Obsessive Collecting: When is it too much?

[Allegra]

It becomes too much when your home becomes a new episode of "Hoarders"...

'Like'

[Larry C]

Can we compare it to Gambling? When is it too much ?

Casinos and other gambling organizations have an upfront motto ,.... "Bet with your head and not over it"!
These places have loan services on their premises and will advance up
To the worth of your home.

Are we gambling in a sense to see how much we can spend or bid against at an auction to win the prize? Whether it be a one on one or Auction... Is this a sense of gambling ?

Obsession greases the pathway to addiction. I'm glad I don't collect women either Regards Larry

[Michael Ryan]

No Kevin, when you run out of space its not time to stop, its time to buy a bigger house!!

[CampX]

Believe it or not, I had to buy a larger house!!!

Dean O

[Friedrich-Berthold]

The distinction between genius and madness is quite small. Such applies to collecting, I think, and many of the great collections are associated with wrack and ruin.
If you are seized of a bean counting mentality, and regard this pursuit solely as a business, I think you lack the genius/madness dynamic.
To be sure, we live in an age of hysteria, and the falsity associated with protesting that something has value, when it plainly does not. Things devoid of value are made valuable by confidence artists. The regalia I collect was rare in its time, and more so today.
Our militaria, however, has great value in its association with the human experience of the age of total war.
This experience is hardly declining in value, even if some close minded and jealous persons like to defecate on my generation, and an older cohort of collectors. World War One and World War Two are everywhere.
The John Pepera material sold at a healthy prices, and will make many collectors satisfied and pleased with our late colleague's fine taste and obsessive collecting.

[big ned]

The distinction between genius and madness is quite small. Such applies to collecting, I think, and many of the great collections are associated with wrack and ruin.
If you are seized of a bean counting mentality, and regard this pursuit solely as a business, I think you lack the genius/madness dynamic.
To be sure, we live in an age of hysteria, and the falsity associated with protesting that something had value, when it plainly does not.
Our militaria, however, has great value in its association with the human experience of the age of total war.
This experience is hardly declining in value, even if some close minded and jealous persons like to defecate on my generation, and an older cohort of collectors.
The John Pepera material sold at a healthy prices, and will make many collectors satisfied and pleased with our late colleague's fine taste and obsessive collecting.

An eloquent and nuanced opinion, well said that man.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Thanks. I am plainly an obsessive, compulsive and likely deranged collector, but my collection has been the basis of my career.
I think the main point is that the experience of war in humankind is inescapable and the material culture of war has inherent value in contrast
to many things to which people assign a transitory value. Memory, the rendering something sacred, the desire to organize the variety of things that are otherwise
a mystery or a subject of confusion all represent worthwhile human endeavor.
Each generation has to figure out its place in the whole of civilization and culture, and this pursuit of ours (I seldom call it a hobby) serves such knowledge and anchors us all into something
more than the superficial and transitory things that clutter up our lives and which are demonstrably devoid of value.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

NaziTunic Lower left pocket 014.jpgDSC02024.jpgMaeder Allg SS Mueller cap X 05.jpgHG-76c.jpgHG_36h[1].JPGNaziTunic Cuff Title 013.jpgha00316-2.jpgHG-49b[1].JPGSaaz collar.jpgDSC02009.jpgallg69-3.jpgDSCN0993.jpgThe results of obsessive collecting that is fully too much.....and will culminate in wrack and ruin.