Birdhouses aren't just for the birds anymore.
They're for people, too - and not just bird-watchers. Birdhouses have come into favor as collectibles and decorative items, like bird cages in the recent past."Birdhousing" by Peri Wolfman and Charles Gold (Clarkson Potter, $22.50 in hardcover) gives a clue as to the reason for this surge of popularity. The book shows birdhouses in gardens, introduces present-day birdhouse builders and provides collecting information on these charming, diminutive dwellings.
The authors (who are husband and wife) have been buying birdhouses for years - at first for themselves and as gifts, later for their New York store.
"What is so appealing about these folk art relics?" the text asks. "Is it their humorous details, their clumsy charm? It may be that for most of us who love houses, and can choose only one (or maybe two) to live in, the fun of acquiring house after house - cottage, log cabin, Greek revival farmhouse - without having to get a mortgage is a dream come true."
Not to mention the possibility of attracting birds. - Carol Nuckols