Adam,
I just sold a cracked and chipped
Minton pot with a butterfly on, and with a lovely little bird, I was actually shocked at what it made and even more shocked when the buyer, using another name, sold it for £250.
I also love the creative arts and used to paint a lot when I was younger. I inherited it from my mother who was an artist... my eyes aren't so good for painting detail these days, so I look and have some wonderful pieces.
My passion for beautiful paperweights is no less than my passion for any other work of art. I love the beauty and intricacy of it, so much so, that when you've see lovely things and take them home, your heart feels like it's bursting with joy at being given the privilege of acting as a caretaker of such objects.
Talking of illustrated books - I never gave any of mine away and still have my childhood ones, plus a few I got along the way. I also got a handpainted Japanese fairy story book, with the paintings separated from the rest of the pages by intricately watermarked rice paper, but each one is differently watermarked.
I have a whole collection of butterfly brooches, some enamelled butterflies I got when I was wandering around France, and other bits with butterflies on, like my bedside lamp.
Personally, I think the ideal situation for paperweight collectors, is for people to buy what they like, and then not swap, but loan them to another collector who loans you some of his, and that way you have a constant turnaround of different weights to enjoy their beauty. Wouldn't that be wonderful?