I used to collect unicorns as a kid. No, not REAL unicorns, but anything with a unicorn on it.
I didn’t want a normal real-live animal to collect likenesses of. No no. I wanted a UNICORN.
Especially if it was purple.
I had a unicorn covered bedspreads, pillows, statues, posters, stickers, clothes…. you name it.
I also knew an old lady who spent her savings and life, collecting these supposedly valuable collector’s plates. She had rooms and rooms full of these plates, and unfortunately most of them lost their value by the time it was shipped to her.
CreditCollections have a purpose in life, unlike these empty pop and cleaning bottles shown above. (Not my parent’s home! It’s an exhibition in New York City.)
They make you happy, they have sentimental value or they have a monetary value.
But sometimes, they’re just junk collections waiting to be tossed by people you love.
(Mom? Do you hear this? I’m coming for those old and ratty running shoes in that box)
Here are a couple of questions I always ask before I throw anything out that looks like a collection, or before I de-clutter.
Is it valuable?
Er.. not likely. I mean, collections with real value are items like fine art paintings, or rare, rare stamps and coins.
Things that people actually want to collect that aren’t manufactured en masse.
So things like “Collector’s Plates”? RUN when you see the word “Collector’s”.. because it’s most likely a scam.
And even if they did increase in value over the years, like the original unopened boxes of Star Wars VHS tapes, or the toys.. it may be an increase due to inflation more than due to an actual increase in value.
Does it have a place of honour in your home?
If not, what are you doing collecting it?
If you want to keep it for sentimental reasons, then why are you sticking it in a box in a dusty basement?
My friend collects these little action figurines. He bought a huge glass case for it, and arranged them neatly in there with little labels.
He knows they aren’t worth much as a collection, but he loves them and displays them accordingly.
If you aren’t doing anything with them, then what kind of benefit are you getting out of them?
Is this a guilt-ridden item?
You know, that set of china Aunt Mae gave to you in her will because she felt like you best embodied the person who would take care of her babies?
You wouldn’t be getting rid of Aunt Mae if you got rid of them, but if it’s junk to you, then give them to another relative who WOULD cherish them, or sell them off.
Is it an impromptu collection?
I remember looking into my room and seeing stacks and stacks of these Pogs (does anyone remember these things? Little cardboard circles that had pictures on them)…
Anyway, I donated all of it, because I couldn’t stand looking at them clutter up my room any more.
People donated most of their Pogs to me, thinking that I wanted to expand my collection, but then it got out of control!
It’s like knowing someone loves collecting frogs, and people go out buying every frog they can see to give to them as a gift.
N-I-G-H-T-M-A-R-E!
The worst are my parents’ VHS tapes. We don’t even own a VHS player any more, only a DVD recorder or player, and they still have STACKS of VHS tapes piled up in a box in a corner that they can’t bear to get rid of.
I suggest (in those cases), to take the VHS to a video specialist and have the video transferred onto a DVD or video file to keep so that you have the video and sentimentality without the bulk.
My favourite tip of all?
CreditTake pictures of what you want to remember before donating, passing on, recycling or getting rid of them.
Or alternatively, scan it all in!
I also scan in all of my photos in my albums and only keep the VERY sentimental ones from years ago that don’t have negatives any longer because they were taken with very old cameras.
The rest of the photos?
I tossed duplicates, scanned in most of the ones I wanted to keep and got rid of a WHOLE BOX of bulky, heavy photos.
So, what did you used to (or still) collect?
My new collection is money. Just kidding. Sort of.
Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver.
I cleared $60,000 in 18 months earning $65,000 gross/year.
Now I am self-employed, and you can read more about 
When I was a kids, collecting stickers was a big deal. Puffy stickers were a big deal back then 🙂 As an adult I don’t really collect anything. I do have some book series I like, so I guess they could be considered a “collection”. I love to re-read these books over and over.
