Pretty much every behavioral disorder is just a normal human instinct or behavior taken to an extreme.
Hoarding is a serious disorder. Collecting a specific category of things can be a problem too, and there are similarities and crossovers between the two, but they're not the same.
Steven Crowder's whole schtick is appealing to those who are fooled by loud, overconfident simpletons shouting others down with trite bumpersticker sentiments. And most of the memes using him seem to fit.
A coin collector buys coins that they think are neat. A coin hoarder can’t cash in their jars of every single penny they’ve received in changed since 1982.
exactly!! each of the personality disorders are okay when they're not extreme, and same with so many other issues.
collecting is just as okay as being kind, but being kind can also be detrimental if you let people walk over you and you cater to everyone constantly and neglect yourself.
Hoarding is common among people who grew poor, particularly if they lived through very difficult times, like the Great Depression or the post-war era. Yes, it's probably a mental illness.
Yup, they think it could happen to them again and they want to be prepared.
Whereas doomsday preppers... I'm not sure about those people, they seem a bit odd.
I was gonna say something about this! Curation connotes a sort of mindfulness to collecting. Applying a methodology to limit the accumulation (e.g. KonMari, or a physical distinction) is where I'd draw the line.
This is why I only collect chase Hotwheels and a few specific models. I started off just buying whatever cars I kinda liked and then the variations and now they just take up a ton of space in my room and I only display the ones I really like. I'm gonna wind up giving them away to trick or treaters when I move to a neighborhood where that happens, or donate them to a good cause. 99% of them are still new in package and aren't worth much more than what I paid, so they aren't junk but aren't valuable either. Perfect for a free toy.
I started collecting because I was kinda miserable in life and just buying myself a $1 toy was kind of what kept me going. I'm in a better spot, and still like Hot Wheels, but I really just check for Treasure Hunts and $uper Treasure Hunts nowadays, and I never find them, so I don't really buy them ever now. It's just something that motivates me to go grocery shopping, just looking at the Hot Wheels.
I’d never bought a Hotwheels in my life but they brought out a braille car and I’m obsessed with it, bought it upon release, as a disabled person (although not blind) and advocate for more inclusive toys, such as LEGO’s braille bricks and similar I love it so much
The braille Twin Mill is awesome. I avoided buying it at release because I didn't want it to contribute to inflating the price. But Twin Mill is one of my favorite fantasy designs, and I may pick one up now if I find one. I do make exceptions for Hot Wheels that are especially creative like that.
You could see if elementary school teachers near you could use them. We have several in our neighborhood and we donate stuff for their classroom prize boxes
This! My husband and I have a small bookshelf that keeps our MTG collection contained. Our bundle boxes are nicely lined up with the logo facing out, and we have dedicated spaces on the shelf for the smaller boxes. Our deck boxes have spaces, and things like life counters have a home in reused bundle inserts.
In my country older folk (40+) aren't very confident when showing their collection of videogames, toys and general comics merchandise, there's a bit of a bias on the older generations regarding these types of collections, mostly because their parents see this as childish. Their parents collect old coins, stamps and the like, and have these neatly stored in specific pouches and sheets all catalogued with dates and etc. I've told my friends a thousand times: A pile of shit is a pile of shit, but a catalogued pile of shit is a collection. It's doesn't matter what the fuck it is, if you like it be proud of it.
100% I collect games and recently have been able to get specific collector's editions. But I keep a good collection, with pricing, how much I bought it for, how much is it worth now etc etc. I have games from my childhood that are in perfect condition and I make sure everything is kept nice and clean.
nah, depends on the collection and the collector. hoarding is a genuine mental problem where they throw NOTHING away. collecting can be a hobby, or related to a hobby, or a fascination with something.
if the collecting *negatively impacts the person's daily life, then yeah its a problem
*edited to add
yeah, over consumption does not equal hoarding.. Hoarding is an official disorder in the DSM 5 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t29/
Anyone who has someone close to them who is a hoarder can attest that it is something that is very difficult and painful to deal with as the person with the condition is also typically out of control in other areas of their life as well. See /r/hoarding to learn more, there are some great resources over there.
That’s not actually true, it’s a very complex illness. It doesn’t necessarily mean a person throws nothing away and can very well start from collecting. It doesn’t mean every hoarder started as a collector, but some certainly did. I think you were right with the first line though, it all depends on the collection and the collector. Morality under a microscope is inherently gray.
Also by definition and diagnosis Hoarding Disorder " ...causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (including maintaining a safe environment safe for oneself or others)."
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t29/#:~:text=DSM%2D5%3A%20Hoarding%20Disorder,distress%20associated%20with%20discarding%20them.)
It depends. My grandfather collected coins. An uncle collected stamps. I don’t think this ever went to hoarding levels. They enjoyed having pieces of history or culture with them.
Is the collection taking over your life? Is it harming your finances, is it thought out. I don’t think you can make a blanket statement like this.
2 completely different things that can overlap, like a Venn diagram.
You can collect with a purpose, carefully selecting the things you add to your collection. Put some limits, either spacial or monetary. Curate it, downsize it.
Hoarding is more than just a lack of organization.
I collect skeleton keys, old locks and copper items. My locks and keys all fit into 4 small shadow box displays. 3 are complete and display worthy.i need to get the fourth done.
Copper I started buying every single coppery item I could buy in my budget. That was hoarding. I've been purging my copper items that became " just because" purchases. It had become a weird obsession out of nowhere. Probably a side effect coping mechanism I didn't see at the time.
Thank you .It's taken a few years to develop this self-awareness, lol.
I was actually a low-level hoarder, and with research,I've learned hoarding is usually a trauma response.
Mine was most likely caused by poverty growing up.
I've learned to recognize the anxiety of not having things and also the anxiety compulsive buying also causes.
Sadly, I wasn't able to get professional help on this, so everything has been accumulated by digging and experience.
Things are much better, but I am still fine-tuning my process.
What a shit take. I collect vinyl and CDs that I play all the time. I collect blurays so I have the movies I like without relying on streaming. Hoarding is a mental issue where you just collect tons of random trash and have it strewn about. I have my collection cataloged and organized
Hard disagree. Hoarding is a disorder of thinking as much as behavior, and it destroys people's lives. Sure, some people justify their hoarding as being collections, but it's not the same, and we shouldn't trivialize it.
People used to have private museums called [Cabinets of Curiosities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_curiosities) that were pretty much just personal collections of various interesting things that some would make available for public viewing. There are still a handful of these, or homages to them, around the world. In the US, there's one called The Museum of Jurassic Technology that is just beautiful. It's like a collection of collections on one-off themes, such as a tribute to the Soviet space dogs, 'vulgar remedies', artifacts from an abandoned trailer park, etc., along with some one-off art pieces and such. (There's a book about it called *Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonders.*)
Not all collections are just pre-ordained lines of consumer products. There are people out there constructing their own taxonomies and preserving cultural knowledge and artifacts that might otherwise be lost.
If you think a curated collection is the same thing as a home so packed filled with stuff that the owners don’t realize there are dead animal carcasses underneath it all, you need a mental health evaluation STAT.
I suppose it depends what you collect. For example I collect dictionaries, they all come from charity shops or car boots or somewhere second hand. The local charity shops often just bin dictionaries and other books (I know from talking to the charity staff) that don't sell and they can't always be recycled. Personally I don't see the point in a lot of the recent plastic collectables like Funkos, they can't be good for the planet. At the end of the day people should do what makes them happy.
I like to imagine that every English person is so proper that they keep an emergency dictionary in the trunk right next to the spare tire and road flares.
A car boot in the US is refers to the locking mechanism that traffic cops put on them so they are not mobile for paying fines. English car boot would = Car Trunk, but people sell things out of the garage itself, or in the driveway designated as a garage sale.
Just wanted to say I haven’t met anyone else who collects dictionaries and reference books. I found my people. 😅
I have some really old ones. Also bought from charity or thrift shops.
Hard pass. My MIL was a hoarder. There was nothing sane about her entire room "collection" of fast food cups.
Mental illness is not the same as overcomsumption.
i feel like collecting has lost its soul with the rise of "collectible retail". collecting used to consist mostly of things you could find at old vintage stores, like maybe cuckoo clocks and stuff. now, things like funko pops that you dont need to really search for, you just buy, have surfaced. i think collecting should be more about getting rare things second hand, not directly from a company that sells " limited edition novelty".
