Wow! That Oughta Be In a Museum!

Public and Private

They filter out many objects in search of better ones.

Museum curators, however, do not own the objects in their collections. Museum objects are held in public trust and preserved for the education of future generations.

Private collectors are not bound by these restrictions. They are free to manage their collections in much more personal ways.

Marvin and Jennie Landgren of Lindsborg have collected one-of-a-kind objects for decades. They drive their pick-up truck to auctions as far north as Nebraska and as far south as Wichita. Among their unique collections are miniature replicas of buildings from their central Kansas community.

The Landgrens have filled their home and two buildings with the fruits of their collecting. At one time they were stricter about people handling their collections. Today their attitude is more relaxed.

"You know, the beauty about this is that it's all our own stuff and . . . if you drop it and break it, so what? People come in here and say, 'Aren't you afraid of being stolen from?' and . . . I say I have had my good of it, and if they need it worse than I do, then let them have it."
--Marvin Landgren

Pictured above, Jennie and Marvin Landgren with a small portion of their extensive collection in Lindsborg.

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