Quirky British Animal shaped Charity Collection Boxes and how Artists Connect with them

April 2010 in Derby and July 2010 on the Isle of Wight

Why oh why do I love these animal (mostly dog) shaped money collection tins?

Of course being an artist I think far too much about these sorts of things and I ask myself even more questions such as:
When did I start liking them? What sorts of shops are they outside? How much money actually gets put inside? and have I myself even put any money inside one?

You can't kid a kid.
Here we have one collection tin in Shropshire/ Herefordshire in May 2011 and my friend Ben Sadler's lovely little daughter with an identical doggie in Birmingham 

I’ve even wondered if anyone has ever tried to steal one; I mean there can’t be that much money in them can there? 
Answer.. actually there can and yes people have. So even in sleepy Dursley thieves get so desperate as to have, not one but two, goes at pinching the labrador shaped money collecting box from their local swimming pool 

And yes, believe it or not, there is quite a bit of cash in these boxes. Website SOFII explains that actually people are much more generous when they can stay anonymous, and also when people can put as little as a penny in it has been proven that overall, donations (in total) are actually higher if people can put a penny in rather than being put on the spot and asked for a suggested minimum donation.

This one must be popular because I spotted it again in Portmerion in May 2012

BUT that is NOT WHAT THIS BLOG IS ABOUT!
What I really want to do is share some of my personal photos and maybe give a tiny insight into the mind of a creative person...Me!

Ever since I have had a photographic device at the ready at all times (I called it ‘handbag camera’ back in 2006) I have taken a lot of photos of things that I find interesting and after a while I started to notice that I had collected quite a few photos of animal money charity collecting tins (these were in my sub-folder called ‘Fun and Weird’). Gosh how things have moved on in the last few years, with Twitter, Instagram and tagging making it possible to share and develop a tagged collection of images as you go along.

The dogs on the left spotted in Portmerion car park May 2012 and dogs on the right some place in Shropshire/ Herefordshire May 2011

Oh well maybe there could also be a case for a small and personal personal collection of images developing and now being ready to be ‘hatched’ and released publicly online.

I am most likely to be the best person to be able to appreciate both sides of this argument because I am really quite an impatient person but strangely at the same time am also one of the slowest people to think about things and decide when to ‘go public' on something. 

Basil Brush; He probably says a lot about the era that these boxes were made in
1960's and 70's. 

I think this blog post might just be another little insight into me, Kirsty E Smith, the artist.

Look at these photos, check the dates, check the locations. What does this tell you? Do I have patience, am I fickle in my tastes and interests or am I the sort of person who is described (annoyingly) as quirky but also as reliable, individual and constant.

Robin tin first spotted in Portmerion 2012 and then 2 years later in my new home,  Hillsborough, Sheffield 2014.

I know what I like and do I really have to explain why I like it? No! Don't answer because this is a rhetorical question. 

And finally ... I am not the only one! For a few more animal shaped money  collection boxes click here!