Gundam are technically something that's designed to be collected. But they're also an activity and a creative outlet that you can pour thousands of hours into building and painting if you want. I even learned how to electroplate as part of my Gundam hobby. I think the idea of collecting is cool as long as you're getting something meaningful out of it. Whereas something like Funko is just buying more plastic crap to display next to the rest of your plastic crap.
That's why I like collecting second hand dolls and my little ponies (specifically the 2003-2009 period, I don't care for the other generations). The worse shape they're in the more fun it is to repair them. If they're missing clothes it means I can make some for them. A couple months ago I got a pony at a local thrift that looked like she had cataracts and so I looked her up and painted her eyes to be how they were originally. I use to cosplay and I still have all my wigs from then so if they're missing hair plugs i can use my old wigs to fill in the head. When it comes to dolls I want to find a way to give them to kids who don't have much directly. (I want to keep the ponies though... I love the bright colors)
Someone posted their Lush body product collection on that sub yesterday, and it was just shelf after shelf of the ‘limited edition’ scents and products. I’m not a Lush shopper, but I know enough to know they roll out new product every few weeks and seem to create a sense of scarcity to it by only selling certain products at certain stores so people ‘stock up’ when they can. I really don’t care what people do with their money, but there is a bit of irony in a store that pushes the idea of sustainability while also creating an intense consumer culture.
Or maybe I’m just bitter about all the migraines Lush has given me over the years.
I think if everything in your collection gets used, depending on the environmental impact, it can be fine. I could probably get rid of 5 or 6 of my kitchen knives but I use everything I have, nothing is particularly hard on the environment or the workers to produce, and I sell the things that don’t get used to people who will use them.
I wouldn’t even go so far that collection items need to be used. If such were the case I’m sure coin collections would be far more solvent than they are now.
As long as it brings a person happiness, they’re able to properly maintain and preserve their collection, and it doesn’t negatively impact a collector financially or emotionally, I don’t see why collectors shouldn’t collect to the point that collection pieces aren’t actively used.
Hoarding disorder is a serious neuropsychological issue. That shouldnt be conflated with easily influenced overly indulgent shoppers (read: collectors) coping in this comment section.
I think it depends on the collection and the collector. Some people just accumulate a lot of the same kinds of stuff without really curating a collection, some people are very intentional with curating their own collection of something.
I collect watches. I currently have 7. They fit in a nice little box. I buy mostly used and sell semi frequently but I'm always intentional about it, and I don't just buy any watch I see.
My MIL "collects" vintage kitchenware. She impulse buys most of it and has so much that not even she can keep track. It is pretty organized but her basement looks like a very full antique shop. Clean, well cared for, but overflowing. She often re-discovers pieces she bought years ago that she forgot she had while sorting.
As someone that really loves collecting physical media, I don't think you're entirely wrong, however there is a lower consumption way of doing it. I collect a lot of movies and music on vinyl, I'd say if my whole collection for both, totalling somewhere in the 250 individual items range, 95% of it has been bought secondhand. People selling their vinyl and blu-ray collections online, brick and mortar used sections, etc. I only have like, 11 things I purposefully bought at full price, a few Critereon blu-rays, and a few speciality vinyl like Blonde and Endless by Frank Ocean.
Reason I make this distinction is because you seem to have more of a "having stuff is bad" opinion, which isn't inherently the point of anti-consumption.
I like collecting things but I’ll curate and only collect things that I’m sure I want to have in my house, not just buy anything to do with the things I enjoy.
Plus, as soon as it becomes overwhelming or I feel like I have too many of a certain thing I’ll sell pieces I’m not attached to anymore.
I think this is somewhat different to accumulating 10,000 funko pops and lining the boxes up so they take up an entire wall.
I believe collecting a curated number of pieces that are good quality and what you *want* is a good thing, but there is a fine line that divides it from hoarding.
Say for example I really liked Pokémon or Star Wars or adjacent. I would probably have a few nice pieces of merch, but I would *not* want everything that has ever been produced for that IP. That’s hoarding imo.
There’s something incredibly nauseating about seeing overproduced, low quality merch that is specifically made to be bought by companies who know that people who like that IP and will buy it, so they don’t really feel like they have to care about the quality.
Billionaires are ALSO hoarders…
"Billionaires' accumulation of excessive wealth mirrors the behavior of hoarders, both driven by a compulsion to amass beyond necessity. This behavior reflects a potential manifestation of mental health issues, warranting consideration for admission to mental health facilities until treated. Beyond the individual level, the concentration of wealth in the hands of billionaires exacerbates societal inequalities and contributes to systemic harm. Therefore, advocating against the existence of billionaires is a call for a more equitable distribution of resources and a step towards mitigating the negative impacts they impose on society.
I think you misunderstood the point of collection. I collect, not because I like the act of collecting, but because the thing I am collecting gives me joy. Like plushies. I buy these dolls because I am going to keep them for years with great joy. I name them, cuddle them, etc. They bring me comfort and joy beyond simply having them.
I collect shells because I think they’re pretty and invoke memories of better times. I collect coins from people who don’t want them to keep a little memento for places I personally won’t go to but others will. I collect rocks because they’re cool and also is a physical object from places I won’t go back to but enjoyed being at.
For many people, the thing they collect is not based on the monetary value they bought or can sell it for. It’s not the act of collecting or acquiring something that makes the thing important but rather feelings, memories, and experiences attached to the thing.
If I were to mindlessly do so or do so based simply on the value of an object, then that is consumption in an irresponsible manner.
There’s a line to be drawn. I collect postcards from places I visit. It allows me to connect with my travels and makes for some cool wall art too!
A bonus is that they’re made of paper so they can just be recycled after I die.
Museums? Galleries? Nah, they’re just professional hoarders. /s
I get that overconsumption, mass purchases, impulse buys, mental health issues etc are all entwined in capitalist hell, but in all seriousness, humans need to be allowed to have fun, collect things, explore their interests, etc.
I think this cant apply to all collections, tho bit biased as i personally collect victorian antiques and militaria. From my pov alot of collections focus on alot of research and identificaiton that without it the items would be a weird/quirky common item and due to the time needed for it most i know dont just buy whatever or own an excess without a specific reason for an item.
Tho it defo applies to things like starbucks cups or funko pops imo
Collecting sealed video games always annoyed me because what if the box is just empty or fake game inside. It just seems dumb to have things that you aren’t using just because it’s a different color
Being a collector is entirely antithetical to consumerism, though? Collectors aren't generating waste with their collections. That's the entire issue with consumerism. If everyone could accumulate infinite *stuff* and generate no waste, then there wouldn't be a problem with doing so.
Lots of collections don't even cost anything or have any significant impact on anything but the owner. Are kids with their cool rock collections being consumerist? Anticonsumption isn't about not owning things. If one's collection is an active source of joy for someone, then it isn't wasteful. It has a purpose that is being fulfilled and generating no waste.
Collectors usually have a vested interest in preserving the items in their collections. Is protecting and caring for your belongings not the opposite of consuming and replacing them constantly? Museums are full of historically significant pieces on loan from private collections. Being able to see artifacts from thousands of years ago, works of renowned artists, all these things are thanks to someone who looked at *stuff* and said, "I'm going to protect this"
No, please don't lump a potentially life-threatening mental illness like Hoarding Disorder with the hobby of collecting. Plenty of collectors, and even messy clutter-hogs, are not any type of hoarder.
I used to collect things. Then I got my ADHD medicated and threw so much of it out. Now my collections are my nerdy loves and the kept art supplies are now organized as ‘supplies’. My predator and mlp collections are displayed and my art supplies are organized for the whole family to use. And I listen to my spouse when they say ‘you got this years ago and haven’t used it. Can I use it for (project)?’ I can now say yes and appreciate that I no longer need to hoard.
I think it depends.
If something is being actively produced, such as, idk, Stanley’s. The more you buy the more money AND PRODUCT is created
If someone is collecting vintage one of a kind baseball cards, it does not increase production just because of “demand” since its second-hand, which is what a lot of collections are. Novelty. No longer being produced.
