Weaving a history Mining for diamonds in the rough

Like many busy network professionals and harried mothers, Nilik Minassian has a weakness for the McDonald's Drive-Thru. But as a vegan, Minassian isn't after the food. She's got a hankering for the Happy Meal toys.

By day, this IT manager builds the infrastructure that lets Warner Music Group in Burbank, Calif., deliver digital content to 5,000 users at 150 international and domestic sites. Off the clock, she is busy trying to preserve childhood memories for her three daughters - 8-year-old twins and a 4-year-old.

"I'm fascinated with the toys themselves," Minassian says. "It takes you back to the moment, what children were interested in during that era, what was big. I envision my children opening a box in the attic one day."

So far, Minassian has collected more than 100 toys since her twins were toddlers. (She often buys doubles, letting her daughters play with one set, while she packs away another.) For the record, while her girls love the french fries and the Chicken McNuggets, she notes that you can buy the toys separately from the meals.

While the Happy Meal toys get tucked in the attic, Minassian's other collection - teapots - is prominently displayed in her home. In the past few years, she has amassed a collection of about 10 full-size teapots and 60 miniature teapots, found at antique shops and garage sales, or given to her as gifts. Among her collection are a hand-painted Russian teapot; a gold-plated Chinese dragon teapot from her grandmother; and a musical teapot, the likes of which she hasn't again seen. Minassian is attracted to the teapots for the intricate detailing. While her IT work is "highly technical, [collecting] is going back inside who I really am. This puts me in touch with that. Deep inside I really want to be an artist," she says.

Weaving a history

Minassian is far from alone in her passion for collecting. Interest in antiques and collectibles has skyrocketed in recent years, thanks in part to the rise of Web sites such as eBay and the "Antiques Roadshow," the most-watched show on public television. Being able to research your favorite stuff on the Internet has made it easy for more people to get involved in collecting.

Like Minassian, Katherine Stroud is an IT manager and has two collections. The drivers are similar to Minassian's: one puts her in touch with her artistic side, and the other helps instill a sense of history in her children.