We’ve been heavy-handed with the whole de-clutter theme recently, and for good reason. Just like too much food or liquor makes you sick,
too much stuff directly affects your mental health—and also your wallet since you’re paying to maintain and store it. But what does that imply about collecting as a hobby? Is it just a waste of money and space, or are there any benefits to keeping an ever-growing stash of GI Joes in your attic? That depends on what you get from the process and what you do with the end result. Let’s start with what you get.
Collecting:
Reinforces passions People buy things they don’t really care about all the time—maybe to satisfy their ego and image, or just because there’s a big sale going on and walking away seems wasteful. Collecting starts with excitement. Could be comic books remind you of the happiest time in your childhood, or maybe you first started amassing license plates when your Dad was alive and you fixed up old cars together.
Flexes mental muscles Unless you’re content to purchase 50 of the same exact Barbie doll, you’ll need to do some research to find which things will enhance your collection. If you’re really clever, you might even find some gems for practically nothing. In the process, you could learn a lot about different eras, countries, cultures, lifestyles, and more.
Gives you the thrill of the hunt Most discretionary spending satisfies a perceived emotional need. That’s why advertisers use sex, humor, and fear to market the benefits of their products; so you’ll justify buying whatever non-necessity they’re pedaling. For collectors, the thrill of seeking and finding a difficult-to-attain or unique piece is generally the main motivation—and that comes entirely from you, not your peers or the media.
Teaches you to be resourceful You could limit your search to the local mall and eBay, but you might as well collect soda cans or hang nails if that’s how you’re going to do it. Most collectors check out yard sales, auction houses, flea markets, second-hand retailers—maybe even junk yards, hence the saying “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
Can be lucrative Many people grow emotionally attached to their stuff—for the reasons listed above—and wouldn’t think twice of selling it off. But let’s face it; if you collect something for years, it will eventually take over your space, turning great intentions into huge headaches. You could pass on your stash to someone you love, but that only works if they share your passion.
That brings me to my conclusion about collecting. The experience can be exciting, educational, satisfying, challenging, and even profitable, but as with all the stuff we buy, you can’t take it with you. I recommend pre-planning what you will do when your collection reaches a certain size. To give you some ideas, here’s what I did with mine when they got unruly:
1. Knick knacks with roses on them. When they could no longer fit in a book case, I gave one rose-covered item to each person I love.
2. Rose petals. When they could no longer fit into two glass cases, I sprinkled them over a loved one’s grave.
3. Fortunes from fortune cookies. Once I surpassed 500 (I like Chinese food), I started giving them out to friends as parting gifts whenever they visited.
Now it’s your turn. What do you collect? Could you imagine yourself letting it go?