Collecting things is a weird obsession. I don’t mean to use the term “weird” pejoratively, mind you—I myself have collected lots of things over the years. Some children will collect toys, which makes a great deal of sense. Toys are the first thing a kid really owns, so a young mind might turn toward wanting to have every item from a set, for instance, or all the characters from a franchise. Some kids will leave a toy in its original packaging, preserving it for posterity.
My comic books are well worn whereas my brother's were in pristine shape. I read them dozens and dozens of times and I'm pretty sure they might have read their own only a couple times.
I'm not much of a collector of anything. My hobbies are more along the lines of brewing beer and things like that. I've always been facinated by collectors... the conventions of collectors are interesting too.
I've been a habitual collector for most of my life, part out of deep interests and part out of trying to do my job as a historian. When you are a fan of visual media and music that sometimes it seems nobody but you gives a god-damn about, and the same for the product forms they come in that suit you best, you don't really have a choice.
Libraries are good, but they don't have everything, and you can only keep their stuff for so long...
I have a collection that is quite weird. It started simply enough, as a filmmaker I would get an eye on something and think it would make a great prop for a scene. It evolved into a bit of an obsession for anything odd or unusual: animal bones and skulls, old typewriters and phones, vintage Philco TV's, a Victrola hand cranked record player, a lot of dead things in mason jars; birds, insects; old film cameras and projectors. I set about filming all of these things one weekend and I made a folder of clips titled "My Weird Collection". I have contemplated making a series of experimental shorts or writing a strange article about it at some point.
Too many ideas, not enough time. . .perhaps I need 'deep time'. ;-)
I have been very good at collecting albeit not at selling. That's not to say I have massive collections. I tend to follow the age-old adage "buy high, sell low". That's how it goes, right?
Not much of anything lately. I'm REALLY good at selling. Just not at market pricing. I sold my 6000+ records before I bought the gym... that I also sold. lol
From my perspective (only), crystals are eye-catchers that distract me from the mundane rock that I lean down to pick up only to discover its uniqueness
I have collected rocks my entire life. The first rock was one my uncle had that he found in California. At that time of my life, it wasn’t a rock, it WAS California to me. Since then, my friends and family have picked up rocks from wherever they were visiting around the world. The all have a story (not only geological).
Oh neat! I forgot to mention that I also collected rocks for a little while there. I was fascinated with geodes in particular, but plenty of other different types of rock. I had a little tool drawer I'd use to organize them.
I collect antique/vintage salt and pepper shakers. I’ve been collecting them since 1989. I probably have 200-300, I’ve never counted. My rules: They have to be whimsical. They have to have been made in Japan circa WWII. To purchase they have to be under $25. Great idea for a post for my Substack. I’ll be able to add pictures!
Nice! Feel free to tag me in the post (or in a Note) so I see it. I'm curious as to whether there is a "price guide" of sorts, or if these are harder to find due to being more niche.
I’m actually researching that this morning. Apparently I have some that are rare and “highly sought after”. Ones that say “Made in occupied Japan,” or “Occupied Japan,” are extremely rare and highly sought after. There’s also a salt and pepper club complete with local chapters and a national convention. Who knew?
When I was a teenager, I asked my father to get me Howard the Duck numbers 1, 2, and for Christmas. Not only was he horrified that I wanted "Funny books" but he was triply horrified when he found out the prices! But when he came through, I had the complete run.
Wasn't that a time? Putting the comics in plastic bags, arranging them by numerical order and storing them in boxes in a cool dry place. Collecting is so much more than mere hoarding!
David, I'm pretty sure I had Howard the Duck #1 as well! What a weird time, indeed.
That pic is from my garage, where those boxes are stored. I got rid of a lot of the higher value items during that selloff 25 years ago, but I still have some good ones.
I love plants and I have a lot of them, but I collect ficus. I mostly grow them from seed since that’s a much less expensive way of doing it, but I’m always on the lookout for new seeds. If I had a house instead of an apartment I’d grow them to sell, but I don’t really have the space for it at the moment.
I’m kind of a nature klepto in general, I’ll pick up dead bugs that look cool, feathers, old wasp nests, bones, shells, rocks, fossils, etc. I don’t know if that really counts as collecting or hoarding, lol, since I don’t do anything aside from stick the stuff on a shelf.
