Today we're more egalitarian. And hats don't fit well in cars. Miller recently was hat-hunting in New York's SoHo neighborhood and wandered into a Tibetan shop. The Tibetan proprietor ducked into the back of the shop for five minutes and returned with a Buddhist monk's Tagdroma, a canary yellow wonder that soars up from the head like a Roman legionnaire's headpiece. You can find great hats in tribal art galleries, but they're expensive.
Flea markets are better.
Miller's borderline obsession serves as a warning of what can happen if you don't watch out. I didn't collect anything as a kid although I did have a favorite winter pullover with a bunny pompom. Collectors more likely start out as pack rats, then try to justify the mess by saying they're hobbyists, she says. With Miller, it's hard to say where it might all end.