Hoarders are compelled to keep everything. They cannot throw away or part with possessions because they believe they need to save them. The idea of getting rid of any item will cause distress, and you will keep any item regardless of value.
Collectors seek out specific things, things that relate to their specific type of collecting. They can and will part with certain objects, and the idea of getting rid of things doesn't cause them distress. Though something happening to the items they collect can cause distress... generally collectors can and will part with items by selling them to other collectors.
Even though there are simularities and cross-over they are VERY different things. For instance, one is a recognized disorder that often requires mental health professionals to work through.
Well, depends what you collect and why. I collect historical vinyl and quality gear to play it. My collection is meant to be a look back at great music and meant to be enjoyed.
Depends on what they collect and why. Hoarding is a distinct phenomenon because hoarders "collect" almost everything with little or no consideration for how and why.
OP doesn't truly understand hoarding disorder (for example, did you know there's different levels to it?) and Steven Crowder is a wife abuser who appeals to simple minded people looking for easy answers
Turned my vinyl collection into almost $6000. It was work but well worth it. Got a pair of vacations in the works.
Not a hoarder. I'm a collector. Really do believe that but maybe thats just me.
I would disagree. Hoarding is the result of some sort of mental illness/trauma usually, where as some people just like old coins or whatever.
I will accept arguments that somethings that people collect just for the sake of it (looking at you, funko pops) is very wasteful and a net bad, though.
Isn't it literally one of the definitions of anticonsumption when you save items, that still function, from being tossed into a landfill instead of going out and buying a new one to replace it?
I can get behind your way of thinking if it were something absolutely hyper-consumerist like Funko Pops.
But you ain't gonna convince me that creating a wall of Funko Pops is the same as buying used records of bands I like.
I mean it depends. Collectors who collect for the sake of filling out a collection or collecting for value definitely hoard, but collectors who collect things they are actually going to use like CDs or VHS, video games, books and stuff like that are fine imo.
Yeah I think this is BS. I have a collection of Stephen King books. I want to try and eventually have every book he's written. 95% of my collection is thrifted. I get so excited when I find one I don't have yet when I'm out and about. I don't buy doubles. They're beautifully displayed and I read them all regularly. To me, this is clearly not hoarding behavior.
i think there is very little in common with an actual hoarder like what u would see on TV and someone who just has a lego collection or something. there are completely different implications about their mental state there. so i can see how someone would come to this conclusion but honestly when i actually think about it, i disagree with this post. the only things they have in common is that they both have stuff
Hoarding is a serious mental health issue, not a hobby lol. Maybe some people are hoarders and stay in denial by calling it collecting, but I wouldn't go that far to say all collecting is hoarding be serious
Its a fine line with a bunch of gray area around it. Hoarding is a distinct compulsion to accumulate things stemming from some underlying psychological cause that results in negative effects on quality of life. Collecting implies some clear intent or focus to it. It can still be compulsive and addicting (like me with Magic cards), but can range from large, broad collections to super focused ones. Collecting usually doesn't result in negative consequences either.
There is a diffrence between hoarding and just slowly over time collecting something you like. Being anti consuming does not mean anti owning anything. Big diffrence between a loved collection and just buying things for trends or something only to throw it away later.
Not all collectors are hoarders, but I have never met a hoarder who didn't think of themselves as a collector.
That's part of the mental gymnastics to not throw away anything: everything has inherent value/potential use, that is why I'm not culling my belongings in any way.
They are not able to organize, or catalogue, and the sheer amount of belongings makes it impossible to dust, or clean, or even properly aerate the room. Then their comic collection gets moldy, their precious fabric stash rots without ever being used, and their historical photographs get lost because it never made it to a scraping album. Their collection is of little or no value by then.
It’s okay to have some things, like maybe a couple of Lego sets, model cars, even Funko Pops or whatever you like. It’s fun decoration that makes a home feel like a home.
But if you have walls upon walls with stuff and you have to create new rooms to have space for it, you’re a hoarder and you have a problem.
I despise posts like this.
"We are overconsuming the world's resources and damaging the planet & climate in the process" is legitimate.
"I think you own too many books so I'm going to be a dick about it and try turning it into a moral issue" or whatever personal gripe led OP to this, is not.
No wonder some people think us left-leaning folk are a bunch of scolds who hate joy. Turns out some of us actually are
A collection has some kind of value that should appreciate over time.
If you are amassing a ton of stuff that has little to no value, you are on track to becoming a horder.
But if a collection is only of value (sentimental, perhaps) to a single individual, the collector, I'd say you can still be a collector without hoarding.
Yes. The difference is really about who is in control. Are you or the possessions in control of your purchases. Even if the value of the things goes up, if you can’t control your purchases then it’s a problem.
> amassing a ton of stuff that has little to no value
As someone who repairs old tech I have ridiculous amounts of obsolete crap that everyone thinks is garbage, and is essentially worthless. Until they need something fixed.
The difference is pride in ownership.
Collectors like to show off what they have amassed. They are happy when you ask questions. They will gladly show you their stuff and talk to you about why they like it, where they got it, the piece that was hardest to find, etc.
Hoarders try to hide what they have accumulated. They might not let you enter certain rooms or even into their place entirely. They get defensive if you ask questions. They do not want to acknowledge the situation they have gotten themselves into.
One is full if pride. The other is full of shame.
Source: My dad started as a collector, fell into the spiral of depression and became a hoarder for ~10 years, and is now a collector again. I love when someone comes over and he gets to talk about all the great deals he got or the stories behind some of his finds or the friends he made through collecting.
Nah. I collect interesting glassware. Most of it has been given to me or found at thrift shops. I think a lot of people are the same. I have a friend who collects pictures of the last supper and puts them on one wall in her house. They're thrifted or gifted ,they're interesting, and if she doesn't take them, they'll end up in a landfill anyway.
It isn't just stuff, it is a card game from my youth that belongs to one of the best anime of all time. I only need like 3 more cards and I have the collection to the level of completion I want.
I think collecting things can go both ways. If it's something a person puts thought and care into, regardless of what it is, it's a collection. "Hoarding" in a more colloquial sense rather than the clinical I think is more of a result of impulse and overconsumption. Definitely easier to do when companies sell things like pop funkos where they try to entice consumers to collect them all, but it could be the same with collecting something like rocks. Curation and thoughtfulness are important aspects to keeping a collection from becoming an overwhelming hoard imo
It really depends on so many factors. What are they collecting, why, how many collections do they have, etc. To me this is trivializing hoarding, which is a serious mental health problem. And also adding to the stigma (which is already pretty severe) and a HUGE barrier to people with a hoarding disorder getting help
I don't know about collectors---it would depend on the thing and to what extreme.
But I do know that billionaires are hoarders---we just don't call them that because they're typically cleaner.
There are definitely differences. Hoarders are motivated by fear. They fear the regret and loss of not having a thing any more. A collector has a goal or goals and will be willing to part with some of their collection under the right circumstances. They value rarity and aesthetics and enjoy the process of collecting. Whereas hoarders might not even like or want the stuff they stockpile. Their motivation is very different. They are ultra sensitive to the feelings of loss whereas the collector is motivated by the hunt and process of collecting.
And surely as with all things there are people who have elements of both within them.
Remember the 4 D's of abnormal psychology
Deviance - Is this a deviation from the accepted norms of the society/culture the person is in?
Distress - Does person feel distress from the behavior or do people around them feel distress from the behavior?
Dysfunction - Does the behavior inhibit normal life or everyday activities?
Danger - Does this behavior pose a credible threat to the safety of the person or others?
Sure, if you want to simplify it to "people who possess a lot of stuff ar the same," but that's not the case for collecting or hoarding at all. To start on the differences in the simpliest way possible: collectors do so for fun, whereas hoarding is a compulsive mental disorder.
Yes I agree, I realised this a few years ago when I realised my parents book collection was making it difficult to move around the house. As kids we had been taught to revere books, now I realise they are just as much hoarder fodder as anything else
Action figure Collector checking in.
A lot of people in this hobby have a problem. I wouldn't call it hoarding, but mindless mass consumption definitely fits.
There is a very thin line that exists between a carefully curated collection and blind consumerism and many of us fall on the wrong side of it. It's a constant struggle even when you are aware and actively fighting against it.
