Three Joys

A thing can bring three joys:
The joy of Acquiring.
The joy of Having
The joy of Giving

The first joy is that of the collector, whose gratification is to get something but not to use it. To put it on the shelf. Someone who has clothes in the closet with the tags still on. Or a Miniatures collector who just put the figures in the display case.

The second joy could be more rightly named the Joy of Using. This is the one most thought of as the main purpose for a thing, whatever it may be. For a miniatures collector it looks like an army well-used and well-loved.

The third joy is least considered, if at all. That is the satisfaction of giving something up. Selling it or seeing someone else gain use of it.

As for miniatures and me, I love the first part first. I love to make a new collection of figures, or conceive of and orchestrate its creation. But I hardly use them at all and I'm ready to give them up for something new in just a few weeks.