Collecting. Hoarding. Possessing.
Seeking out for something is thrilling.
This is how most of my collections started out. I have a hard time trying to describe what exactly prompts us to have a collection: coins, stamps, vinyl, clothing, empty cans, cats; collections come in all sorts of forms. I am not sure whether to call it a need, an urge, a necessity, or just let it on the hobby shelve. Whatever it is, the amassing of physical (usually) items seems to be taken as an extension of the self.
One collects because it is nostalgic, pleasurable, related to an area of interest, or some things are just too good to collect. I'll use coins and bills as an example, as they can be found anywhere, with great variations in value, and there are million different possibilities and ranges in this sort of collection; in short, coins are dependend on time, location, value, aesthetics, material, events (commemorative coins and the such), and of course, there are also coins made specifically for collecting.
Another good example is cards: as an example I'll use Magic The Gathering. Not only they can be played with, they're easily collectible. Not only different editions are constantly coming out, different rarities and values are attributed to cards. They're collectible on purpose. In fact, from stickers, to card, to pure collectors editions, many things are made with the intent to be collected. What makes us buy into this, then?
One thing is the thrill of seeking a specific item, which may be harder to acquire: this comes in the form of experience. Even though you have a physical item, you have a story behind on how you got it. On the other hand, many collections come simply in the form of buying. This still makes us highly knowledgeable on the subject matter and items gathered. As long as it does not become obssessive, collecting can be viewed as an healthy hobby and way to pass the time.
With this in mind, when does collecting start being considered too much? To answer this question, I would firstly propose the simplest idea: you're starting to spend time that you could be spending socially, with friends and family; and, or, you start disregarding any other daily life necessities and possibilities solely for the sake of your collection. This can be an early warning. The second is monetary. If it comes to the point where you're more worried about upgrading your collection than getting enough food for the day, or if you're creating debt solely for those items, you should consider stopping. At least for a while.
In such cases, this can start being considered an obssession: despite being a choice, one has to consider whether it truly is an healthy choice, or if it's been going overboard. Do these items mean more to you than your family and friends? Do they mean more than any other thing you could be doing in life? What would losing this collection mean to you? Is it like the death of someone close; something you would have to deal with, and either try to move on, or re-start again with different means? When does it become hoarding?
I once read that the difference between collecting and hoarding, is that hoarders do not categorize the items hoarded, as this is a characteristic of collecting. I beg to differ, as there are plenty of hoarders are still selective of the items they hoard (even though it is certain that the standards are usually quite low). Also, there are hoarders who do categorize certain items, and who are highly organized. This still makes them run out of space, and completely changes their daily lives as the hoarded objects become more important than the self.
My reply to this one then, is that collecting is healthy and a great hobby as long as you don't put it in front of yourself. Now, I know this is a controversial statement, as different people have different tastes and priorities, and defining what "putting something before yourself" is can be extremely complex. But if we go to the very basic human aspect, where one needs space, love, bonding, friendship, water, food, and general happiness, it starts being easier to trace a line. Also, I know that losing an item, or certain items can be distressing for a number of reasons, but we still have to access what these items mean to us, and why it would be distressing to lose them.
Last but not least, like I mentioned before, nowadays many items are created with the sole purpose of being collected. Think twice on what makes you collect certain things and what makes them collectable in the first place.
The point of this is not to make you start considering every collection you have, as what I mentioned earlier is certainly not that much of a common problem. Nevertheless, if you're a serious collector, always try to have a well defined line between how much these collections are actually part of you.
By knowing yourself and stablishing clear goals, you can still be a collector of pretty much anything and take this as an healthy experience and a good past time.
This is how most of my collections started out. I have a hard time trying to describe what exactly prompts us to have a collection: coins, stamps, vinyl, clothing, empty cans, cats; collections come in all sorts of forms. I am not sure whether to call it a need, an urge, a necessity, or just let it on the hobby shelve. Whatever it is, the amassing of physical (usually) items seems to be taken as an extension of the self.
One collects because it is nostalgic, pleasurable, related to an area of interest, or some things are just too good to collect. I'll use coins and bills as an example, as they can be found anywhere, with great variations in value, and there are million different possibilities and ranges in this sort of collection; in short, coins are dependend on time, location, value, aesthetics, material, events (commemorative coins and the such), and of course, there are also coins made specifically for collecting.
Another good example is cards: as an example I'll use Magic The Gathering. Not only they can be played with, they're easily collectible. Not only different editions are constantly coming out, different rarities and values are attributed to cards. They're collectible on purpose. In fact, from stickers, to card, to pure collectors editions, many things are made with the intent to be collected. What makes us buy into this, then?
One thing is the thrill of seeking a specific item, which may be harder to acquire: this comes in the form of experience. Even though you have a physical item, you have a story behind on how you got it. On the other hand, many collections come simply in the form of buying. This still makes us highly knowledgeable on the subject matter and items gathered. As long as it does not become obssessive, collecting can be viewed as an healthy hobby and way to pass the time.
With this in mind, when does collecting start being considered too much? To answer this question, I would firstly propose the simplest idea: you're starting to spend time that you could be spending socially, with friends and family; and, or, you start disregarding any other daily life necessities and possibilities solely for the sake of your collection. This can be an early warning. The second is monetary. If it comes to the point where you're more worried about upgrading your collection than getting enough food for the day, or if you're creating debt solely for those items, you should consider stopping. At least for a while.
In such cases, this can start being considered an obssession: despite being a choice, one has to consider whether it truly is an healthy choice, or if it's been going overboard. Do these items mean more to you than your family and friends? Do they mean more than any other thing you could be doing in life? What would losing this collection mean to you? Is it like the death of someone close; something you would have to deal with, and either try to move on, or re-start again with different means? When does it become hoarding?
I once read that the difference between collecting and hoarding, is that hoarders do not categorize the items hoarded, as this is a characteristic of collecting. I beg to differ, as there are plenty of hoarders are still selective of the items they hoard (even though it is certain that the standards are usually quite low). Also, there are hoarders who do categorize certain items, and who are highly organized. This still makes them run out of space, and completely changes their daily lives as the hoarded objects become more important than the self.
My reply to this one then, is that collecting is healthy and a great hobby as long as you don't put it in front of yourself. Now, I know this is a controversial statement, as different people have different tastes and priorities, and defining what "putting something before yourself" is can be extremely complex. But if we go to the very basic human aspect, where one needs space, love, bonding, friendship, water, food, and general happiness, it starts being easier to trace a line. Also, I know that losing an item, or certain items can be distressing for a number of reasons, but we still have to access what these items mean to us, and why it would be distressing to lose them.
Last but not least, like I mentioned before, nowadays many items are created with the sole purpose of being collected. Think twice on what makes you collect certain things and what makes them collectable in the first place.
The point of this is not to make you start considering every collection you have, as what I mentioned earlier is certainly not that much of a common problem. Nevertheless, if you're a serious collector, always try to have a well defined line between how much these collections are actually part of you.
By knowing yourself and stablishing clear goals, you can still be a collector of pretty much anything and take this as an healthy experience and a good past time.
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