Confessions of a Cobalt Blue Mug Collector
It’s not a serious collection. Not like my seashells, which are spread out all over the house, collecting dust in the corners of my attic, and stuffed into plastic bags in junk drawers next to thumb tacks, screwdrivers, calculators, and old keys. I don’t think of myself as a person with a collector’s personality. I don’t like knickknacks, more things to dust. It just sort of happened. It only took one. Soon there were others.
My eldest son doesn’t much like my cobalt blue mugs because he’s a potter and can make better ones. My husband likes to add to the collection by bringing home new ones. His frequently have pictures of lighthouses on them. We have one from Radford University where he got his Master’s Degree in counseling. It says “RU” and currently has a chip on the lip.
The thing about my cobalt blue mugs is that they have to SAY something. 
My very first one said HULL, the small Massachusetts beach town I grew up in. I was visiting my parents when I saw it in their house. I admired it and my mother gave it to me.
I was sad when my HULL mug broke, and when I later tried to replace it, the closest I could get was a “Hull Lifesaving Museum” one with a picture of Hull’s historic seafaring captain, Joshua James, on it. I bought it at the Lifesaving Museum, which used to be the Coast Guard Station, right next to the house I grew up in. I found a second mug just like it at a yard sale across the street from the Life Saving Museum. I used to know the family that lived in the house where the yard sale was, and so I still call it “the Ottino’s house.”
One cobalt blue mug I have came from the Goodwill Thrift Shop. It says “Coffee is only for Closers.” I bought it because it was cobalt and because I knew I’d enjoy thinking more about the saying on it. I imagined that it once lived in a realtor’s office, that someone got it as a commission gift. I wondered how it ended up in the thrift shop. Did someone get fired? Someone needier than me probably should have had that mug. I don’t drink coffee, I didn’t sell anything, and don’t need anymore mugs for tea. I just liked the cobalt color.
I regret that my cobalt blue mug from Aspen that I got for a cheap price in a souvenir shop broke the first year I had it. I don’t know if I’ll ever be back that way. I don’t think I have any with lighthouses on them anymore. I still have my most elaborate, most expensive, and most recently acquired cobalt blue mug. It has a celtic knot design on it and was purchased at the Café Del Sol. I have a small matching cobalt blue teapot that my sister Tricia gave me as a gift.
I wonder if this post will cause friends and family to shower me with cobalt blue mugs.
Gone to make tea … Accompanying poem is HERE. More Sunday Scribblings on the “collector personality” is HERE.
September 16th, 2007 12:46 am
Ohhh Colleen you’ve done it now, betcha trucksfull of Cobalt Blue Mugs will be coming your way :~)
September 16th, 2007 8:05 am
i love that color too… and what better place to hide the tea stains!!!!
September 16th, 2007 8:24 am
It’s always interesting to see what constitutes people’s collections. Here’s another post about collections that was just put up:
http://havingwrit.blogspot.com/2007/09/herd-of-rabbits.html
How do we decide what “it” will be? Mugs, bunnies, beanie-babies? little bottles? For me, it was t-shirts. They’re not anything that will grow old with me, but since I seldom had a lot of space, I was always moving, and they didn’t cost a lot – they were perfect. Now, I also collect pie birds (aka pie vents). They’re small and there aren’t too many of them around, so I think I don’t have to worry too much about it getting out of hand. Yes, people do remember when they see/hear about your collections. People want to give others’ things they like.
September 16th, 2007 8:35 am
I lost my post somehow somewhere out there in cyberspace- if it reappears here is the jist. Cobalt blue there just isn’t that much and it has a New England and ancient quality to it. I too can’t stand to dust but do have carousel figures to remind me of my grandaughters first ride with me , and home made music boxes. I too have a plethera of sea shells and sea glass so last year I started scatterinbg it all in my garden and how lovely it is when the light hit it ..no more searching in drawers ..
I also filled a big round glass globe with lots of it for my table. I have a tendency to squirrel things away that I love to see and they are coming out !!!!
September 16th, 2007 10:23 am
There’s something special about that color alright. I used to buy anything that color whether it fit or was needed or not. I can stay my hand these days but I love my cobalt blue glass mug.
September 16th, 2007 1:18 pm
Mugs, yes. There’s something about mugs that warms one. Nice post!
September 16th, 2007 1:50 pm
I have four cobalt blue mugs. I don’t care if they have any design on them, but that celtic knot is lovely.
September 16th, 2007 4:17 pm
I love anything cobalt blue and seashells too.
September 16th, 2007 7:05 pm
Hi Colleen, Michele sent me. My ex collects cobalt blue things…I think cobalt blue is lovely! Me, I collect shot glasses from places I travel to…I don’t drink much – but they are there.
Have a wonderful week-end.
September 16th, 2007 7:27 pm
Colleen, I now know that any time I see a cobalt mug – I will think of you!I have a small collection of cobalt glass, which sits in my window sills. I just love the color when light shines through it.
Re your comment: I also see a face in the board, but I also see a nerve cell with legs! LOL
September 16th, 2007 10:32 pm
I started collecting cobolt blue glass items like vases, sun catchers, and bowls.I love the way they look in the sunlight. Your collection must look beautiful. I like the idea of the words on them also.
September 16th, 2007 11:19 pm
When I’m home, I can ONLY drink my coffee or tea from a certain mug (which happens to be cobalt blue.) Tomorrow morning, when I pour my coffee, I will think of you!
September 17th, 2007 12:04 am
Cheers, Patry! I know what you mean. Although I need a few “only mugs” cause I keep losing them around the house.
September 17th, 2007 3:55 am
Oh, how lovely!! I love mugs but sometimes I need my real cup of tea 🙂
I see many cobalt blue mugs going your way!
September 17th, 2007 7:38 am
Well, we are not longer quite the twins I thought. I (hubby) have (had) dozens of mugs that have gone the way of the church-run store. So glad to get rid of them!
September 17th, 2007 8:26 am
Tabor, Was that your mug, Coffee is for Closers?!
September 17th, 2007 9:32 am
Oh, I’m betting you’re in for so many cobalt blue mugs that you’ll be selling them on ebay soon, and buyers will know you as Cobalt.
September 17th, 2007 11:19 am
I would really like to send you a cobalt blue mug from Hull, East Yorkshire, England. Would that do?
September 17th, 2007 11:46 am
I’d love it! I’d be happy to pay for it if you think it won’t break.
September 19th, 2007 9:39 am
One of my best friend’s Lisa collects cobalt blue glass things like ash trays, vases, wine glasses. It is very pretty when you go in her house and the sun rays catch the blue glass.
Everytime I see a cobalt blue coffee mug now I’ll wonder if you’d like it.
October 13th, 2007 7:10 am
Hi there! I just acquired an entire cobalt glass collection from the widower of the lady that collected it for 47 years +. There are some absolutely fantastic pieces, but I’m at a loss as to what some of the items are. There are probably close to 100 or so mugs. I can take pictures of them & send to you. I’d just like to know what some of them are. The husband has no information, which is a real shame. Anyone that can help I’d really appreciate it.