Question: When does a "collection" become "clutter"?

[PosterBoyKelly]

I say, what my wife don't know can't hurt her

I just make sure the bills are paid, and have and will again sell things if I have to to get the important things in life done.

 

[denger4000]

I really don't get why anyone here is knocking this guy. I think his collection rawks. We all post on a toy board yet we are calling someone sad for liking toys more then us? In my opinion thats sad.

 

[IrishJedi]

I like to drink, so should that mean I can't question someone who might take it too far and might be an alcoholic?

Just sayin'.

 

[The Monster]

I really don't get why anyone here is knocking this guy. I think his collection rawks. We all post on a toy board yet we are calling someone sad for liking toys more then us? In my opinion thats sad.

I am with denger4000, lets not make fun of others for having collectibles.

what may be to much for you, is not for this person.

I am sure we all have nice collections that is why we are on these boards to have fun.

 

[Agent0028]

I like to drink, so should that mean I can't question someone who might take it too far and might be an alcoholic?

Just sayin'.

Hey...don't look at me pallie.

 

[swabie2424]

I like to drink, so should that mean I can't question someone who might take it too far and might be an alcoholic?

Just sayin'.

I dunno, Carl. While I agree that collecting can certainly become an addiction and be unhealthy... there's a difference here. No one has ever gotten a DUI for collecting toys or shwag. No one has ever ruined their liver or stomach doing it. God I hope no one's behavior has ever deteriorated to the point of hitting their wife or children over this stuff. But alcohol (which I personally enjoy responsibly ) can hurt and kill if taken to excess/addiction. While any type of addiction can be personally/financially disasterous... toys does not really impose a legal or health risk... so it's not really in the same class of addiction in my mind.

Don't get me wrong. I get your point. Anything to the point of addiction CAN be unhealthy. But that's impossible for us to judge from forum posts. I don't care what someone's house looks like. That guy could be a well-adjusted, responsible, healthy member of society who just takes collecting to another level from most of us.

 

[PosterBoyKelly]

I dunno, Carl. While I agree that collecting can certainly become an addiction and be unhealthy... there's a difference here. No one has ever gotten a DUI for collecting toys or shwag.

I was knocked to the ground in a Toys R Us for a POTF2 Bossk when it first came out, seriously TO THE GROUND. My hand went for the toy, than some dude like 7 feet away saw me and ran yelling "BOSSK" and slammed into me, than ran to the register to pay and leave. I was WAY too in shock to do anything. Sadly.....that guys a friend of mine now, he claims not to remember the affair.

Point is, it CAN be a danger...to yourself and others.

 

[nash]

what about drinking toys?

 

[swabie2424]

I feel bad hearing your story PBK. That is awful that people do stuff like that. But come on, PBK! How many toy collecting related deaths/arrests/hospitalizations occurred last year?

That's the spirit of my post.

I'm sure some idiots have gotten into fist fights over things. Nothing surprises me. But there's a big difference between getting shoved in a store compared to an alcoholic coming home and whaling on his 8 year old son for an hour! Is it a matter of degree? Yup.

 

[swabie2424]

what about drinking toys?

You mean toys that drink? Or you mean trying to drink your toys?

 

[denger4000]

I like to drink, so should that mean I can't question someone who might take it too far and might be an alcoholic?

Just sayin'.

being an Alcoholic has physical health problems, so your comparison isn't really that great. Some may say this guy has mental problems, but he if he is happy who are we to judge? Who's not hurting himself or anyone so be it.When I looked at the collection I was jealous, I didn't think what a loser he was.

 

[Agent0028]

A gambling addiction may be a better analogy. But like others have said its impossible to assess whether this person has gone to a point that it is a problem. If I knew him personally and had some sort of evidence that he was going to far in his collection I would see it as my responsibility to say so, but given I only have some pictures of an impressive (although cluttered imo) collection I'm not in a place to judge him. And aside from some jokes I don't think anyone here really is.

 

[Radagaster]

It's interesting to note how this thread has covered the gamut of the fears we all have inside. One thing I've definitely faced is basically the fear of wanting new awesome stuff with nowhere to place it (only for fear that I overflow the boundaries I've setup for myself). One thing I haven't mentioned here is the tons of boxes that litter and take up space in my garage from all the collectibles I've accrued.

