To stop collecting?

[7yo7yo]

A relative passed away a while ago. She had a set of 3 jewelled elephants, big, medium and small.
The family gave me the set as they remembered I’d liked playing with them as a child. All good, I put them on the landing window and they make me smile in memory of the relative (occasionally).
It seems I’ve started a collection by stealth. I’ve received several elephantastic items. A pillow with an elephant, a display plate, a blanket with a family of elephants, more “collectible” elephants, a thimble with an elephant and the latest is a fucking Pair of salt and pepper elephant shakers as well as a bag with elephants on etc.
I have no elephant affiliation at all. How do I stop this.
AIBU to not accept anything?
Has anyone else had a collection started by stealth?

I could have written this.

Years ago, a friend and I joked that flamingos lived in her loft. Dunno why, just one of those things. I then told someone this as an example of an inside joke and they then started to associate me with flamingos, and bought me flamingo related stuff.

Now I get cards, paper, toy ones. Even a 5ft metal sculpture.

I don’t hate them. I’m very ambivalent but it’s gone on too long to get them to stop. Maybe try and talk loudly about how much you love....anything else

this is nearly as good as the lady who got a set of everything with her face on

Frogs. Bastarding Frogs. Everywhere......

Express an interest in the different types of Gin and see if they start contributing to your collection.

Ah. Yes, we've gone a bit Gnometastic in our house. I have put the word out, and it seems to have more or less stopped, but it started from when I got one of the supersized gnomes for the garden. Didn't mean I wanted the whole house the same way. I think people are really pleased to find something 'that you'll like' and then get carried away!

My Mum's friends seem to think she collects chickens. The only connection she has to chickens is eating them but every birthday a new hideous chicken themed item emerges.

Yanbu! A similar thing happened to me. I love cats, by that I mean I have a real life cat as a pet and I love it. Not that I love a hundred bits of cat related tat in my house.

The only solution I have is to tell everyone you don't want gifts at all anymore for xmas or birthday. This also saves you buying gifts, so you don't inadvertently do this to someone else.

But it only partially worked for me as, despite my present amnesty, for my birthday I received a bag with "cats leave pawprints on your heart" on it

The same thing happened to a friend, she has a necklace with an owl on it and so her friends took this to mean she loved owls so much that her entire hen do was owl themed. It was honestly so fucking weird

@BigFatLiar - I once expressed an interest in whisky - specifically the very smoky ones. I enjoy an occasional dram. Ds1 buys me whisky every Christmas - unfortunately I cannot drink it fast enough, so I am developing quite an extensive collection.

I also like gin liqueurs. Ds3 has latched onto this one. I've got quite a lot of gin now too.

All round to mine for a party??

I can totally identify with this. The exact same happened to me and is still happening, I even have 2 or 3 of the same thing!

I’m at work, someone’s bought me her mums 7 elephant collection. Her mum died and she wants them to go to someone who will appreciate them.
I have took them and put the box in my car.
I can’t say no. I feel too guilty.

I have 2 pug dogs. Pretty much every birthday card, mothers day card, or Christmas card I have received in the last 5 years has had a pug on it.
I have a pug dressing gown, pug pyjamas, 2 pug scarfs, a pug hat, a pug make up bag, 3 pug bags, 4!! Pug mugs, a pug umbrella...... The list goes on...
I've actually started telling people not to get me anything with pugs on anymore. I mean, I love my dogs, but I'm not obsessed.
People seem to assume that I must be

Oh the bags!
Who would have thought you could buy so many elephantasmic shite.

Pandas for me. I love pandas. Every birthday and Christmas I get something panda. I've even introduced my niece to pandas. We love panda stuff.

I'm seriously considering starting DS1 an unwanted collection of tat with Nicolas Cage's face on. He keeps showing me all sorts of random crap on t'internet so he's obviously dropping massive hints, right?! 😂

My Mum's friends seem to think she collects chickens. The only connection she has to chickens is eating them but every birthday a new hideous chicken themed item emerges
She probably said she likes cock

I would make a joke to people about “please no more elephants”. Just keep it light.

My mum buys me cat related stuff because I have four cats. She's focusing on getting small cat related cushions. Which is fine as we both know, but won't admit that dcat1 likes small cushions to use as pillows. So basically she buys cat themed cushions for my cat.

As for clearing out your elephants, start telling everyone that you've gotten into something else. Or that instead of elephant related stuff you'd prefer they make a donation to an elephant charity - they'd still think that they have previously given you gifts that you like, your house would stop resembling a safari, and an elephant charity would benefit.

Love the elephants stampeding onto the mantelpiece @Zhuleva

My mum collects those expensive rington teapots - her friends decided that she loved teapots and started buying them for every birthday - Christmas - holiday souvenir. In the end she put the good ones away in the loft and charity shopped the rest and it worked eventually ! Strange thing is I don’t remember in my entire life my mum making an actual pot of tea

I have a collection of porcelain dolls in the attic that I dare not get rid of

Even if you got rid of them, the very next night you'll hear the clink of porcelain up there. Just loud enough to hear. Lock your loft hatch and sleep with one eye open.

OMG, OP, I feel your pain! I had to speak up eventually, as my sister kept buying me pigs. I have no idea why it started, but this went on for years. I'm not even a fan of pigs, particularly.

So eventually I asked her why she kept buying them for me. 'Well because you collect them'.

'No, I don't, '

'but you've got loads!'

'Erm yes, but they all came from you!'

I had to speak up, because other people were starting to buy me pigs, as I had so many in my house. You get to a certain point and it becomes a self-generating collection :-O

I'd say to nip it in the bud, OP, but it looks like it's too late!

Them porcelain dolls will get you. You need to get rid.

Pugs for me too @Bannerpants, except I don’t have any dogs and won’t in the near future, let alone a pug. Mugs, coasters, cushions, salt and pepper shakers, a blanket, tea towel, t-shirt, a Christmas jumper...the rest of my house is reasonably tasteful so why do they think I want this tat?! The charity shop does well out of it.

My MIL bought me a Willow Tree figure. I absolutely hate them. I hate clutter and ornaments in general. I was worried it would be the start. Thankfully not.

She does buy me absolutely anything she sees with my dog on it, though.