Mini Instruments...for mini people?

Yesterday as I was walking through the West Village I passed this tiny store with tiny instruments in it. My first thought was, how does this store afford to stay open only selling tiny instruments? My next thought was, who plays these tiny instruments? They are too small for "little people," too big for Barbie, animals don't have opposable thumbs with which to pluck an instrument. Hmm...I just didn't know. Then I had an epiphany! These were knick knacks or tchotchke's, if you will. It's ridiculous that it took me so long to figure this out since I am the knick knack princess (second only to me mum). Then I thought, why wouldn't you want a tiny instrument to prove to all of your friends that you, in fact, play a larger version of this same exact instrument! I mean I actually wouldn't want a small violin or piano, but maybe that's because of the shame I bear from quitting so many music lessons as a child.

Why do people like such mini things? Why do people insist upon buying a small viola if they already have a life size one that actually serves a purpose? I suppose I could just ask my mom (who I am pretty sure has given my sister a miniature viola at one point or another), but I think she would just say she didn't know why. Why do we really buy anything we do? I love buying mini things. I love buying mini plates and glass thimbles from everywhere I go and they are just as useful as a tiny piano. I suppose I think they will conjure up some memory each and every time I look at them, even though they really don't do that at all. Now they just take up space on my bookshelf where my books should really be. Does this mean I will stop buying them? No, probably not. I will, probably, forever think that I need to buy miniature things to commemorate each and every thing I do in life. So if you see a little plate that says "I like to buy miniature plates," let me know and pick one up for me.