What do you collect?
Discussion
Watching King of Collectibles on Netflix and it got me thinking about collecting things and how fun it is. I personally don’t collect anything these days but I do love the idea. My pockets aren’t deep enough to collect things I’m interested in, namely cars, trainers, and video games.
What do you collect? Pictures would be interesting, if people are happy to share their collections!!
What do you collect? Pictures would be interesting, if people are happy to share their collections!!
It has changed over the past 50 years. In rough order, from earliest to latest:
Model cars and kits
Hi Fi and vinyl
Money (to pay off the mortgage, buy a bigger house to store the "stuff" and buy a 911)
Clocks
Watches
Ferrari F40 models
German tank kits etc.
Scalextric cars
RC car stuff
RC plane stuff
RC boat stuff
Model cars and kits
Hi Fi and vinyl
Money (to pay off the mortgage, buy a bigger house to store the "stuff" and buy a 911)
Clocks
Watches
Ferrari F40 models
German tank kits etc.
Scalextric cars
RC car stuff
RC plane stuff
RC boat stuff
Roofless Toothless said:
Books about Richard Wagner. I have a library of over 200 volumes at the moment. Some of them I have actually read.
Do you have this one?https://www.amazon.co.uk/Penetrating-Wagners-Ring-...
Torches!
Pre-Covid I had around 450+ torches - flashlights, head lamps and some lanterns. Every time a new torch was launched I would buy it. Mrs V. thought I only had about 20 odd as I would swap the ones on display from the storage in the garage
Then I had a sort out during Covid. I gave a torch to each of the 30 odd members of my wider family making sure they had a torch in each car and at home, sold some of the more expensive ones and gave most of the filament bulb ones to charidee. Now I have around 50. I kept some of the very first LED torches, and the rest are fairly high powered. Mt weakness now are ATEX torches. They're not especially powerful but being tough are perfect for lending out to butterfingers on cave tours.
Pre-Covid I had around 450+ torches - flashlights, head lamps and some lanterns. Every time a new torch was launched I would buy it. Mrs V. thought I only had about 20 odd as I would swap the ones on display from the storage in the garage
Then I had a sort out during Covid. I gave a torch to each of the 30 odd members of my wider family making sure they had a torch in each car and at home, sold some of the more expensive ones and gave most of the filament bulb ones to charidee. Now I have around 50. I kept some of the very first LED torches, and the rest are fairly high powered. Mt weakness now are ATEX torches. They're not especially powerful but being tough are perfect for lending out to butterfingers on cave tours.
Nothing anymore.
I used to have pretty impressive collections of watches, digital photography equipment (different lenses, bodies, filters etc) books, tools, vinyl records, cars, shotguns, scale model cars, and a few other things. I eventually realised I hated it, and having loads of 'stuff' was making me anxious, and made me feel cluttered and unable to concentrate when thinking about the things I owned. I fully appreciate people will think this is very weird, but it's just what happened.
I now have just 3 watches, for different occasions, no books, no vinyl records, no hifi/turntable, no model cars, one nice shotgun, one high end compact camera, my MacBook, and no 'fun' cars and just one modern daily driver. I'll probably sell the one remaining shotgun as I never use it. All my films and music are streamed off the internet. I am paperless at home as best I can, and my photo library and other documents are all stored in the cloud. I have a very small collection of tools at home, as I pay other people to do DIY for me, or to work on my car. I have a decent collection of clothes as I like to dress smartly or for occasion, but nothing that wouldn't fit in a couple of large suitcases.
If we ignore the fact that I have a wife and child and their associated possessions, I could leave home with the entirety of my stuff in the boot of a hatchback car with loads of room to spare. I have found that my life is far more enjoyable now that I'm focusing on activities, experiences, travel, time with the family and friends, and things that aren't centred around owning stuff. Even my hobbies such as photography are much more enjoyable now that I have one compact camera and nothing else. Forces me to focus (no pun intended) on the photo and not the gear.
I'm not saying there is anything wrong in the slightest with having collections of things, there isn't. Many people really enjoy it and have very cool collections of things that I like to admire, but it just isn't for me.
I used to have pretty impressive collections of watches, digital photography equipment (different lenses, bodies, filters etc) books, tools, vinyl records, cars, shotguns, scale model cars, and a few other things. I eventually realised I hated it, and having loads of 'stuff' was making me anxious, and made me feel cluttered and unable to concentrate when thinking about the things I owned. I fully appreciate people will think this is very weird, but it's just what happened.
I now have just 3 watches, for different occasions, no books, no vinyl records, no hifi/turntable, no model cars, one nice shotgun, one high end compact camera, my MacBook, and no 'fun' cars and just one modern daily driver. I'll probably sell the one remaining shotgun as I never use it. All my films and music are streamed off the internet. I am paperless at home as best I can, and my photo library and other documents are all stored in the cloud. I have a very small collection of tools at home, as I pay other people to do DIY for me, or to work on my car. I have a decent collection of clothes as I like to dress smartly or for occasion, but nothing that wouldn't fit in a couple of large suitcases.
If we ignore the fact that I have a wife and child and their associated possessions, I could leave home with the entirety of my stuff in the boot of a hatchback car with loads of room to spare. I have found that my life is far more enjoyable now that I'm focusing on activities, experiences, travel, time with the family and friends, and things that aren't centred around owning stuff. Even my hobbies such as photography are much more enjoyable now that I have one compact camera and nothing else. Forces me to focus (no pun intended) on the photo and not the gear.
I'm not saying there is anything wrong in the slightest with having collections of things, there isn't. Many people really enjoy it and have very cool collections of things that I like to admire, but it just isn't for me.
AndrewCrown said:
Lord M
I admire your ‘state of zen’ if that’s the right term….we’re in a process of doing exactly as you have done.
For the OP…V8’s! Lighters, Watches, Pens for now…
It was like a weight was lifted off our shoulders, me more so than my wife, but we both felt better afterwards. Never again will I have collections of stuff or piles of possessions. I keep the bare minimum of things I need and want.I admire your ‘state of zen’ if that’s the right term….we’re in a process of doing exactly as you have done.
For the OP…V8’s! Lighters, Watches, Pens for now…
I now do consider myself in a 'Zen-like state'
Vinyl, mainly punk and new wave. Used to be able to pick really good stuff up from charity shops and car boot sales for 50p or a pound but people seemed to have wized up now. Saw an LP I really wanted in a charity shop last week.....£35 
OK, that was the about right price according to Ebay, but I don't expect them to know that.
OK, that was the about right price according to Ebay, but I don't expect them to know that.
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