h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm not sure that I'm truly a collector. I have a few examples of a few types of things, but I never feel compelled to add to these groups of objects. So, for those of you who do think of yourselves as collectors, I have a few friendly questions.

When does casual, or even serious, collecting reach the point of obsession?

Are you a completionist; and, if so, is there any real chance your collection will ever truly be complete?

Can you see an item that would fit well into your collection and walk away from it if it is pricey, or not in the greatest condition, or just doesn't happen to appeal to you?

Do you limit your collection to a geographical reason, just to keep its size manageable?

Your answers could help me to determine if I'm a collector, or just someone who saves weird stuff occasionally.

Thanks!

Hmmm I have an addiction nature, according to my partner, ( it's my addiction to another website that keeps me from coming here often .

I have had to limit, or stop some of my collecting. Such as, egg cups, there's just too many of them so I limited to children's cartoon egg cups, they're now packed away in a cupboard, taking up unnecessary space.

My Wade Whimsies are also packed away, so I don't ruin them with my smoking.

My pin badges, also packed away, until I figure out a way to display them without ruining them with my smoking.

I don't really know why I collect these things, they're not on display, so I can't see them

I'll attempt to answer your questions now Fords


"When does casual, or even serious, collecting reach the point of obsession?"

I'd say, when it's the most important thing in your life...

"Are you a completionist; and, if so, is there any real chance your collection will ever truly be complete?"

Yes, but few collectables are produced for completion. There wouldn't be much profit in that.

"Can you see an item that would fit well into your collection and walk away from it if it is pricey, or not in the greatest condition, or just doesn't happen to appeal to you?"

No. All of my collections are low cost to start with. For instance, my pin badges, most I normally pay is £1 each, except for when we were at Southend a couple of years back, saw these silver coloured pin badge, I just had to have, they were £2.50(I later lost them, but I think I found them again), I would have paid more. I have pin badges I don't really like. However, the condition would matter, saying that, I think one or two of my Wade Whimsies have small chips.

"Do you limit your collection to a geographical reason, just to keep its size manageable?"

As mentioned earlier in post, I limited egg cups. So if I felt a collection was getting a bit out of hand, I would find a way to limit.

After that ramble, I bet you wish you hadn't ask.

Emmily

Em:

Quite the opposite. Thanks for responding!

It sounds like the most dangerous collecting you do is the smoking! At least the most dangerous to your collections.

Gee, I could use some egg cups. I've only got the one. Perhaps an online auction site?

True, many collections of regularly produced items are beyond completion (matchbooks, bottlecaps, etc.); but some collectables are created in finite sets, like zodiac figures or months plates (Even Elvis plates).

Perhaps you could display all your collections in one small room, and shut it off from the smoking areas of the house. You could step in and enjoy them at anytime!

It does sound, though, as if you perhaps do stick to whatever geographical area you're in at the time; unless you also order by mail and online.

Perhaps obsessiveness in collecting is reflected in obsessiveness in personality. I think one of the most obsessive persons collecting wise is the lady who collects royal commemoratives and who is dragged out on TV for many royal events, her name is possibly mary. Every room and her garriage(sp?) is full of royal items, indeed every room is dedicated to a particular royal person. She is always dresssed in the same red jacket and has a royal rossette on her lapel.
.
she spits with venom at the mention of Camilla and I suspect many other really, really OTT royal commemorative collectors are deeply obsessed with royal family too. I had an interst in the relationship between royal family and the public, particularly around things like the 'Diana week', the week after she died and before the funeral, so stayed outside Buckingham Palace the night before Queen Mother's 100th Birthday celebrations to try to understand that relationship but with doing that and hearing the venomous hate at 5th aniversery of Diana's death was none the wiser and perhaps a little unsettled by how obsessive a small minoritory are with Royal family. Even the relatively sane middle/upper class man appeared to not be so sane after seeing him in crowd at every Royal function since then and in the TV interviews he has done from awaiting crowd.
It is hard to explain, it is something in the way to over the top reverance and fawning as if he was living his life through them, and particularly the Queen, who I have the greatest respect for due to her hard work, but not as much as them,lol!.

OCD in any form is sad. What a wasted life, society-wise, but she probably feels very fulfilled. Humans am strange

Well the problem with true OCD is you are never fulfilled as the sink, etc is never clean enough or things lined up properly. I think the sadest part is not leading your own life if say royal family or Wacko Jacko obsessed, the later is particularly sad,lol. People can't live their life through others.

Very true. So very true.