cola bicycle and a big Coca-Cola fridge, but I don't have space for it. I am quite obsessive. My collection keeps me busy and out of mischief.”
THE AUTOGRAPH HUNTER
Clayton Morar, 28, from Cape Town, is an autograph hunter and is aiming to be in the Guinness World Records:
'I was 13 when I started collecting autographs. The first autograph I got was from Steffi Graf. I grew up watching Wimbledon and played the sport.
I found her fan mail address in a Foschini Club magazine and wrote to her. Three weeks later I received a postcard with her signature on it. I thought if Steffi Graf could do it, others would too. It became a challenge and I'd get a rush if I got up close to a celebrity.
I have the signatures of politicians, sportsmen and women, celebrities, TV stars, models and other famous people. I have autographs from Angelina Jolie, David Beckham, the entire Manchester United, Beyoncé Knowles, MC Hammer, Liza Minnelli, Gerard Butler and so much more. I now have 5 625 autographs.
My favourite is from Mariah Carey. I've been a fan since I was five. I met her in 2009 in Cape Town. She was so sweet.
Other celebrities have been rude, such as John Legend, Lance Armstrong and Halle Berry. I was a fan of John Legend, so I felt gutted because he was so disrespectful.
The most difficult one to get via mail was Cameron Diaz. It took two and a half years.
Matt Damon was nice. I met him at the starting line of the 2009 Cape Argus Cycle Race Tour. Kim Kardashian was cold and standoffish, her sister Khloe was nicer. But my prized possession is an autograph from Mother Teresa.
This hobby has kick-started my career in journalism. For me, it's been a blessing and I'm grateful to experience it. It's helped me with my character as a person and as a journalist.
My goal is to get in the Guinness World Records with the most autographs. So there is purpose to why I do this.”
THE CAT LADY
Heidi Henning, 55, of Centurion, has about 5 000 cat-related objects:
'I've always liked cats. We always had cats - I used to have eight, but currently have four. I'm envious of them because they are so confident.
So I started to collect cat objects. Now whenever I see a cat object in a shop, I have to go and buy it. I buy lots of them from antique markets.
Whenever my sister goes overseas, she has a standing order to get me cats. I also get them from the Bid or Buy website.
Many of my ornaments are stored in display cases and shelves. I'd like to start cataloguing them and make the display cupboard dust free. It's been 40 years of collecting.
My collection includes things like plush cat toys, pendants, brooches, rings, clothes with their pictures, towels, soap dish holders, candlesticks and cement cats that sit outside the house.
My prized possession is a lion, a plush toy made in Germany. It's precious because my mother got him before I was born. I used to play with him when I was little.
You can say he's like a family heirloom. There was one like it which sold on the market for R100 000.
My family feels I'm nuts. My sister says I must sell them all but I won't do that. My eldest son always says he will open a cat museum when I'm gone.
My husband says that there's nothing much that he can do to stop me and he just rolls his eyes. But he does buy me gifts of cats. He's clever - he knows that if I'm happy, the whole house is also happy.
Without the cats, my house would look bare. I have some favourites, one of which is a Garfield stuffed toy. Other favourite plush toys I've given names like Toffee, Tabitha and Jessamin.
I always say that if I didn't buy these cats, I wouldn't have a bond on my house.” - The Star