There is a fine line between collecting and hoarding, and that's actually a very good point you bring up. I'm not sure how much of a collector I've been vs a hoarder. It might have been equal measure as a kid!
The "Collector's Quirk" is a big issue for me in video games. I'm definitely the type who--instead of completing the main quest and fighting the Joker--will chase down every tiny "The Riddler" challenge which requires finding random signs and letters all over Arkham Asylum.
Hypothetically, that is. It's not like I reached 100% completion for the Riddler's challenges or anything.
Back in Ukraine, I used to collect candles...of all things. Not just random standard candles like a psycho. Candles shaped like objects, animals, plants, etc. like a psycho.
If someone went traveling abroad, they'd sometimes bring me a candle. I think I must still have some of them back in Kharkiv.
Were the candles still in packages, or were they somehow easy to identify? Were there people who would trade you for your candle duplicates so they could have a set, and were they (used or previously purchased candles) bought and sold in places? I have more questions than I thought I would when you said "candles."
Oh no, this wasn't nearly as organized as classic collecting. Largely because nobody has yet thought to capitalize on the massive candle-collecting industry by labeling and numbering the candles, as well as creating special edition candles. Someone should get on that!
I think I somehow channelled greed into my OCD. It's hard to explain, but it also prepared me for the "grown up" world to a degree I think most of my friends weren't prepared.
Kharkiv, man. I'm afraid it's gonna get ugly before it gets better.
My comic books are well worn whereas my brother's were in pristine shape. I read them dozens and dozens of times and I'm pretty sure they might have read their own only a couple times.
I'm not much of a collector of anything. My hobbies are more along the lines of brewing beer and things like that. I've always been facinated by collectors... the conventions of collectors are interesting too.
Do you still have some from the "kid" days?
I have all my Dick Tales and all my one Brother's Donald Duck.
I'm... not sure you should edit this comment.
Let's just let it be.
Dick McCartney himself couldn't have said it better!
I've been a habitual collector for most of my life, part out of deep interests and part out of trying to do my job as a historian. When you are a fan of visual media and music that sometimes it seems nobody but you gives a god-damn about, and the same for the product forms they come in that suit you best, you don't really have a choice.
Libraries are good, but they don't have everything, and you can only keep their stuff for so long...
You bring up a good point: it's only really collectable if it's hard to find.
Or will become hard to find in the future.
Ah yes! Skating to where the puck is going. I tried hard to anticipate this.
I played, and still play, TTRPG for superheroes.
Do you kind of collect the books, manuals, and such?
I have a bunch of D&D books still.
AD&D 1e, D&D 5e, Hero System 5e, Masquerade 5e, Hârn, CoC, and others ... yeah I would say so.
Whaddya got for AD&D 1st edition? I think I have at least a dozen hardcover books and a few modules (plus the modules I created).
The Big 3, Unearthed, and a collection of my own modules.
Big 3 = DM, Players', and MM?
Of course.
I have a collection that is quite weird. It started simply enough, as a filmmaker I would get an eye on something and think it would make a great prop for a scene. It evolved into a bit of an obsession for anything odd or unusual: animal bones and skulls, old typewriters and phones, vintage Philco TV's, a Victrola hand cranked record player, a lot of dead things in mason jars; birds, insects; old film cameras and projectors. I set about filming all of these things one weekend and I made a folder of clips titled "My Weird Collection". I have contemplated making a series of experimental shorts or writing a strange article about it at some point.
Too many ideas, not enough time. . .perhaps I need 'deep time'. ;-)
Is the Victrola a standup machine? Do you stand while cranking it? I have one! I took a pic and posted it here: https://goatfury.substack.com/p/old-songs
That one is a beauty. Mine is a small table top model with the crank.
Do you have a pic (or just model # so I can look it up)? I'm more curious than I thought I would be!
https://substack.com/profile/72095571-frater-seamus/note/c-56443691
I'll post a note with a couple of pics. I tried dragging a picture here but I guess you can't do that in the replies
I have been very good at collecting albeit not at selling. That's not to say I have massive collections. I tend to follow the age-old adage "buy high, sell low". That's how it goes, right?
What have you got? I'm guessing at least a healthy amount of vinyl. I've got a little bit too.
