Why do people start collections?

[happy2bretired]

Cut-Throat, I agree about collecting experiences. The best thing to collect. I just hope that my brain agrees with me on that so that I will be able to recall those experiences on down the line. Another reason to keep my pictures safe. Moemg, sounds like you did just fine with Babe Ruth. It would be fun if there was something like that in my pile.

 

[MikeD]

I have an uncle who is mentally ill. Really mentally ill, like going to an insane asylum periodically and being unable to work. He's has had the collecting bug since he was about two years old. One thing at a time for years. For the past ten or fifteen years he has collected Russian nesting dolls. He has no room left in his house. He lives on disability and sometimes spends ALL his money on his collection resulting in no money for gasoline or food. Nice collection, though, if you like that sort of thing.

It's also all he can carry a conversation about.

Mike D.

 

[Cut-Throat]

I have an uncle who is mentally ill. Really mentally ill, like going to an insane asylum periodically and being unable to work. He's has had the collecting bug since he was about two years old. One thing at a time for years. For the past ten or fifteen years he has collected Russian nesting dolls. He has no room left in his house. He lives on disability and sometimes spends ALL his money on his collection resulting in no money for gasoline or food. Nice collection, though, if you like that sort of thing.

It's also all he can carry a conversation about.

Mike D.

Just shoot me!

 

[Goonie]

I'm part collector...part pack rat.

My main collecting revolves around my model railroading hobby...and some prototype stuff like RR lanterns. I also have a fairly large library...3000-4000 books....I'm working at whittling that down bit by bit....I've cleared out about 1000 books so far. I have a nice workshop FULL of all sorts of tools (power and hand) and I love to go out there and tinker around. I also used to really be "into" computers, and have all sorts of parts, cases, etc.

After I leave my j*b behind next month, I plan on starting to really "clean & toss". I have a friend that owns a disposal company, and I'm going to have him drop off a dumpster. I'm going to "dumpsterize" ALOT of sh*t!!!

 

[stargazer08]

FIL used to collect tractors...the real kind. He had some awesome old ones that actually ran. He auctioned them off several years ago...120+ of them. He stored each and every one of them inside. OCD poster boy. He's moved onto pedal and toy tractors. Easily has over 1000 toy and probably that many pedal tractors. It's insane.

 

[UncleHoney]

DW collected tins, tin trays, tin boxes, you name it and we had it. About 30 years worth of collecting and it was slowly taking over the whole house. Every square inch of storage space was taken over by boxes of tins. We had well over 1800 tins.

About a year ago she decided to get rid of them. But how? Ebay is full of tins and a few collectors will pick them up but won't pay much when they have to pay shipping. After a number of adds in the paper that brought only a few buyers she was about to haul them all to the dump. I know she was more than a little disappointed that her whole collection really wasn't worth what she thought.

We finally came up with the idea of donating them to charity. A few phone calls at work got me in contact with the people that organize the United Way Campaign each fall. To make a long story short, they had a silent auction on line and we got rid of almost all the tins. The auction made almost $2000 for the United Way.

The collection is now down to something we can handle, jpg files on the web.

http://mrcol.freeyellow.com/tins/

And if you think she got rid of all the tins, guess again. There are still a few boxes lurking under the basement steps.

 

[Khan]

I have no comprehension of 'collecting'.

As someone else mentioned: 'collecting money is a good thing'.

"Everybody else's stuff is s*** and your s*** is stuff."
- George Carlin

 

[Sheryl]

You could donate it:

http://makingmemories.org/brides_against_breast_cancer.html

(or look for local organizations)

Wow - great idea. I didn't feel too happy about giving it to Value Village - but it never occurred to me that there would be charities that could profit from it. Thanks.

 

[Sheryl]

The collection is now down to something we can handle, jpg files on the web.

http://mrcol.freeyellow.com/tins/

And if you think she got rid of all the tins, guess again. There are still a few boxes lurking under the basement steps.

That's a lot of tins!
I learned quickly to collect things that are hard to find.
I have a small house.

I didn't mention I also went through clock collecting phase. Most were owned by my grandmother, or collected by my great uncle. Sentimental value again. I have about (had to count - never have before) 12 - a couple in each room. S.O. put the kibosh on chiming and cuckooing though.

 

[Sheryl]

Oh Sheryl...I feel your pain.

I really know where you're coming from. When my mother died, my husband and I took a U-Haul TRUCK and picked up all of her things and stored them in our garage.

I am not a museum curator for past generations.

Good way to look at it!

I don't have a basement or a garage, and am 2500 miles away, so my brother is going to bear the brunt of it, when it finally happens.

Someone once suggested taking photos of all the things you are having a hard time parting with - then you only have to store a photo album and can look back at the memories any time you are inclined...

 

[happy2bretired]

I was the executor for my aunt's small estate a few years ago. I have a few pictures of her things for my memories....and of course some of the real stuff too. It really is hard dealing with everyone's belonging after they pass on. I think another reason that I am parting ways with many things right now is so my daughter won't have to when the time come. Geez...I'm only 56 Oh well, it's for my peace of mind too.

 

[happy2bretired]

Also, when my husband was still living, my mother-in-law was always passing out some of her possessions from past generations to her sons. My daughter wasn't interested since she had never met her great grandparents. So, I offered that stuff to my husband's brothers. I hope my mother-in-law was ok with that and I think she was. She is a wonderful woman.