• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

What's the difference between "collecting" and 'hoarding"?

Spellbinder said:
Hoarding is fine, if that's what a person wants to do. I just wondered where the line was between hoarding and collecting, as it can be blurry at times...
Click to expand...

And I think you've hit upon the real dividing line between collectors and hoarders. The collector has decided to have a lot of stuff, and at some point the collector is free decide to NOT have a lot of stuff. The true hoarder is not free to make that decision, they have a lot of stuff, because they have no choice. It's a clinically defined form of OCD and they have little to no control over the obsession.
 
My opinion is that it is collecting if you have a clear idea of what you are collecting, and that you actively keep those items clean, maintained, and organized. So if you have a huge collection of vintage receivers and they are all cleaned up and stored neatly I would say you are collecting. If you have stacks of broken receivers all over your house with no organization and no motivation to try and find a place to store them it is hoarding. If at anypoint you are tripping over gear or need to move gear to get to something you need, then you are hoarding.
 
Spellbinder said:
WOW. I asked a question, out of genuine curiosity, in a polite manner. And this is the type of response you give????

How very AK of you. Thanks for the insulting tone. Really appreciate it.
Click to expand...

I took your question as a passive-aggressive statement about how much you dislike that other people 'hoard' audio equipment. I think your statement about how they are 'denying' that equipment to other people is proof of that attitude.

And it's not an uncommon attitude, either. It's not like no one has ever heard that before.

As I stated, no matter what the item in question happens to be, let's just call it 'X', there is someone somewhere who thinks that somebody else has too much of it (which is fine, that's their opinion) *and* thinks they ought not be allowed to have it (accusing them of 'hoarding' and 'denying it to others').

I think it is perfectly legitimate and not rude at all to suggest that people who think they have the right to tell others how much X they should have sound consider minding their own business.

Yes, your question was legitimate. So was my answer. I did not mean to offend you, I meant to answer the question.
 
To me, hoarding is keeping everything you acquire and not trading, selling or giving anything away any of it to he point of absurdity. Collecting on the other hand includes all of the above. When I locate items, I try to see if someone else might have interest, even if I don't, and I often acquire them for the expressed purpose of doing one of the aforementioned. I don't acquire multiple examples of the same item but yes I have more projects than I care to mention. I find as much pleasure in the search as in the acquisition. I don't get everything I see, especially if it is "run of the mill". I tend to "collect" the off beat and unusual but also things I think are "cool". My collection is practically organized but not displayed. I know where to find everything including the projects. I prefer hobbyist (disclosure:a term I stole from a thread I read here) to collector.
 
Wigwam Jones said:
...I think it is perfectly legitimate and not rude at all to suggest that people who think they have the right to tell others how much X they should have sound consider minding their own business. ..
Click to expand...

And there's your error.

I never said such a thing.
 
Ohighway said:
Yeah.... No...... uhhhh wait a minute.....:scratch2:

Spellbinder's LP collection (Work In Progress)
Click to expand...

My question was/is about gear, not LPs or CDs.

Though I guess you deserve a "touché" nonetheless.
icon_lol.gif
 
I think there's a hoarding gene in my family. :D I'm in no position to point fingers.

When I was a pre-teen (1962), my great uncle died. He lived in two rooms of the family home of nearly 100 years. The rest of the house was packed floor to ceiling with all sorts of stuff. It took my mother, aunt and uncle months to go through it all.

But, because of the "hoarding", I now have a pristine RCA Radiola II, several vintage radio speakers and a lot of fun items not related to audio.
 
Spellbinder said:
And there's your error.

I never said such a thing.
Click to expand...

You didn't have to.

"But 40 Turntables, 20 relievers and 20 pairs of speakers just sitting unused for years at a time seems like hoarding to me and denying someone some great gear."

Someone 'denying' something to someone else is a strong verb; it implies that the action in question is wrong and therefore that they should not do it.

And as many here have noted, the words 'hoarding' are not essentially different than 'collecting'. Neither word is objective; they are subjective. A person is variously either a 'collector' or a 'hoarder' depending on how someone else feels about them. And a 'hoarder' is a negative term. Again, I took this to mean you have a negative opinion of those who, in your own words, 'hoards'.

You chose the emotionally-laden words you used. Words mean things. I understood your meaning, which I presume you intended. To now disavow it seems odd to me. What exactly was it you were after, some objective definition of the difference between 'collector' and 'hoarder'? Were we to come to a consensus that if a person has, say, 4 turntables they are a collector (and hence, apparently 'good') but if they have 5 turntables, they are a 'hoarder' and therefore 'denying' turntables to others (and therefore 'bad')?
 
Folks, this ceaseless back and forth arguing "you said - I said" isn't getting us anywhere. If there was any confusion about the OP's first post, he has now clarified his position.

The stated and reinforced purpose of this thread, is "What's the difference between "collecting" and "hoarding"? Let's stick to that topic, or there will be nothing left for the moderators to do but close the thread.
 
My opinion is that there is no difference between the two, because they are descriptors applied by others. It's like the difference between 'eccentric' and 'insane'. You're eccentric to the people who like you, and insane to the people who don't. :)
 
Boy, this is a touchy forum :) Geez, lighten up fellas.......

But this is a good topic.

For what it's worth (nothing), here's how I approach "accumulation" of stuff:

I have the collecting bug for more than just audio... had it for years... it is incurable. But I keep it under control by focusing first and foremost on quality instead of quantity. Something must truly be quality for me to keep it. Quality is often subjective of course, so this varies. But it has to be "good stuff."

And here's the real kicker: I have to actually USE IT. If I have no use for it, occasional or otherwise, and/or if it is not a fine example of whatever it is, then I let it go.

This works for me. And the other factor that keeps me from accumulating too much stuff is that I am very, very, very (did I mention very?) selective when it comes to purchases. I am super picky and I mull things over for months before jumping in.

So, I buy relatively little, and get rid of it if I don't use it.

That said, anyone with little or no interest in audio gear would think anyone with more than one receiver is hoarding. So perspective/interest/knowledge is a factor too.

Eric.
 
Wigwam Jones said:
You didn't have to.

"But 40 Turntables, 20 relievers and 20 pairs of speakers just sitting unused for years at a time seems like hoarding to me and denying someone some great gear."

Someone 'denying' something to someone else is a strong verb; it implies that the action in question is wrong and therefore that they should not do it...
Click to expand...

I'll say one last thing about this. I'll give you that "deny" was probably to strong a word. Even so, your initial response was still out of line and on the rude side.

We'll have to agree to disagree. Hopefully no hard feelings between us. I like it here to much to have made bad blood with anyone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom