to ask whether collecting anything is pointless?

[DeathbyDying]

Following on from the thread where a poster was looking for a particular novelty salt and pepper shaker shaped like a mouse with cheese, I ended up on ebay and etsy looking at novelty salt and pepper shakers.

There are loads of lots of a number of them as one lot which are obviously collections that are being broken up/sold off.

It made me think that most collections of the type of things people collect are pointless because when you die, what might be interesting as a whole set becomes just tat to unload.

Conversely, if you've got something valuable, the total value becomes a block to sale. I remember seeing in an antique shop a whole collection of silver vinagrettes which were just beautiful laid out all together. One or two weren't as striking as the whole set. the shop owner said it was a collection that was being sold off but to buy all of them would be cost prohibitive for most people and one or two were pointless

I suppose the question is if a collection of something gives you pleasure during your life, it is worth collecting?
Or if you know when you die, stuff you've spent years and money assembling will just be treated as landfill or ebay unloading or junk does that outweigh the pleasure of collecting?

For me, collecting a particular type of old book gives me immense pleasure. I love the books themselves, and the cultural knowledge they represent. Most of them have been picked up fairly cheaply, because the subject is really niche, but over the years I’ll have spent quite a bit on the collection in total. It’s possible that a library might want them after I die, or maybe not. But I love having them, and reading them, and just picking them up and thinking about the people who owned them before me. Also, by collecting them now, I’m giving them a chance of surviving a bit longer. They’re safe and well treated at least for as long as I’m around.

So, all in all, it’s definitely worth it for me. Once I’m dead, either someone else will appreciate the collection, which is great, or it’ll just be junk - and that’s okay too. I don’t feel sad that others have different tastes and appreciations. I’d feel really sad if I thought anyone in my family would feel obligated to keep the books, though.

Doesn’t everything own end up in landfill or too worn out/broken to be passed on? Why is this unique to collections? You could argue to never buy anything for aesthetic pleasure for that reason – a painting, jewellery, throw cushions, a set of fancy crystal glasses, garden ornaments, etc.

In my opinion, you collect certain things because they give you pleasure. As for value - hell knows. You may have original art worth nothing or a piece of junk that turns out to be a highly prized possession.

I'm not sure that's right is it?
For example, paintings by well known artists are unlikely to be treated like that nor is anything especially valuable - first edition books of interest and so on.

And other "stuff" (family photographs and so on) will probably hold sentimental value so long as there are children in the direct line of descendants who are interested in their history.

General collections though are I think different because they rarely are of interest to anyone other than the collector - or people who collect the same thing who rarely are going to be identified to be offered a whole collection and in cases of things even with low level value may be too expensive to buy the whole thing anyway.

It's just a bit sad but I'm trying to work out as @MaterCogitaVera says whether individual pleasure in the collection is worth it.

But you're picking out exceptional examples of aesthetic 'stuff'. So if not a well-known painting, then simple prints in Ikea frames used for home decoration. There are hundreds of home decor items that are not collections bit serve no practical purpose and that also aren't valuable enough to be treasured or passed out on sold – vases, candles, artificial flowers, decorative pots, knick knacks for shelves, souvenir magnets, And there are even more examples in things that are barely practical, in that people probably just buy them because they 'look nice' and they have a space to fill, like decorative book ends, lamp shades, clocks, soap dishes, place mats, coasters, cushions, mirrors.

No one is going to want any of that when you die, unless it's very expensive or noteworthy, which for most people it isn't, and someone still spends time and money over them, especially if they are into home decor.

No one is going to want any of that when you die, unless it's very expensive or noteworthy, which for most people it isn't, and someone still spends time and money over them, especially if they are into home decor.

Anyone of you watch these antique auction tv shows? Seems like you can never know what the value of things might be in the future

It's just a bit sad but I'm trying to work out whether individual pleasure in the collection is worth it.

Why would it not be ‘worth it’, even if only for individual pleasure, though? Not saying you think it isn’t, but what arguments could be put forwards against that being the only necessary justification? What does ‘worth it’ mean, in this context?

I think collecting blunt pencils is a pointless activity.

(I don't really know why I do it, just drawn to it I suppose) 🤷‍♀️

Collecting in general is a very human behaviour. Since we've had things we've probably had collecting.
Most actions we undertake are by their nature pointless in the grand scheme of things so it seems funny to single out collecting 😂
I have a small collection of vinyl records.

It's just a bit sad but I'm trying to work out as says whether individual pleasure in the collection is worth it.

Well if it gives someone pleasure then surely it’s worth it? I feel like you’ve pretty much answered the question for yourself.

I collect a particular book series. I read them so for me the pleasure is worth it, yes.

My Mum has a few collections that no longer give her pleasure so she's started to get rid by herself.

DH collects a particular thing that neds making and requires artistic ability. He gets hours of pleasure from that.

