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

DougMac said:
If you have one less piece of gear than me, you're a collector. If you have one more piece of gear than me, you're a hoarder.
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Spellbinder said:
I don't think it's quite that black and white, but I get your point. I'm talking more of the extremes cited above.
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Actually you didn't get his point at all. In fact it provides a perfect sliding measurement if not a perfect synopsis of one's ego involved.

Like any opinion, it depends on your personal bias and judgment. It is all about you. Especially if you don't agree with the other explanations. Hope you don't get defensive, I mean it in a universal "we" kind of you. ;)

Hoarding vs Collecting is based on the connotations implied by that bias.

Putting a number of 40, 20, 40 is silly and arbitrary. You ignore the individual who may have space and money to indulge in their avocation. It also reveals much in your thesis.

How do you say a certain number is denying others? You already have taken offense at what others say are insulting. So Hoarding and Collecting can be black and white words and can also affect sensibilities ....

So what are your feelings? What's the difference?

Hoarding: envy, jealousy, unnecessary, disdain, disrespect, exaggeration ...
Collecting: comraderie, enjoyment, aesthetic, respect, admiration, hobby ...

Other words, what are the difference?

Yin: chaos
Yang: tranquility

Bigotry: hate
Open mind: acceptance

All in the mind of the beholder ...
 
when you see the people on those hoarding shows they live most of them in filth amassing ton upon ton of anything and everything. I have a friend who has set out to collect the Pioneer "50" series receivers SX1250 etc and has most. He will play only the 1250 and when he gets his 1980 probably that as well but the rest will be for display only. They are clean and fully functioning they are well kept and displayed. This is the difference between collecting and hoarding
 
Seems you hoarder types are a tad sensitive.

Now where did I put my 9th LP copy of Sticky Fingers?
 
Axcel said:
when you see the people on those hoarding shows they live most of them in filth amassing ton upon ton of anything and everything. I have a friend who has set out to collect the Pioneer "50" series receivers SX1250 etc and has most. He will play only the 1250 and when he gets his 1980 probably that as well but the rest will be for display only. They are clean and fully functioning they are well kept and displayed. This is the difference between collecting and hoarding
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hmmmmmm, guess I'm not alone. :thmbsp:

receivers.jpg
 
If you have to step on a turntable, speakers and a receiver to get to the bathroom, you are a hoarder.
 
terra1 said:
In fact it provides a perfect sliding measurement if not a perfect synopsis of one's ego involved.
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Glad somebody got it. It's a derivative of a George Carlin quote: "Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?"

Now, which copy of "Rubber Soul" should I play? Which turntable should I use?
 
reggaenaut said:
Collecting implies some discrimination while hoarding implies grabbing willy nilly to unload at a propitious time.
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:yes: I think it is a good idea to buy a spare or two of your main equipment...one never knows when disaster will strike, and you need to get back up and running. (happened to me just last week!) And it is natural to upgrade something you already have. It is also understandable to try to complete a series of some brand of equipment that you like.
But, just grabbing everything that comes up...like owning 40 turntables and storing them in the attic or garage...is just keeping them from someone else who needs one.
 
Zygmo said:
.....owning 40 turntables and storing them in the attic or garage...is just keeping them from someone else who needs
one.
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Baloney... :no: There are turntables (and other audio gear for that matter) in great numbers available on ebay, craigslist, Audiogon, thrift shops, classified ads and other places all day every day.
 
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Ohighway said:
Baloney... :no: There are turntables (and other audio gear for that matter) in great numbers available on ebay, craigslist, Audiogon, thrift shops, classified ads and other places all day every day.
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I don't know..when I was in full-on hoarding mode, the entire Chicago area was lucky to get it's hands on anything vintage, turntables or otherwise. I had a job that enabled me to have a window open on Craigslist about 12 hours a day and I bought nearly everything interesting that popped up for about two years. You can't tell me that somebody didn't need one of those units more than I needed to add it to the pile.
 
Zygmo said:
(...)owning 40 turntables and storing them in the attic or garage...is just keeping them from someone else who needs one.
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Or on the flip side, it's giving them a break from regular use and preserving them to be enjoyed by the next few generations. Viewed this way, it's a service. Just not one intended to benefit us today --which, OMG, elevates it to selfless service.
 
JohnVF said:
I don't know..when I was in full-on hoarding mode, the entire Chicago area was lucky to get it's hands on anything vintage, turntables or otherwise. I had a job that enabled me to have a window open on Craigslist about 12 hours a day and I bought nearly everything interesting that popped up for about two years. You can't tell me that somebody didn't need one of those units more than I needed to add it to the pile.
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I don't care how hard you were going at it, there were still turntables available on ebay or elsewhere for anyone who 'needed' one.

Beyond that, where do you draw the line? Some people have more money than others. Some have more property (real estate) than others. Somebody always has more of something than someone else. So now who, exactly, gets to decide how much of anything people are allowed to have? What's the exact number or amount? What a bunch of nonsense.

Seems with the recent fascination with hoarding (which I can only assume is spurred by the TV show) has created whole group folks who now want to pass judgement on those who collect things. The whole notion of people being denied the use of something because someone else is collecting is a lie, and has now become a myth that just keeps getting repeated endlessly.

As stated in my earliest post here. I'll manage my house. People need to manage their houses.
 
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Ohighway said:
Baloney... :no: There are turntables (and other audio gear for that matter) in great numbers available on ebay, craigslist, Audiogon, thrift shops, classified ads and other places all day every day.
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Funny...it took me 2 years to find my three.....and the reason I bought 3 was because the first two had issues. So, due to my bad luck with purchasing the first two TTs that had to be packed and shipped, I have since just looked at GW, yard sales, etc. So far, (after several months) I have found one, a beat up Zenith Linear.

However, I do know of forty that I certainly won't find. :D
 
Collecting = Having a goal or goals set, knowing what you want and knowing when to stop. Also knowing when it's time to let go of something.

Hoarding = no goals, impulse buying, letting things sit there collecting dust, no purpose, not knowing when to stop or when it's enough, unwilling to let anything go, sacrificing anything else in life just to get that next piece.
 
Anubis said:
Collecting = Having a goal or goals set, knowing what you want and knowing when to stop. Also knowing when it's time to let go of something.

Hoarding = no goals, impulse buying, letting things sit there collecting dust, no purpose, not knowing when to stop or when it's enough, unwilling to let anything go, sacrificing anything else in life just to get that next piece.
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By this definition, you are a collector and I am a hoarder.:D All your actions and decisions are reasonable, economically sane, and a part of the just, organic flow of the universe.

My greed and unwillingness to stop will soon be turned into a Hollywood movie.

What can I say, except it is time to scurry off to the estate sales and score the B&W speakers before you. :beer:
 
ohioway-
you sum it up nicely here:
I'll manage my house. People need to manage their houses.
As long as most people agree on the looks (that's right perception) of said managed house everything is cool.
I remember photographing some collectibles (dolls I think it was) for a magazine years ago, I was given the contact info of the person who agreed to have the items photographed. After contacting the guy and agreeing on a time to stop by for the items I was stunned when he opened the door. Piles of things in every direction I could see from the door that would only open part of the way because of things stacked behind it. I could hear barking small dogs but couldn't see them they were on the other side of the piles! Looking back this guy might have been on the edge of the labels, his home looked far from managed but he had no problem sending me off with his collectibles to photograph and was pleased they would be be exposed in a magazine for many to enjoy. Nice guy for sure, when I saw him the second time to return his stuff he invited me in trough the back door, that part of the house was in slightly better shape the memory of the smell at the front door reminded me to say no thanks.
 
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