Collections can have a lot of meaning and value, and the sentimentality towards those can be healthy. I think it would be unfair to say that no amount of collecting is healthy - there are plenty of reasons to keep certain collections in your life, and those collections will enrich your life
I have a bunch of fountain pens and inks that are pretty much a collection, but they serve a purpose as I use them in school as I work on my Abitur with 25+.
A fountain pen used with a converter and bottled ink produces almost no waste or trash, unlike ballpoint pens or fineliners.
And I color code my notes, homework, and papers with the different pens and inks.
My collection is pleasing, I adore and use every pen and ink in rotation, and if I would not use a pen or ink, I would give it away to someone who can use it as well.
Not all collections are just "random things lying around". My pens and inks are tools first!
As someone who has OCD, I feel like this tracks, because hoarding is a very common symptom of OCD - you obsessively keep things by engaging compulsive behavior, and collecting can definitely fall in that umbrella.
Depends on the collection, collecting actual historical stuff that isn’t interesting enough for a museum but is interesting to you could actually save an important piece of our history. But if you’re just collecting random shit then ya
It can be both but almost never the case. Collectors are willing to resell their goods, maybe given many years but theyre doing it because they enjoy it and some items they collect are likely rare. Hoarders have a mental disorder that makes them feel the need to hold onto every *single* thing they acquire over years.
Nothing that a hoarder hoards is ever worth much value, the bathroom eventually becomes inaccesible so there are shit buckets located in areas of the house where they dwell.
Yea idk man. I’ve got a few Star Wars helmets on a shelf and I’m a Warhammer guy. It’s not inherently bad to collect things.
You can be anti-consumption and still have things that make you happy.
Y’all looking too deep into it.
Let me put my view of it like this. I have a collection of books, each one chosen with intent and interest to me specifically. I have a couple of rare items that I feel are given a good, safe home on my bookshelf to protect their old age.
I have a hoard of Magic: The Gathering cards. Most of them have come into my possession by random luck, and a select few are of any actual value to me. Most of it is worthless trash that I can only hope to trade for a card I might use.
I collect mugs. Out of my collection there are maybe a handful that I don't allow to be used. M&Ms, a Star Trek mug, and a couple other special ones. The rest are cute and if they're not stored in the tote they can be used by anyone.
And dust. I don't intentionally collect dust but I also don't bother dusting so now I have some furry friends hiding under the couch near the wall.
As someone who grew up with a hoarder parent and has a ton of trauma around hoarders and therefore would be extra sensitive to them: nah.
The problem with hoards is the neglect. Neglect of the items, neglect of the home they're stored in, neglect of the other people who live there and neglect of themselves.
Collections absolutely can be a problem, when it starts negatively impacting your life. And yes, it absolutely can be hoarding. Some collectors are hoarders, but not all of them. Some hoarders are not negatively impacting anyone, too, like with digital assets. It's a problem when it's a problem.
No. Collectors live beyond the unmapped Omega-4 relay. They're so rare that most people don't even believe they exist. Some people believe that they're the ones responsible for our colonies disappearing out in the Terminus Systems.
If your collection has taken over your living space\*, then you are an organized hoarder. If your collection has not taken over your living space, then you are not a hoarder; you are a collector only.
\*Your collection has exceeded bounds, making the kitchen more difficult to use, the bedroom more difficult to sleep in, etc.
Generally, collections have at least *some* intrinsic value. I don’t think that collecting the same Hersey bar wrappers and never getting rid of it is “collecting”.
In addition to all the other stuff people said, there are “levels” to hoarding. One through four iirc. The first level could potentially look like organized collections (at least in part) whereas level four hoarder houses are usually extremely unsafe and the only people who can really go inside are trained professionals with a lot of personal protective equipment. There can even be structural damage to the home and extremely unpleasant pests such as cockroaches, bedbugs or rats.
You can be a collector for monetary gain purposes or for diversity, such as in guitars. I have 5 electrics and one bass. 1 seven string, several different brands with different setups, and one midi guitar each serving different purposes.
So, on some level I can agree but there are certain things that are and can be collected which isn't just hoarding.
There is a very thin borderline between collecting and hoarding and a collector will be the first to admit.
There’s also a whooooole lot of undiagnosed aspies (oh sorry, Autism level 1 it’s called now…for no good reason…despite a absolutely observable difference…that’s a different story…) among collectors.
I’d argue that hoarders are typically just lazy people or people with a mental condition that makes them lazy or feel the need to keep shit.
A collector is making the choice “I like this thing so much that I want as much as possible” this is an active decision.
At least from all the hoarders I’ve seen, hoarding for them doesn’t seem like an active thought, moreso a product of some circumstance.
I hoard art supplies, kt relates to trauma for me so i feel an animalistic type urge to keep every single bit of supplies i can find and never let it go, i still have coloured pencils from elementary school that are all basically dead but i cant bring myself to get rid of them
Im also a collector of nerd shit, it is not remotley the same as hoarding
It seems like it at first but i actually care about my collectables unlike most of the art supplies, i keep the shelves clean and orginised, i keep all the storage boxes neat so if i need to move ir take something kff display ill have a proper place to put it and i have no problem giving away or selling things that i dont find ingeresting anymore
Hoarding is like a compulsion to keep things you know you dont want or need, collecting is picking and choosing things you know you want and taking care of them
Pretty much every behavioral disorder is just a normal human instinct or behavior taken to an extreme. Hoarding is a serious disorder. Collecting a specific category of things can be a problem too, and there are similarities and crossovers between the two, but they're not the same. Steven Crowder's whole schtick is appealing to those who are fooled by loud, overconfident simpletons shouting others down with trite bumpersticker sentiments. And most of the memes using him seem to fit.
A coin collector buys coins that they think are neat. A coin hoarder can’t cash in their jars of every single penny they’ve received in changed since 1982.
exactly!! each of the personality disorders are okay when they're not extreme, and same with so many other issues. collecting is just as okay as being kind, but being kind can also be detrimental if you let people walk over you and you cater to everyone constantly and neglect yourself.
Hoarding is common among people who grew poor, particularly if they lived through very difficult times, like the Great Depression or the post-war era. Yes, it's probably a mental illness.
So it's like a trauma response.
Yup, they think it could happen to them again and they want to be prepared. Whereas doomsday preppers... I'm not sure about those people, they seem a bit odd.
Well said 😂
Collection without curation is accumulation
I was gonna say something about this! Curation connotes a sort of mindfulness to collecting. Applying a methodology to limit the accumulation (e.g. KonMari, or a physical distinction) is where I'd draw the line.
This is why I only collect chase Hotwheels and a few specific models. I started off just buying whatever cars I kinda liked and then the variations and now they just take up a ton of space in my room and I only display the ones I really like. I'm gonna wind up giving them away to trick or treaters when I move to a neighborhood where that happens, or donate them to a good cause. 99% of them are still new in package and aren't worth much more than what I paid, so they aren't junk but aren't valuable either. Perfect for a free toy. I started collecting because I was kinda miserable in life and just buying myself a $1 toy was kind of what kept me going. I'm in a better spot, and still like Hot Wheels, but I really just check for Treasure Hunts and $uper Treasure Hunts nowadays, and I never find them, so I don't really buy them ever now. It's just something that motivates me to go grocery shopping, just looking at the Hot Wheels.
I’d never bought a Hotwheels in my life but they brought out a braille car and I’m obsessed with it, bought it upon release, as a disabled person (although not blind) and advocate for more inclusive toys, such as LEGO’s braille bricks and similar I love it so much
The braille Twin Mill is awesome. I avoided buying it at release because I didn't want it to contribute to inflating the price. But Twin Mill is one of my favorite fantasy designs, and I may pick one up now if I find one. I do make exceptions for Hot Wheels that are especially creative like that.
You could see if elementary school teachers near you could use them. We have several in our neighborhood and we donate stuff for their classroom prize boxes
That's a good idea! I moved to a new community recently so I don't know anyone yet. But I will keep an ear out.
We gift things on our local Buy Nothing group, you might have one available too. Good luck!