The Internet changed collecting forever - no longer about the hunt, slow acquisition and rarities. Suddenly it became easy and cheap to acquire just about anything in massive quantities.

Many collectors don't trade up either, so instead of collecting cheaper stuff and then selling it on to generate the ability to buy a few upgraded, better examples, they just keep buying more of the cheap stuff.

Overall, I think the majority of collecting has had its day, and it was just a late twentieth century cultural practice.

If you enjoy it, why not? Perhaps think about what should happen to any collection as part of making a will.

My collections are a bit niche (typewriters, model horses, fountain pens, specific but unrelated Barbie sized dolls from different makers & shows and an accidental teapot collection) but give me ridiculous amounts of joy on a daily basis. So yes, absolutely outweigh any possibility of them ending up as junk.

I know or have known people that have collected the following

Coins
First day postage cover envelopes with stamps
Cigarette cards
Cereal boxes & the toys inside
Comics
Motorcycles
Food wrappers
Dolls
Bookmarks
Sew on badges
Dolls
Vintage
Books
Clocks
Bags
Shoes
Plants
Cookery utensils
Sand
Sea glass
Seashells

Almost an endless list !

Quite often avid collectors buy whole collections at auction to get one or two valuable bits they want for their collection and sell on the rest, either in another auction or bit by bit to collectors on Ebay who are collecting less valuable items.

If you inherited a collection I would get an approximate valuation either professionally or just by looking up prices and put into auction with a modest reserve. Don't just dump to landfill someone will probably want it.

You can buy quantity, but if you are looking for rarity and that item you need to complete a set you still have to hunt and pay the price.

For stamps you can buy any number of Victorian penny reds cheaply, but there are some incredibly rare numbers (the later penny reds all have numbers on the side design). Or if you want a Victorian £5 orange stamp you will pay many thousands for a good quality one, and beware of forgeries! The thrill is still in the chase and the finding of that special one hopefully at a good price but maybe not perfect if you don't have very deep pockets.

I collect vinyl and memorabilia for two 80's bands. I don't have any other hobbies, or anything else I really spend spare money on. I completely get that once I'm gone my kids are going to be left with stuff they probably won't want, and who knows if it will be worth anything?
Either way, if they can sell any of it then great, if not then it doesn't matter. I love collecting it, that's the main thing to me.

I agree with this.

I suppose the question is if a collection of something gives you pleasure during your life, it is worth collecting?

Of course it is. It is pleasure for that person.
Like anything any of us do for pleasure.
I mean, some people collect train numbers, which they don't actually 'hold' other than by ticking them off in a notebook. Some people spend money traveling the country to visit every {insert Cathedral or football ground or} whatever your interest is - they don't have anything tangible to hold either, but it gives someone pleasure, so it is a good thing.
Very few collections are collected for their monetary value.

I collect antique plant pots. Would they end up in the charity shop when I'm gone? Likely... but I get enormous pleased looking at them.

I limit myself to only collecting things that remind me of travelling. So, I'll pick up a few carefully chosen things (and a lot of them are functionally useful too in the house), so I guess you'd say travel souvenirs. But they have to be good quality, I have to LOVE them, and I have to let go of things I don't need when I feel the need to purge things from my house every year or so. I try to keep the baseline amount of stuff the same, so new things in will mean old things have to go.

A relative used to collect these pottery models of pastoral scenes, tractors, animals, farms etc. Each one cost hundreds of pounds, and each one took up about 12 to 18 inches square of space. They expected us to fall over ourselves to take them when they moved and they couldn't keep them.... No one wanted any of them. They weren't a thing we liked. So literally thousands of pounds spent and I don't hink they aren't worth much now. But, they did enjoy finding them and buying them, I guess. Looked like a lot of stress though from the outside, when they had to get rid of them
.

I suppose in the case of the silver vinaigrettes someone might see how impressive the collection is as a whole and it may spark that desire to start their own collection (even if they will need to do it over a number of years because of the cost).

You can analyse whether anything in life is worth the time and money involved. With collecting and hobbies it probably is never worth the money spent except to the person doing it. I cross stitch a lot in my spare time and am aware that I'm spending time and money on something which will be a problem for someone else to dispose of when I'm gone. If you look at in terms of will someone eventually recoup the cost of the materials and time spent making it the answer is definitely not!

I started collecting Barbies a few years ago and Rainbow High dolls in October. I’ve actually learned a lot about the history of the modern toy industry, and about dyeing different types of fibers from customizing dolls. I don’t really care what they’re worth - they make me happy and brighten up a dull wall in the family room.

When I was at secondary school we had this teacher who used to swear at us all the time and absolutely stank of stale sweat and cigarettes. He used to just fiddle around in his desk with these matches boxes. One day we were in class before him and looked in the match stick boxes and they were filled with dead flies. That was a pretty pointless collection to have.

I think the point of collecting is the pleasure it gives to the collector. Most collections won’t make money. Deliberately collecting assets you believe will appreciate in value is better thought of as investing.