One is enough
I often wonder if the urge to collect is hard-wired in the human race, or just something encouraged by our society.
When I was a child, I remember my friends building collections of dolls, coins, baseball cards, comic books, and pop culture/movie memorabilia. I always felt a little left out. I don’t know if it was due to a lack of interest, short attention span, or early minimalist tendencies, but I had zero desire to participate in the collecting trends that were popular at the time (I won’t date myself by naming them!).
When I was a young adult, however, I finally caved to the pressure. In our post-college days, my boyfriend (now husband) and I started collecting vintage cocktail shakers to decorate our apartment. We had a great time scouring antique shops and flea markets to track them down. To be honest, I think we did it more for the thrill of the hunt than the actual objects.
Then one day, we stopped and asked why on earth we were collecting these things (we had acquired about 20-30 by that time). I think we both realized we weren’t getting any pleasure out of the objects themselves; we simply enjoyed having a mutual hobby, and could just as well entertain ourselves with other pursuits.
Fortunately, we were able to liquidate the entire collection on eBay in six weeks –- and we felt so *free* after the last one left our home!
Needless to say, that was my first and only foray into the world of collecting. I’ve only been tempted once since then, when I acquired a lovely kokeshi doll from Japan (see photo above) and considered purchasing more. However, I recalled my first collecting experience, and knew I’d eventually tire of them and end up selling them on eBay. Therefore, I decided to bypass the entire process by declaring that “one is enough.”
I’d love to hear about your experiences with collecting. Have you ever had a collection? Or have you dissolved one in your minimalist journey? Let me know in the Comments.
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My collections are that of tumbled stones (I am somewhat of a new-age like creature…more down to earth than most)- I have about maybe 40 in a box- and essential oils, since I use them from perfumes to therapeutic needs. When I think of buying something, I ask myself if I am going to get a lot of use from it…or,…if I have survived without it to begin with, will I ultimately need it? I used to collect antiques and coins but it was too much of a hassle.
When I was a kid in the 80s, I remember a lot of girls collected stickers and traded them with each other, kind of like boys did with baseball cards. Someone gave me a “Sticker notebook” with laminated pages where you could place the stickers for display & carry them all around to show & trade with friends. I remember thinking, “What is the point of this whole thing?” Once you peeled the sticker off the page of the special notebook, it was already less sticky, so it was useless as a sticker. I never really got into it AT ALL, but all my female friends gave me stickers “to keep & to trade”….like they tried to make me a sticker collector. I recently found that sticker notebook in a box in my parents’ attic & I was reminded of how pointless it all really was! LOL.
In college, I must have expressed a love for penguins, cats, & sheep at various times because people have been gifting items with these animals on them to me for years…yes, about 15 years. I have cleared out a lot of my clutter, but those penguins are the next major thing to tackle. I put over 120 of them in a box last night to donate. These are stuffed animals, figurines,and random knicknacks with a penguin motif. Wait til they open that box down at the Salvation Army! Penguins for everyone! Door prizes—-a penguin for everyone who enters the store! I do really love penguins, so I have chosen a select 3 to keep & display tastefully on my book shelf. The sheep were not as beloved to me, so they were easy to discard…and I didn’t need all the cat knicknacks since I have 2 real kitties:) They are so much better than clutter-cats anyway:)
About the sheep: what I meant was that the actual knicknacks were not as beloved to me. I adore real, live sheep & hope to have a few one day on a little plot of land next to my tiny little cottage:)
I loved my sticker notebooks. I didn’t trade them, just collected. Loved having a “special” book for stickers and if I still had them now (just 2) they would be part of the small collection of sentimental items I keep.
When I was a kid, I collected books and beanie babies. However, after a large donation to the Children’s Hospital, I am free of all beanie babies and many children’s books.
BTW when I travel or go to concerts, I pick up a cheap little keychain that I put in a tin when I get home and at christmas time I get them out and hang them on the tree. Now that I have a grandson, he is thrilled to here each story as we take them out and hang them on the tree. They don’t take up alot of room and are put way with the few xmas things I use every year.