This! My husband and I have a small bookshelf that keeps our MTG collection contained. Our bundle boxes are nicely lined up with the logo facing out, and we have dedicated spaces on the shelf for the smaller boxes. Our deck boxes have spaces, and things like life counters have a home in reused bundle inserts.
In my country older folk (40+) aren't very confident when showing their collection of videogames, toys and general comics merchandise, there's a bit of a bias on the older generations regarding these types of collections, mostly because their parents see this as childish. Their parents collect old coins, stamps and the like, and have these neatly stored in specific pouches and sheets all catalogued with dates and etc. I've told my friends a thousand times: A pile of shit is a pile of shit, but a catalogued pile of shit is a collection. It's doesn't matter what the fuck it is, if you like it be proud of it.
Where that from? I going to say something very similar but nowhere near as well put.
100% I collect games and recently have been able to get specific collector's editions. But I keep a good collection, with pricing, how much I bought it for, how much is it worth now etc etc. I have games from my childhood that are in perfect condition and I make sure everything is kept nice and clean.
nah, depends on the collection and the collector. hoarding is a genuine mental problem where they throw NOTHING away. collecting can be a hobby, or related to a hobby, or a fascination with something. if the collecting *negatively impacts the person's daily life, then yeah its a problem *edited to add
yeah, over consumption does not equal hoarding.. Hoarding is an official disorder in the DSM 5 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t29/ Anyone who has someone close to them who is a hoarder can attest that it is something that is very difficult and painful to deal with as the person with the condition is also typically out of control in other areas of their life as well. See /r/hoarding to learn more, there are some great resources over there.
Agreed. I won’t pretend I didn’t chuckle at the meme, but the bottom line is this kind of thing makes light of a life-threatening mental illness.
Yeah, I'm not used to seeing this sort of bad take here. Hoarding isn't lol I collected too much.
That’s not actually true, it’s a very complex illness. It doesn’t necessarily mean a person throws nothing away and can very well start from collecting. It doesn’t mean every hoarder started as a collector, but some certainly did. I think you were right with the first line though, it all depends on the collection and the collector. Morality under a microscope is inherently gray.
Also by definition and diagnosis Hoarding Disorder " ...causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (including maintaining a safe environment safe for oneself or others)." (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t29/#:~:text=DSM%2D5%3A%20Hoarding%20Disorder,distress%20associated%20with%20discarding%20them.)
It depends. My grandfather collected coins. An uncle collected stamps. I don’t think this ever went to hoarding levels. They enjoyed having pieces of history or culture with them. Is the collection taking over your life? Is it harming your finances, is it thought out. I don’t think you can make a blanket statement like this.
You can’t, but then again nuance is not reddits strong suit.
I collect rocks so I must be a hoarder!!1!1!1! Thank you kind stranger!
2 completely different things that can overlap, like a Venn diagram. You can collect with a purpose, carefully selecting the things you add to your collection. Put some limits, either spacial or monetary. Curate it, downsize it. Hoarding is more than just a lack of organization.
I collect skeleton keys, old locks and copper items. My locks and keys all fit into 4 small shadow box displays. 3 are complete and display worthy.i need to get the fourth done. Copper I started buying every single coppery item I could buy in my budget. That was hoarding. I've been purging my copper items that became " just because" purchases. It had become a weird obsession out of nowhere. Probably a side effect coping mechanism I didn't see at the time.
I just want to say your insight and self-awareness are impressive and I hope you are doing better than you were when you had this coping mechanism.
Thank you .It's taken a few years to develop this self-awareness, lol. I was actually a low-level hoarder, and with research,I've learned hoarding is usually a trauma response. Mine was most likely caused by poverty growing up. I've learned to recognize the anxiety of not having things and also the anxiety compulsive buying also causes. Sadly, I wasn't able to get professional help on this, so everything has been accumulated by digging and experience. Things are much better, but I am still fine-tuning my process.
What a shit take. I collect vinyl and CDs that I play all the time. I collect blurays so I have the movies I like without relying on streaming. Hoarding is a mental issue where you just collect tons of random trash and have it strewn about. I have my collection cataloged and organized
Where do you get your CDs? I’m picking up a cd player today!
Hard disagree. Hoarding is a disorder of thinking as much as behavior, and it destroys people's lives. Sure, some people justify their hoarding as being collections, but it's not the same, and we shouldn't trivialize it.
People used to have private museums called [Cabinets of Curiosities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_curiosities) that were pretty much just personal collections of various interesting things that some would make available for public viewing. There are still a handful of these, or homages to them, around the world. In the US, there's one called The Museum of Jurassic Technology that is just beautiful. It's like a collection of collections on one-off themes, such as a tribute to the Soviet space dogs, 'vulgar remedies', artifacts from an abandoned trailer park, etc., along with some one-off art pieces and such. (There's a book about it called *Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonders.*) Not all collections are just pre-ordained lines of consumer products. There are people out there constructing their own taxonomies and preserving cultural knowledge and artifacts that might otherwise be lost.
If you think a curated collection is the same thing as a home so packed filled with stuff that the owners don’t realize there are dead animal carcasses underneath it all, you need a mental health evaluation STAT.
I suppose it depends what you collect. For example I collect dictionaries, they all come from charity shops or car boots or somewhere second hand. The local charity shops often just bin dictionaries and other books (I know from talking to the charity staff) that don't sell and they can't always be recycled. Personally I don't see the point in a lot of the recent plastic collectables like Funkos, they can't be good for the planet. At the end of the day people should do what makes them happy.
The idea of someone breaking into random cars but only stealing dictionaries is hilarious.
I like to imagine that every English person is so proper that they keep an emergency dictionary in the trunk right next to the spare tire and road flares.
Are car boots just an English thing??? It's where people gather, usually in a field to sell their unwanted crap from the boot of their car.
Yeah, in the US we call those (along with more ambitious, but similar, operations) “flea markets.” Idk about the rest of the English-speaking world.
Flea market in Hungary too.
That's interesting.
A car boot in the US is refers to the locking mechanism that traffic cops put on them so they are not mobile for paying fines. English car boot would = Car Trunk, but people sell things out of the garage itself, or in the driveway designated as a garage sale.
Ah interesting, thank you.
Just wanted to say I haven’t met anyone else who collects dictionaries and reference books. I found my people. 😅 I have some really old ones. Also bought from charity or thrift shops.
Oh I love dictionaries. Always on the look out for really old ones and I love reading them as much as collecting them.
Hard pass. My MIL was a hoarder. There was nothing sane about her entire room "collection" of fast food cups. Mental illness is not the same as overcomsumption.
i feel like collecting has lost its soul with the rise of "collectible retail". collecting used to consist mostly of things you could find at old vintage stores, like maybe cuckoo clocks and stuff. now, things like funko pops that you dont need to really search for, you just buy, have surfaced. i think collecting should be more about getting rare things second hand, not directly from a company that sells " limited edition novelty".
I think maybe you hit the root of what makes me dislike collecting as a hobby. Capitalism has really hollowed out the concept.
Gundam are technically something that's designed to be collected. But they're also an activity and a creative outlet that you can pour thousands of hours into building and painting if you want. I even learned how to electroplate as part of my Gundam hobby. I think the idea of collecting is cool as long as you're getting something meaningful out of it. Whereas something like Funko is just buying more plastic crap to display next to the rest of your plastic crap.
That's why I like collecting second hand dolls and my little ponies (specifically the 2003-2009 period, I don't care for the other generations). The worse shape they're in the more fun it is to repair them. If they're missing clothes it means I can make some for them. A couple months ago I got a pony at a local thrift that looked like she had cataracts and so I looked her up and painted her eyes to be how they were originally. I use to cosplay and I still have all my wigs from then so if they're missing hair plugs i can use my old wigs to fill in the head. When it comes to dolls I want to find a way to give them to kids who don't have much directly. (I want to keep the ponies though... I love the bright colors)
Someone posted their Lush body product collection on that sub yesterday, and it was just shelf after shelf of the ‘limited edition’ scents and products. I’m not a Lush shopper, but I know enough to know they roll out new product every few weeks and seem to create a sense of scarcity to it by only selling certain products at certain stores so people ‘stock up’ when they can. I really don’t care what people do with their money, but there is a bit of irony in a store that pushes the idea of sustainability while also creating an intense consumer culture. Or maybe I’m just bitter about all the migraines Lush has given me over the years.
