I have a lot of stuff, some of which I treasure, but don't really consider myself a collector.
Mr. Huck collects a few different things but most particularly Nativity scenes and related items.
This is good because when I want to get him a gift I can choose something that will please him.
It's bad because a) we're running out of room and b) he's been at it long enough that finding anything interesting he hasn't got already is hard.
When I go looking though I run into very different reactions. There are those who collect something themselves and are interested and eager to help, and those who thik collectors are at least slightly insane. Not much in between IME.
I think if the collecting is an obsession or detrimental to your life (such as financially), it's obviously not good. If each individual piece brings joy, then that's great. I'm not sure I understand collecting if the only point is to have them all. Say the last 5 pieces of a collection you don't like, but you would buy them anyways just to be able to say you have them.
I have a couple small collections but am very, very, picky about each piece. As Sis and I say it has to speak to us before we buy it. We have a small house so I need to weed things out every so often so that helps keep any collecting under controll for me.
I don't anyone well with the I-must-have-all-of-them-available approach to collecting, but I know what you mean, Tigerlily. I can't imagine collecting anything for any reason other than that the objects please you.
In my experience, if you become known as a collector, everyone is giving you what you collect. That would make me nuts.
However, I LOVE collectors because much of what I sell on ebay is 'stuff' that I have gotten from the auction and sold to collectors. I don't understand why they want it, but I'm glad they do!
Renegade, I bet you will find buyers on the net, maybe e-Bay? I hope selling won't cause you too much pain. I sometimes think I ought to sell some things I'm not crazy about and aren't heirlooms, but I've never quite worked up the courage.
Cactus, may I ask what kinds of things you did collect before you cured yourself?
and Kina, that sounds like fun, so long as you don't have to sell things you'd like to keep for yourself!
When I was a child I collected pigs-different kinds of pig objects. I also just acculated lots of stuff in general-tschotshes, stuffed animals, things of that nature. As an adult I haven't really been able to specifically collect things in any organized way but I completely understand the mentality, whether it's in regard to specific things like coins or stamps, or just "stuff" in general, and whether things have monetary value or not or sentimental value or not. I guess what I'm really saying is I have strong packrat tendencies. Whether someone is an organized collector or just a packrat like me, I find it very easy to understand.
I like the idea of a pig collection, Cactus. I remember seeing a pottery flask in the form of a pig, very early American, on Antiques Roadshow that I've been lusting after ever since.
But I'm more like you, an accumulator rather than a collector. I have family things and bits and bobs of art and antique jewelry that I really value, but no special desire for any one catgory of things.
But Kina is right about folks giving you certain things as gifts if they perceive you collect that item. I have an aunt who is convinced that I collect what she calls "oriental" things and never fails to give me something vaguely Asian, most of it not very appealing. I really have no desire to own miniature ginger jars with transfers of geisha girls on them, but such is my fate apparently!
I'm not a collector. Neither is DH, although he leans toward being a packrat sometimes! :P Everything has some sort of sentimental value, until I ask him when was the last time he used/looked/thought about it. If it's been a long while, he usually gives it up. He's the one who's always saying we have too much stuff! lol
I don't think collectors are crazy, unless everything in your house revolves around your collection. That would be a bit overwhelming.
