The Collector

[Jim Galli]

What is the difference between a collector and a hoarder?

Offense taken sir. The difference is a hoarder never uses the items for their intended purpose.

[Bob Salomon]

According to my late friend Charlie Barringer, a collector has a rationale for accumulating what it accumulates. A hoarder accumulates mindlessly.

To me this seems a distinction without a difference.

My late father in law was a hoarder, he kept everything! He had rooms of old papers he had written. The hallway to his office was piled floor to ceiling on both walls with complete old Sunday papers! If you knew which side and end of the hallway to start on you could find them by year and date. But he lived in a house on DeLido Island in Miami Beach and that part of the house did not have air conditioning, so it wasn’t the best place to store old papers! Great for roaches though,

[Bob Salomon]

Offense taken sir. The difference is a hoarder never uses the items for their intended purpose.

No offense meant. To my mind the hoarder seems to believe that everything has value, but perhaps, not to the one hoarding!

[Tin Can]

I know why I collect.

I like it.

[Drew Bedo]

Horder vs Collector.. .whats the diff?

Lets look at an example from the area of psychology. There is a behavioral disorder known as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), where a person feels compelled to do things in the same way and do them over and over. As long as double checking to see hat the door is locked several times before bed is a compulsive action, if you do gert to bed in good order itsd OK. However if you don't get much sleep because you are getting up every hour or so all night long to re-check the door . .v .that is detrimental to your health and well-being . . .and it has become a disorder; the "D" in OCD.

That someone invests/collects old cameras could become compulsive, but if acquiring and keeping photographica adversely affects your life . . .its just hoarding.

[Havoc]

That someone invests/collects old cameras could become compulsive, but if acquiring and keeping photographica adversely affects your life . . .its just hoarding.

It only affects my life in that I run out of space. Otherwise I'm fine (regarding cameras, books, trains, ...). There are other things that are not fine according to several specialists but that is their problem.

[Drew Bedo]

Just remember to keep clear pathways to the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen!

[Jac@stafford.net]

Just remember to keep clear pathways to the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen!

In our little house we shout, "Coming through". There is only one lane the length of the house. Finally, my boxes of completed camera builds is outnumbering her boxes of shoes. I kid you not.

[Jody_S]

I've sold on fleabay off-and-on since the '90s, and in the early years made tens of thousands doing so. Any camera I have is for sale the second I think I can get a good price for it, with the exception of 2 that have sentimental value. Lenses, on the other hand? Not so much. I admit there is some overlap between hoarder/collector/dealer, and that buying is more an irrational compulsion than a rational investment decision. I have bought lenses I have no plans to ever use and don't intend to sell.

When I sell at the local camera fairs I always explain that I started out on the other side of the table, just like 'most everyone else in the room. Just last week I bought a mint Olympus Pen FT just because it was there. I haven't shot 35mm in a few years now. much less half frame. Why did I do that? Beats me. The biggest local collector, a well-known Montreal architect, recently donated his collection to the (new) Drummondville museum of photography. He had an amazing collection of gear, I've posted photos of a couple of his lenses. He still attends the camera fair, and still buys from me. Stuff I know he already has/donated.