I used to collect Unicorns and Pegasus as a kid…nice to meet another fellow collector of such items. I also used to collect TY beanie babies and yup most lost their value ah well.
I don’t have any collections, but I do get a collecting kick out of my son’s pixar cars!! They aren’t a pure collection in that having them is the sole point, they are played with heavily. As a kid I collected cat statues apparently, though I don’t think it was my idea LOL I don’t have them anymore and they aren’t missed.
I am window shopping salt and pepper shakers and pretending what I’d buy if I had a kitschy collection of them for my table tray where we keep napkins, etc and decorate (minimally) for events/seasons. I think however I get sticker shock at the prices and it’ll stay a window shopping enjoyment.
I collect chopsticks from all the different countries I have been to. It’s like spoons, but I actually use the chopsticks – so its a functional and fun collection. I adore glass apples and glass bottles but are more than willing to give those up if needed, so they aren’t a collection as much as a decorative items I have a few of in the home…
I haven’t read the whole post yet – I got stuck on “collect unicorns” and I had to comment IMMEDIATELY!
I too was a unicorn collector as a child. I had unicorn wallpaper, then a unicorn border, (purple!) unicorn sheets, unicorn bedspread, unicorn stuffed animals, books about unicorns, pictures, stickers, etc – just like you!
All that is left is one picture, hanging in the wall of our apartment.
From unicorns, I moved onto coins. I still do collect the pretty ones – but I don’t make a point of having a coin in each year for each coin (one Of my goals as a teen). Now I’ll trade in coins at work, or my fiance will give me his pretty quarters, or I’ll find them in my change.
Great post. This reminds me of the mountains of Beanie Babies and Pokemon cards we all have, hoping that once they “retired” we would sell them and go to college with the profit. We can all guess how that one turned out!
@impulsesavehttp://blog.impulsesave.com
I collect stuff animals…. especially winnie the pooh, eeyore and totoro. I think my place look like a kid’s place 😀
But.. I think I like collecting money better 😉
I too like collecting money 😀
There are still boxes of old trinkets I collected as a child stored away at my parents’ place. I’m hoping to retire on those Beanie Babies and Spice Girls trading cards…
I don’t really collect anything now as an adult. At least nothing for the sake of collecting. I refer to my record “collection,” but I listen to them on a daily basis. Is a collection really a collection if it serves an actual purpose?
A few years ago, though, I couldn’t think of what to ask for for Christmas, so I asked for an Adopt A Panda, which is basically a donation made in my name to the WWF, and I get a panda toy or something. My whole family took this to mean I LOVE pandas and for years after, all the presents I got from them had some sort of panda theme. I never had the heart to tell them that I only like pandas a normal amount, so I do have a bit of a panda collection.
oh my god I remember pogs! lol I definitely had those as a kid.
I guess the only thing I really collect is books. I love to scour thrift stores and used book stores because books are so expensive at full price. Then I keep the really good ones and the rest I sell back to the used book store. It is a dream of mine to have a library in my home (when i have my own home).
I collected unicorns as a kid, too! When I cleaned out my old room at my dad’s house, I kept just 2 that meant the most to me. I still love them, but I don’t need the 50 or so statuettes that I had. I might get a unicorn tattoo just to keep it with me always!
I have a collection of Santa Claus’s for Christmas decorating, and I am pretty much a minimalist. The way this works is that I have kept only the ones I truly love – a couple of big ones and a bag of tree ornaments – that all fit in one medium-sized, easily-stored box in my studio apartment..
When someone asks me if I want more or tries to give me another one, I can say “No thank you, my collection is complete.”
I have a collection of Santa Claus’s for Christmas decorating, and I am pretty much a minimalist. The way this works is that I have kept only the ones I truly love – a couple of big ones and a bag of tree ornaments – that all fit in one medium-sized, easily-stored box in my studio apartment..
When someone asks me if I want more or tries to give me another one, I can say “No thank you, my collection is complete.”