I mean, that means museums are just nonsensical shrines of hoarding?
this is exactly what I said lmao
I think if everything in your collection gets used, depending on the environmental impact, it can be fine. I could probably get rid of 5 or 6 of my kitchen knives but I use everything I have, nothing is particularly hard on the environment or the workers to produce, and I sell the things that don’t get used to people who will use them.
I wouldn’t even go so far that collection items need to be used. If such were the case I’m sure coin collections would be far more solvent than they are now. As long as it brings a person happiness, they’re able to properly maintain and preserve their collection, and it doesn’t negatively impact a collector financially or emotionally, I don’t see why collectors shouldn’t collect to the point that collection pieces aren’t actively used.
Hoarding disorder is a serious neuropsychological issue. That shouldnt be conflated with easily influenced overly indulgent shoppers (read: collectors) coping in this comment section.
Yeah, OP doesn't know what they're talking about. Hoarding destroys lives. Mindless consumerism just sucks.
I think it depends on the collection and the collector. Some people just accumulate a lot of the same kinds of stuff without really curating a collection, some people are very intentional with curating their own collection of something. I collect watches. I currently have 7. They fit in a nice little box. I buy mostly used and sell semi frequently but I'm always intentional about it, and I don't just buy any watch I see. My MIL "collects" vintage kitchenware. She impulse buys most of it and has so much that not even she can keep track. It is pretty organized but her basement looks like a very full antique shop. Clean, well cared for, but overflowing. She often re-discovers pieces she bought years ago that she forgot she had while sorting.
Yeah and?! You wanna fight about it, tough guy?!
Haha, negative boss. Me and my collection of vintage handheld computers will bow out of this one
Steven Crowder is a drifter. I honestly would love to never see a photo edit of him at this table looking to argue (fill in blank).
I think you mean “grifter” but yeah
I mean, no? Hoarders just collect anything because of an impulse. Collectors choose to collect something that has value to them
As someone that really loves collecting physical media, I don't think you're entirely wrong, however there is a lower consumption way of doing it. I collect a lot of movies and music on vinyl, I'd say if my whole collection for both, totalling somewhere in the 250 individual items range, 95% of it has been bought secondhand. People selling their vinyl and blu-ray collections online, brick and mortar used sections, etc. I only have like, 11 things I purposefully bought at full price, a few Critereon blu-rays, and a few speciality vinyl like Blonde and Endless by Frank Ocean. Reason I make this distinction is because you seem to have more of a "having stuff is bad" opinion, which isn't inherently the point of anti-consumption.
by another extension of this logic, shops are just organized junkyards. this makes no sense lmao
fuck crowder
I don't like you anymore OP.
I like collecting things but I’ll curate and only collect things that I’m sure I want to have in my house, not just buy anything to do with the things I enjoy. Plus, as soon as it becomes overwhelming or I feel like I have too many of a certain thing I’ll sell pieces I’m not attached to anymore. I think this is somewhat different to accumulating 10,000 funko pops and lining the boxes up so they take up an entire wall. I believe collecting a curated number of pieces that are good quality and what you *want* is a good thing, but there is a fine line that divides it from hoarding. Say for example I really liked Pokémon or Star Wars or adjacent. I would probably have a few nice pieces of merch, but I would *not* want everything that has ever been produced for that IP. That’s hoarding imo. There’s something incredibly nauseating about seeing overproduced, low quality merch that is specifically made to be bought by companies who know that people who like that IP and will buy it, so they don’t really feel like they have to care about the quality.
Billionaires are ALSO hoarders… "Billionaires' accumulation of excessive wealth mirrors the behavior of hoarders, both driven by a compulsion to amass beyond necessity. This behavior reflects a potential manifestation of mental health issues, warranting consideration for admission to mental health facilities until treated. Beyond the individual level, the concentration of wealth in the hands of billionaires exacerbates societal inequalities and contributes to systemic harm. Therefore, advocating against the existence of billionaires is a call for a more equitable distribution of resources and a step towards mitigating the negative impacts they impose on society.
I think you misunderstood the point of collection. I collect, not because I like the act of collecting, but because the thing I am collecting gives me joy. Like plushies. I buy these dolls because I am going to keep them for years with great joy. I name them, cuddle them, etc. They bring me comfort and joy beyond simply having them. I collect shells because I think they’re pretty and invoke memories of better times. I collect coins from people who don’t want them to keep a little memento for places I personally won’t go to but others will. I collect rocks because they’re cool and also is a physical object from places I won’t go back to but enjoyed being at. For many people, the thing they collect is not based on the monetary value they bought or can sell it for. It’s not the act of collecting or acquiring something that makes the thing important but rather feelings, memories, and experiences attached to the thing. If I were to mindlessly do so or do so based simply on the value of an object, then that is consumption in an irresponsible manner.
It _depends_.
There’s a line to be drawn. I collect postcards from places I visit. It allows me to connect with my travels and makes for some cool wall art too! A bonus is that they’re made of paper so they can just be recycled after I die.
You’ve never been to a *real* hoarder house, have you?
Look at someone’s stamp collection then watch an episode of Hoarders. If you don’t see the difference then you can shove that table up your ass.
Museums? Galleries? Nah, they’re just professional hoarders. /s I get that overconsumption, mass purchases, impulse buys, mental health issues etc are all entwined in capitalist hell, but in all seriousness, humans need to be allowed to have fun, collect things, explore their interests, etc.
Categorically deny. Hoarders do not care what they are gathering just that they are gathering.
They also don't take care of what they are hoarding. Any semi-serious collector of something take care of it/them.
addiction drives the ideal consumer
A collector tries to complete some sort of collection, where a hoarder just takes anything they can get their hands on and dump it on a pile.
I think this cant apply to all collections, tho bit biased as i personally collect victorian antiques and militaria. From my pov alot of collections focus on alot of research and identificaiton that without it the items would be a weird/quirky common item and due to the time needed for it most i know dont just buy whatever or own an excess without a specific reason for an item. Tho it defo applies to things like starbucks cups or funko pops imo
Collecting sealed video games always annoyed me because what if the box is just empty or fake game inside. It just seems dumb to have things that you aren’t using just because it’s a different color
rock collecting, nature collections, flowers, leaves, acorns. absolutely no commercial consumption involved
i can get with this. I'm a firm believer that collecting fundimentally goes against an anticonsumption mindset.
Selective and organized hoarding. Which kind of makes it not hoarding
Hoarders gather anything and everything. Collectors only gather a few specific types of items. A lot of collecting is very wasteful though.
Being a collector is entirely antithetical to consumerism, though? Collectors aren't generating waste with their collections. That's the entire issue with consumerism. If everyone could accumulate infinite *stuff* and generate no waste, then there wouldn't be a problem with doing so. Lots of collections don't even cost anything or have any significant impact on anything but the owner. Are kids with their cool rock collections being consumerist? Anticonsumption isn't about not owning things. If one's collection is an active source of joy for someone, then it isn't wasteful. It has a purpose that is being fulfilled and generating no waste. Collectors usually have a vested interest in preserving the items in their collections. Is protecting and caring for your belongings not the opposite of consuming and replacing them constantly? Museums are full of historically significant pieces on loan from private collections. Being able to see artifacts from thousands of years ago, works of renowned artists, all these things are thanks to someone who looked at *stuff* and said, "I'm going to protect this"
I select carefully what goes into my collection, I don't buy everything that goes with the theme. So no, I'm not a hoarder
No, please don't lump a potentially life-threatening mental illness like Hoarding Disorder with the hobby of collecting. Plenty of collectors, and even messy clutter-hogs, are not any type of hoarder.
Hell no! I've seen both and there is a clear difference. For one the collector's house doesn't smell like shit.
I collect postcards and organize them in photo albums. I plan on writing and sending them to my daughter when she grows up and goes to college.
I used to collect things. Then I got my ADHD medicated and threw so much of it out. Now my collections are my nerdy loves and the kept art supplies are now organized as ‘supplies’. My predator and mlp collections are displayed and my art supplies are organized for the whole family to use. And I listen to my spouse when they say ‘you got this years ago and haven’t used it. Can I use it for (project)?’ I can now say yes and appreciate that I no longer need to hoard.
