Dear Lee,

Some random thoughts that only collectors will understand:

Do you “win” or “buy” at an auction? Most people I know say “win,” but I think you “buy”—I know I buy when I have to pay the bill. You win at a lottery.

Do collectors pay attention to TV decorating shows that suggest you replace your old bathroom faucets with chrome faucets to be in the latest style? The TV hosts don’t seem to realize that chrome faucets have been around for generations. I have friends whose 80-year-old houses still have their original chrome faucets. In the 1950s, designers started using shiny brass faucets.

Another TV show recently announced that orange is “the 2011 color,” so get out your paint and redo your room. To me, orange is a 1960s color. A friend remodeled her kitchen a few years ago and removed her pinkish-orange Formica countertops covered with amoeba decorations. She should have waited—they’re back in style.

More thoughts about things I’ve seen on television: Did you know that a “garden bench” doesn’t have a back, but a “garden seat” does? And how in the world do you sit on a sofa covered with piles of decorative pillows? Don’t you think lots of pillows look silly on a Victorian or Mission sofa?