This guy had the will to display them all MIB. But I'm sure, for a lot of us here, what we open and display on our shelves, must have an equivalent box in a vast storage. I'm scared to even see pics of people's storage or garage . . .

 

[IrishJedi]

being an Alcoholic has physical health problems, so your comparison isn't really that great. Some may say this guy has mental problems, but he if he is happy who are we to judge? Who's not hurting himself or anyone so be it.When I looked at the collection I was jealous, I didn't think what a loser he was.

Of course BOTH sides are making assumptions about this guy here to further their points. None of us really know whether he's functional or not... it's all speculative.

That said, I would never call the guy a "loser" based on the scale of that collection. Unfortunately, some people would take that tact but not me.

However (and this is where my comparison to alcohol, drugs, gambling, et al. comes into play), it's a universal truth that when you let any passion cross over the line to the point of obsession and it dominates your life that is a BAD thing and invevitably affects you and everyone around you. Again, I am not saying that's indeed the case here with this chap, but it does exist. Like I said earlier in the thread, if you have an irrational addiction TO ANYTHING you have serious issues, and it doesn't matter what it is you're addicted to. Of course, there are worse addictions than others. Heck, even in drug addictions some are "worse" than others. It's all relative. But the cause and effect are one and the same. Just because these things "are just toys" does not absolve someone of scrutiny if it's indeed gotten out of hand.

Josh, myself and others can personally attest to the fact that out of control collections can affect peoples' personal lives just as much as anything else.

 

[swabie2424]

A gambling addiction may be a better analogy.

It certainly is a better analogy.

But even that analogy still has its limits/differences. Foremost, if you lose while gambling... there ain't no recouping your $$$$. And if you fail to pay your gambling debts... Lumpy and Whitey might pay you a visit and break a kneecap! (lol) But with a toy addiction... you could most likely recoup a significant part of what you spent (either to stablize yourself financially or to repay debts). Gosh... some people could actually come out ahead if they purchased wisely.

 

[galactiboy]

I have my entire collection in my home office. I still use the room for work and dicking off on the internet... but I find it nice to be surrounded by all my stuff. What I don't like is when I let the room get messy because new packages are coming in and I don't keep up with them. I like having everything in one place as opposed to everywhere in the house. And the fiance helps keep that from happening as well

Now others are different, and I think the point at which people get out of hand is when it starts taking up floor space and you actually can't move around in your house. It looks like this collector might be getting to that point, but again if it makes him happy than so be it and we can't (and don't need to) judge things like that.

As for having mental and emotional problems. Sure collectors can... like Josh said anyone can become fixated on a collection or addiction and start to lose control. And sure its pretty unlikely that anyone has ever been killed by a rabid collector... but I'm sure people have lost their homes or jobs over it. Anyone here ever get back to work late because of a PPO? If ya did it enough I'm sure it could bite you in the ass damn hard.

I also agree its not fair to make personal jokes about this guy ... it may be funny to make fun of geekdom as a whole, but to single him out and make derisive comments is hurtful, I know I wouldn't like it if people on a different board (especially fellow collectors) were bashing my collection and making jokes about me never getting laid.

 

[swabie2424]

Everyone is bringing up some excellent points. It's why I love the Freaks boards.

 

[IrishJedi]

When you strip away the minutiae and get it at its core an addiction is an addiction, no matter what it actually is.

Addiction (again, to anything) is unhealthy and irrational. And it's a futile gesture to try and rationalize the irrational. Which, of course, is the natural reaction... especially when it's something you can relate to.

But let me pose this question... if the same guy had posted pics of his collection and it was Pound Puppies and Cabbage Patch Kids instead of SW toys how many of you so quick to jump to his defense would have done the same? (Actually, don't answer it... because I know you'll also say you would even though everyone knows otherwise )

All that said, I'd like to point out (AGAIN) that I am not assuming that this particular guy has mentally jumped the shark and that he has issues. He may be perfectly healthy and functioning (and I hope so). I'm just using this situation to posit the questions and hypotheticals.

 

[The Josh]

What's wrong with pound puppies?

 

[devlinboy]

if it was pound puppies, shirt tails, or gummi bears i would have his back. pound puppies are the *****.my pound puppies when i was a kid used to kick my boglins *****. and then still find the time to carry destro into battle on their backs against those pesky joes.