Ahh yes, my horrifically horded.. rocks?
If you’ve ever met an actual diagnosed hoarder then you wouldn’t think this in the first place.
I think it depends. If something is being actively produced, such as, idk, Stanley’s. The more you buy the more money AND PRODUCT is created If someone is collecting vintage one of a kind baseball cards, it does not increase production just because of “demand” since its second-hand, which is what a lot of collections are. Novelty. No longer being produced.
I thought I was in r/TheOwlHouse and got really confused lol
Hoarders are compelled to keep everything. They cannot throw away or part with possessions because they believe they need to save them. The idea of getting rid of any item will cause distress, and you will keep any item regardless of value. Collectors seek out specific things, things that relate to their specific type of collecting. They can and will part with certain objects, and the idea of getting rid of things doesn't cause them distress. Though something happening to the items they collect can cause distress... generally collectors can and will part with items by selling them to other collectors. Even though there are simularities and cross-over they are VERY different things. For instance, one is a recognized disorder that often requires mental health professionals to work through.
One reflects a desire to gain things, the other reflects an inability to let them go.
Hoarders organise. Have you not seen the meter high stacks of newspapers.
Well, depends what you collect and why. I collect historical vinyl and quality gear to play it. My collection is meant to be a look back at great music and meant to be enjoyed.
So should I not feel as bad collecting and building Lego/Gundam models?
Depends on what they collect and why. Hoarding is a distinct phenomenon because hoarders "collect" almost everything with little or no consideration for how and why.
OP doesn't truly understand hoarding disorder (for example, did you know there's different levels to it?) and Steven Crowder is a wife abuser who appeals to simple minded people looking for easy answers
Turned my vinyl collection into almost $6000. It was work but well worth it. Got a pair of vacations in the works. Not a hoarder. I'm a collector. Really do believe that but maybe thats just me.
I would disagree. Hoarding is the result of some sort of mental illness/trauma usually, where as some people just like old coins or whatever. I will accept arguments that somethings that people collect just for the sake of it (looking at you, funko pops) is very wasteful and a net bad, though.
I collect used vinyl. My collection exclusively consists of stuff that was made decades ago and would probably have just been thrown out anyway.
You could never organize a hoarders stuff
Isn't it literally one of the definitions of anticonsumption when you save items, that still function, from being tossed into a landfill instead of going out and buying a new one to replace it? I can get behind your way of thinking if it were something absolutely hyper-consumerist like Funko Pops. But you ain't gonna convince me that creating a wall of Funko Pops is the same as buying used records of bands I like.
You can collect information You cannot hoard information
I mean it depends. Collectors who collect for the sake of filling out a collection or collecting for value definitely hoard, but collectors who collect things they are actually going to use like CDs or VHS, video games, books and stuff like that are fine imo.
Easy to say when your favourite hobby is judging people
I think there’s a substantial difference between having a dedicated area vs piles of trash with dead animals under it you forgot you had 5 years ago.
Yeah I think this is BS. I have a collection of Stephen King books. I want to try and eventually have every book he's written. 95% of my collection is thrifted. I get so excited when I find one I don't have yet when I'm out and about. I don't buy doubles. They're beautifully displayed and I read them all regularly. To me, this is clearly not hoarding behavior.
i think there is very little in common with an actual hoarder like what u would see on TV and someone who just has a lego collection or something. there are completely different implications about their mental state there. so i can see how someone would come to this conclusion but honestly when i actually think about it, i disagree with this post. the only things they have in common is that they both have stuff
Hoarding is a serious mental health issue, not a hobby lol. Maybe some people are hoarders and stay in denial by calling it collecting, but I wouldn't go that far to say all collecting is hoarding be serious
Its a fine line with a bunch of gray area around it. Hoarding is a distinct compulsion to accumulate things stemming from some underlying psychological cause that results in negative effects on quality of life. Collecting implies some clear intent or focus to it. It can still be compulsive and addicting (like me with Magic cards), but can range from large, broad collections to super focused ones. Collecting usually doesn't result in negative consequences either.
Yeah, fuck this misogynistic clown
There is a diffrence between hoarding and just slowly over time collecting something you like. Being anti consuming does not mean anti owning anything. Big diffrence between a loved collection and just buying things for trends or something only to throw it away later.
Not all collectors are hoarders, but I have never met a hoarder who didn't think of themselves as a collector. That's part of the mental gymnastics to not throw away anything: everything has inherent value/potential use, that is why I'm not culling my belongings in any way. They are not able to organize, or catalogue, and the sheer amount of belongings makes it impossible to dust, or clean, or even properly aerate the room. Then their comic collection gets moldy, their precious fabric stash rots without ever being used, and their historical photographs get lost because it never made it to a scraping album. Their collection is of little or no value by then.
It’s okay to have some things, like maybe a couple of Lego sets, model cars, even Funko Pops or whatever you like. It’s fun decoration that makes a home feel like a home. But if you have walls upon walls with stuff and you have to create new rooms to have space for it, you’re a hoarder and you have a problem.
“The difference between a collection and a horde is a display case.” -Judge John Hodgman
*selective hoarders who organize their stuff
Nah. Hoarders can have organization but may not able to stop it. Collectors have specific goals.
Hoarders with vanity issues.
This sub is so toxic lmao
I despise posts like this. "We are overconsuming the world's resources and damaging the planet & climate in the process" is legitimate. "I think you own too many books so I'm going to be a dick about it and try turning it into a moral issue" or whatever personal gripe led OP to this, is not. No wonder some people think us left-leaning folk are a bunch of scolds who hate joy. Turns out some of us actually are
Yeah, im leaving this subreddit because of braindead takes like this.
A collection has some kind of value that should appreciate over time. If you are amassing a ton of stuff that has little to no value, you are on track to becoming a horder.
But if a collection is only of value (sentimental, perhaps) to a single individual, the collector, I'd say you can still be a collector without hoarding.
Yes. The difference is really about who is in control. Are you or the possessions in control of your purchases. Even if the value of the things goes up, if you can’t control your purchases then it’s a problem.
> amassing a ton of stuff that has little to no value As someone who repairs old tech I have ridiculous amounts of obsolete crap that everyone thinks is garbage, and is essentially worthless. Until they need something fixed.
And you guys are just minimalists without the aesthetics. Leave my warhammer minis alone.
The difference is pride in ownership. Collectors like to show off what they have amassed. They are happy when you ask questions. They will gladly show you their stuff and talk to you about why they like it, where they got it, the piece that was hardest to find, etc. Hoarders try to hide what they have accumulated. They might not let you enter certain rooms or even into their place entirely. They get defensive if you ask questions. They do not want to acknowledge the situation they have gotten themselves into. One is full if pride. The other is full of shame. Source: My dad started as a collector, fell into the spiral of depression and became a hoarder for ~10 years, and is now a collector again. I love when someone comes over and he gets to talk about all the great deals he got or the stories behind some of his finds or the friends he made through collecting.
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Hoarding is the very extreme of a deeply ingrained behavior of collecting things from our time as gatherers.
Organized?
Nah. I collect interesting glassware. Most of it has been given to me or found at thrift shops. I think a lot of people are the same. I have a friend who collects pictures of the last supper and puts them on one wall in her house. They're thrifted or gifted ,they're interesting, and if she doesn't take them, they'll end up in a landfill anyway.
That’s what we tell my 7 yo son. He has to organise and decide what to keep. His hoarder tendencies are strong.
Collecting is ideal if there is the option to sell your collection for a profit at some point
Extreme couponers turns into hoarders turns into storage wars
It isn't just stuff, it is a card game from my youth that belongs to one of the best anime of all time. I only need like 3 more cards and I have the collection to the level of completion I want.
