Dear Lee,

The technology of the 21st century is changing the way we collect, but it is not discouraging collectors. Books, movies, tapes, records and photographs have long been stored and displayed in collectors’ houses. Now all of these can be kept in “cloud storage” (on the Internet), out of sight but safe. Sales of traditional hardcover books, CDs and DVDs are down. Does that mean the end of collecting these and related forms of entertainment? We doubt it. Vinyl records, comic books, black and white family photos and even old VHS movie tapes are becoming more popular with small groups of collectors.

EBooks are fun to read, but printed first editions retain value and can be displayed. Even better, they can be autographed by the author. Vinyl records sound better than digital music, and collectors have the added fun of showing friends their phonographs, records and album covers. Bookshelves won’t hold eBooks or other electronic media, but they’ll be filled with some kind of collectibles. You can buy a computer program that will project museum paintings onto your wall, but that doesn’t beat owning a real painting or even a print of a real painting.

It’s true that some people prefer the digital world so they can avoid “clutter,” but interior decorators and architects still include bookshelves, glassed-in cabinets and wall space that can display personal treasures. Framed photographs of family members or the best work of a famous photographer are still found in the most modern, uncluttered homes.

There is no substitute for a collection of mechanical banks, Meissen figurines, autographed baseballs, a sculpture by Harry Bertoia or a carousel horse. Museums today are showing more 3-D decorative art, too, from French furniture to amazing pieces of art pottery.

So use the Internet for storage of important information about your collection, but display or listen to the real thing. We know the collector gene will not be denied.