The phrase "a modest collection of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a small or unassuming group of items, often in a context where the speaker wants to convey humility or simplicity about the collection.
Example: "The museum features a modest collection of local artifacts that reflect the region's rich history."
Alternatives: "a small assortment of" or "a humble selection of".
And while others collected dolls, Ms. Dunne amassed a modest collection of vintage perfume bottles.
Competitor Rick Santorum, by contrast, has only a modest collection of endorsements.
There were cans of beans, a jumbo box of Corn Flakes, tea bags, a modest collection of mismatched dishes and a gallon of whole milk in the refrigerator.
So it was with a certain degree of humility, along with curiosity, that we approached a modest collection of Australian shirazes to see what we could find -- and learn.
So in May, the Ammermans once again packed their possessions -- which by this point included a Navajo rug and a modest collection of Native American pottery -- and moved back to Long Island.
A stereo and a modest collection of CD's are relegated to a study, along with a careless jumble of awards and plaques that Mr. Wein has garnered over the years.
Even in a modest collection, Mr. Lam brings something strongly feminine to life.
Serota spent many hours in the Cambridge home of Jim and Helen Ede, a retired couple whose modest collection of works by Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, and other British modernists gave him his first sense of how works of art could charge and dominate the space around them.
It's a family joke that rags will become a part of my estate, along with my modest collection of vintage shawls and dresses squirreled away in the upstairs hall closet.
"We're kind of hoping it gets down to six degrees, if you know what I mean," Kevin Bacon said, winking at the crowd a modest collection of sports fans, foreign tourists, and Broadway wanderers who clutched plastic bags and leaned over the curb with curiosity.