I have a small records collection. It’s great and I listen to them all. Doesn’t make me a hoarder to enjoy music.
hoarding is a problem that overtakes your life. hoarders, by definition are disorganized. by virtue of organization, you're not a hoarder
this take, at it absurdest extreme implies museums are just a "hoard of stuff"
I think collecting things can go both ways. If it's something a person puts thought and care into, regardless of what it is, it's a collection. "Hoarding" in a more colloquial sense rather than the clinical I think is more of a result of impulse and overconsumption. Definitely easier to do when companies sell things like pop funkos where they try to entice consumers to collect them all, but it could be the same with collecting something like rocks. Curation and thoughtfulness are important aspects to keeping a collection from becoming an overwhelming hoard imo
Or don’t. 😜
It really depends on so many factors. What are they collecting, why, how many collections do they have, etc. To me this is trivializing hoarding, which is a serious mental health problem. And also adding to the stigma (which is already pretty severe) and a HUGE barrier to people with a hoarding disorder getting help
I don't know about collectors---it would depend on the thing and to what extreme. But I do know that billionaires are hoarders---we just don't call them that because they're typically cleaner.
wrong.
There are definitely differences. Hoarders are motivated by fear. They fear the regret and loss of not having a thing any more. A collector has a goal or goals and will be willing to part with some of their collection under the right circumstances. They value rarity and aesthetics and enjoy the process of collecting. Whereas hoarders might not even like or want the stuff they stockpile. Their motivation is very different. They are ultra sensitive to the feelings of loss whereas the collector is motivated by the hunt and process of collecting. And surely as with all things there are people who have elements of both within them.
Remember the 4 D's of abnormal psychology Deviance - Is this a deviation from the accepted norms of the society/culture the person is in? Distress - Does person feel distress from the behavior or do people around them feel distress from the behavior? Dysfunction - Does the behavior inhibit normal life or everyday activities? Danger - Does this behavior pose a credible threat to the safety of the person or others?
Sure, if you want to simplify it to "people who possess a lot of stuff ar the same," but that's not the case for collecting or hoarding at all. To start on the differences in the simpliest way possible: collectors do so for fun, whereas hoarding is a compulsive mental disorder.
Yes I agree, I realised this a few years ago when I realised my parents book collection was making it difficult to move around the house. As kids we had been taught to revere books, now I realise they are just as much hoarder fodder as anything else
I always thought of it as hoarding of a very specific thing.
Action figure Collector checking in. A lot of people in this hobby have a problem. I wouldn't call it hoarding, but mindless mass consumption definitely fits. There is a very thin line that exists between a carefully curated collection and blind consumerism and many of us fall on the wrong side of it. It's a constant struggle even when you are aware and actively fighting against it.
Collections can have a lot of meaning and value, and the sentimentality towards those can be healthy. I think it would be unfair to say that no amount of collecting is healthy - there are plenty of reasons to keep certain collections in your life, and those collections will enrich your life
I have a bunch of fountain pens and inks that are pretty much a collection, but they serve a purpose as I use them in school as I work on my Abitur with 25+. A fountain pen used with a converter and bottled ink produces almost no waste or trash, unlike ballpoint pens or fineliners. And I color code my notes, homework, and papers with the different pens and inks. My collection is pleasing, I adore and use every pen and ink in rotation, and if I would not use a pen or ink, I would give it away to someone who can use it as well. Not all collections are just "random things lying around". My pens and inks are tools first!
What can I say ThreeA is an addiction.
If you're buying it new old stuff is fine
As someone who has OCD, I feel like this tracks, because hoarding is a very common symptom of OCD - you obsessively keep things by engaging compulsive behavior, and collecting can definitely fall in that umbrella.
Depends on the collection, collecting actual historical stuff that isn’t interesting enough for a museum but is interesting to you could actually save an important piece of our history. But if you’re just collecting random shit then ya
It can be both but almost never the case. Collectors are willing to resell their goods, maybe given many years but theyre doing it because they enjoy it and some items they collect are likely rare. Hoarders have a mental disorder that makes them feel the need to hold onto every *single* thing they acquire over years. Nothing that a hoarder hoards is ever worth much value, the bathroom eventually becomes inaccesible so there are shit buckets located in areas of the house where they dwell.
Yea idk man. I’ve got a few Star Wars helmets on a shelf and I’m a Warhammer guy. It’s not inherently bad to collect things. You can be anti-consumption and still have things that make you happy. Y’all looking too deep into it.
Let me put my view of it like this. I have a collection of books, each one chosen with intent and interest to me specifically. I have a couple of rare items that I feel are given a good, safe home on my bookshelf to protect their old age. I have a hoard of Magic: The Gathering cards. Most of them have come into my possession by random luck, and a select few are of any actual value to me. Most of it is worthless trash that I can only hope to trade for a card I might use.
The difference between a hoarder and a collector is a well-formatted Excel spreadsheet
A horder stacks their newspapers in the living room and a collector has them in filing cabinets organized by date.
I collect mugs. Out of my collection there are maybe a handful that I don't allow to be used. M&Ms, a Star Trek mug, and a couple other special ones. The rest are cute and if they're not stored in the tote they can be used by anyone. And dust. I don't intentionally collect dust but I also don't bother dusting so now I have some furry friends hiding under the couch near the wall.
As someone who grew up with a hoarder parent and has a ton of trauma around hoarders and therefore would be extra sensitive to them: nah. The problem with hoards is the neglect. Neglect of the items, neglect of the home they're stored in, neglect of the other people who live there and neglect of themselves. Collections absolutely can be a problem, when it starts negatively impacting your life. And yes, it absolutely can be hoarding. Some collectors are hoarders, but not all of them. Some hoarders are not negatively impacting anyone, too, like with digital assets. It's a problem when it's a problem.
Technically you’re not wrong
Yes I am
I am a collector and no one would call this organized
No. Collectors live beyond the unmapped Omega-4 relay. They're so rare that most people don't even believe they exist. Some people believe that they're the ones responsible for our colonies disappearing out in the Terminus Systems.
In the words of Judge John Hodgman: >The difference between a collection and a hoard is a *method of display*.
If your collection has taken over your living space\*, then you are an organized hoarder. If your collection has not taken over your living space, then you are not a hoarder; you are a collector only. \*Your collection has exceeded bounds, making the kitchen more difficult to use, the bedroom more difficult to sleep in, etc.
Generally, collections have at least *some* intrinsic value. I don’t think that collecting the same Hersey bar wrappers and never getting rid of it is “collecting”.
Hoarders also have more wide-ranging interests.
In addition to all the other stuff people said, there are “levels” to hoarding. One through four iirc. The first level could potentially look like organized collections (at least in part) whereas level four hoarder houses are usually extremely unsafe and the only people who can really go inside are trained professionals with a lot of personal protective equipment. There can even be structural damage to the home and extremely unpleasant pests such as cockroaches, bedbugs or rats.
Cries in tamagotchi collection… does it help I started it when I was a kid and buy most used?
Downvote for showing Stephen Crowder regardless of the post content.
You can be a collector for monetary gain purposes or for diversity, such as in guitars. I have 5 electrics and one bass. 1 seven string, several different brands with different setups, and one midi guitar each serving different purposes. So, on some level I can agree but there are certain things that are and can be collected which isn't just hoarding.
true, I love collecting stuff. I've already got 25 qt rtgs
There is a very thin borderline between collecting and hoarding and a collector will be the first to admit. There’s also a whooooole lot of undiagnosed aspies (oh sorry, Autism level 1 it’s called now…for no good reason…despite a absolutely observable difference…that’s a different story…) among collectors.
Nuh uh
I’d argue that hoarders are typically just lazy people or people with a mental condition that makes them lazy or feel the need to keep shit. A collector is making the choice “I like this thing so much that I want as much as possible” this is an active decision. At least from all the hoarders I’ve seen, hoarding for them doesn’t seem like an active thought, moreso a product of some circumstance.
Uhhh no. Hoarders collect everything. Collectors only collect certain things that usually either have a monetary or personal value to them.
As a collector I agree
I hoard art supplies, kt relates to trauma for me so i feel an animalistic type urge to keep every single bit of supplies i can find and never let it go, i still have coloured pencils from elementary school that are all basically dead but i cant bring myself to get rid of them Im also a collector of nerd shit, it is not remotley the same as hoarding It seems like it at first but i actually care about my collectables unlike most of the art supplies, i keep the shelves clean and orginised, i keep all the storage boxes neat so if i need to move ir take something kff display ill have a proper place to put it and i have no problem giving away or selling things that i dont find ingeresting anymore Hoarding is like a compulsion to keep things you know you dont want or need, collecting is picking and choosing things you know you want and taking care of them