Not much of anything lately. I'm REALLY good at selling. Just not at market pricing. I sold my 6000+ records before I bought the gym... that I also sold. lol
Dang! Any baseball cards (or just cards in general) left?
From my perspective (only), crystals are eye-catchers that distract me from the mundane rock that I lean down to pick up only to discover its uniqueness
I have collected rocks my entire life. The first rock was one my uncle had that he found in California. At that time of my life, it wasn’t a rock, it WAS California to me. Since then, my friends and family have picked up rocks from wherever they were visiting around the world. The all have a story (not only geological).
Oh neat! I forgot to mention that I also collected rocks for a little while there. I was fascinated with geodes in particular, but plenty of other different types of rock. I had a little tool drawer I'd use to organize them.
I collect antique/vintage salt and pepper shakers. I’ve been collecting them since 1989. I probably have 200-300, I’ve never counted. My rules: They have to be whimsical. They have to have been made in Japan circa WWII. To purchase they have to be under $25. Great idea for a post for my Substack. I’ll be able to add pictures!
Nice! Feel free to tag me in the post (or in a Note) so I see it. I'm curious as to whether there is a "price guide" of sorts, or if these are harder to find due to being more niche.
I’m actually researching that this morning. Apparently I have some that are rare and “highly sought after”. Ones that say “Made in occupied Japan,” or “Occupied Japan,” are extremely rare and highly sought after. There’s also a salt and pepper club complete with local chapters and a national convention. Who knew?
Neat! And delightfully complex.
Got you quoted and tagged!
When I was a teenager, I asked my father to get me Howard the Duck numbers 1, 2, and for Christmas. Not only was he horrified that I wanted "Funny books" but he was triply horrified when he found out the prices! But when he came through, I had the complete run.
Wasn't that a time? Putting the comics in plastic bags, arranging them by numerical order and storing them in boxes in a cool dry place. Collecting is so much more than mere hoarding!
Thanks for the dose of nostalgia.
David, I'm pretty sure I had Howard the Duck #1 as well! What a weird time, indeed.
That pic is from my garage, where those boxes are stored. I got rid of a lot of the higher value items during that selloff 25 years ago, but I still have some good ones.
I love plants and I have a lot of them, but I collect ficus. I mostly grow them from seed since that’s a much less expensive way of doing it, but I’m always on the lookout for new seeds. If I had a house instead of an apartment I’d grow them to sell, but I don’t really have the space for it at the moment.
I’m kind of a nature klepto in general, I’ll pick up dead bugs that look cool, feathers, old wasp nests, bones, shells, rocks, fossils, etc. I don’t know if that really counts as collecting or hoarding, lol, since I don’t do anything aside from stick the stuff on a shelf.
There is a fine line between collecting and hoarding, and that's actually a very good point you bring up. I'm not sure how much of a collector I've been vs a hoarder. It might have been equal measure as a kid!
The "Collector's Quirk" is a big issue for me in video games. I'm definitely the type who--instead of completing the main quest and fighting the Joker--will chase down every tiny "The Riddler" challenge which requires finding random signs and letters all over Arkham Asylum.
Hypothetically, that is. It's not like I reached 100% completion for the Riddler's challenges or anything.
Back in Ukraine, I used to collect candles...of all things. Not just random standard candles like a psycho. Candles shaped like objects, animals, plants, etc. like a psycho.
If someone went traveling abroad, they'd sometimes bring me a candle. I think I must still have some of them back in Kharkiv.
Were the candles still in packages, or were they somehow easy to identify? Were there people who would trade you for your candle duplicates so they could have a set, and were they (used or previously purchased candles) bought and sold in places? I have more questions than I thought I would when you said "candles."
Oh no, this wasn't nearly as organized as classic collecting. Largely because nobody has yet thought to capitalize on the massive candle-collecting industry by labeling and numbering the candles, as well as creating special edition candles. Someone should get on that!
I think I somehow channelled greed into my OCD. It's hard to explain, but it also prepared me for the "grown up" world to a degree I think most of my friends weren't prepared.
Kharkiv, man. I'm afraid it's gonna get ugly before it gets better.
Yeah, I'm in touch with the family. My brother's friends on the front lines are saying things are tense.
It doesn't do anything magical, but my heart really does go out to them. Tough times; thinking about Ukraine a lot these days.