My collection obsession

[Autumnovember]

I'm watching this show right now on TLC.

It is absolutely bananas. The particular episode I'm watching now is a woman who is obsessed with collecting shoes. Her whole house is literally FILLED with shoes. She currently hold the guiness record for most shoes. She has over 15,000 shoe related items in her house (including shoes, ornaments, porcelain shoes). Literally, everything in her house is shoe shaped....such as plant holders. While hosting parties, if there is cheese...she makes sure it is in the shape of a shoe. Her husband serves her breakfast sometimes in the shape of a shoe.


Do you have any obsessions? It doesn't have to be as extreme.

Also, if you've seen the show, what do you think?!

 

[kenny]

A Collection Obsession? Not me!

 

[Autumnovember]

Obsessions? Not me!

Hhahahah....good point, I forgot to mention:

OBSESSIONS BESIDES DIAMONDS/CS!!

 

[HollyS]

More tragic than the obsession with collecting nonsense that fills a house to the brim with crap no one needs, is the belief, by the collector, that this is merely a charming personality quirk that makes them utterly fascinating.

Um, no. You're a manic hoarder of silly sh*t. And everyone else thinks you're nuts.

 

[Autumnovember]

More tragic than the obsession with collecting nonsense that fills a house to the brim with crap no one needs, is the belief, by the collector, that this is merely a charming personality quirk that makes them utterly fascinating.

Um, no. You're a manic hoarder of silly sh*t. And everyone else thinks you're nuts.

hahahahahahahah....one kid was just on it that was a collector of vacuums....he services them and stuff.

The one that is one right now collects those porcelain dolls...the creepy realistic ones, reborns. She sits them down to dinner and everything. She has one named "Tina" which is a living dead doll that has horns that moves and talks. The husband says its no different than a mom that takes care of a real child. Aha. She says that she loves how they're so creepy....the daughter likes the dolls too because they each have a "different" personality. I'm about to die. I really am. She also says she likes flaws on her 'babies' because it makes them more real. She also says her ultimate reborn doll is one that looks like it its breathing. She takes care of them over three hours a day. Cleans their butts with q-tips. Bathes them, feeds them. Does photo shoots with them. She takes the 5 year old doll out shopping too, such as for shoes. The due date is the date the doll is delivered. When the dolls come in, and she opens the box the husband records her as she is in "labor, giving birth."

 

[centralsquare]

More tragic than the obsession with collecting nonsense that fills a house to the brim with crap no one needs, is the belief, by the collector, that this is merely a charming personality quirk that makes them utterly fascinating.

Um, no. You're a manic hoarder of silly sh*t. And everyone else thinks you're nuts.

Yea - my thoughts exactly! Have you seen the show where people are in love with objects (like cars and fences)? It's not that they love them...they are "in love" with them. Too creepy...I can't watch.

 

[Amys Bling]

More tragic than the obsession with collecting nonsense that fills a house to the brim with crap no one needs, is the belief, by the collector, that this is merely a charming personality quirk that makes them utterly fascinating.

Um, no. You're a manic hoarder of silly sh*t. And everyone else thinks you're nuts.

Hahaa

 

[dragonfly411]

I'm no hoarder... but books. Especially older books. I love books. I have actually reduced my library by about 60% and still have two tall shelves and two small shelves. I especially love cookbooks. I have a small book shelf (three shelves ) dedicated to cookbooks. I try to get fine literature as my only fiction, and then lots of informative books. I have a first edition of The Yearling. I have all of Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series in first edition. I have a first edition of Birth of the Firebringer... signed. I have a first edition of a children's book about an Arabian horse by Walter Farley (wrote the Black Stallion). I have a signed copy of the children's book No Jumping on the Bed. I have countless books of poetry from before 1900. Some books are still in storage. I have a lot of health related books, which is good I suppose since I'm going into the health professions. But yes... that's my little obsession.

I COLLECT pigs, but they are not an obsession. Just here and there if we see cute figurines, or paintings. I have a vase, some Christmas ornaments, and a couple of hand crafted neat piggy banks, and a painting my great aunt did of a pig. but again, no obsession.

The idea of my house being filled with that stuff.... and my husband being ok with it?

 

[asscherisme]

I saw this! I went to bed halfway through the last coule that collected Dolly Parton Stuff. I foundmyself yelling hoarder, hoarder in my head!

I was armchair diagnosing them.

OK, doll lady, definate hoarder, and something is psychologically wrong with her. The boy who collected vacuums and knew everything about them, etc I suspect has aspergers syndrome with parents who are bankrolling his obsession. There is NOT way a kid could afford all those vacuums without money from parents or grandparents. Does anyone know how much a Kirby or Oreck vacuum is? I could barely afford ONE dyson, yet this boy has almost every vacuum made, including at least 5 kirbies. The way he talked, and his obsession just screamed aspergers to me.

The shoe lady, she was not as crazy on the ouside as the doll lady because she seemed to hold it together in public. but she has a definate compulsive shopping addiction and is a hoarder.

I kept thinking, I wonder what their bank accounts and credit card debt looks like. The shoe lady said she can barely make her mortgage payment. Does not sound like someone with savings!

I felt sad for them actually. And that doll lady was delusional. Those dolls were creeeeeeepy. I think the real looking ones were creepier than the demon dolls! And did you all notice she had REAL kids that she was doing this in front of??

 

[asscherisme]

More tragic than the obsession with collecting nonsense that fills a house to the brim with crap no one needs, is the belief, by the collector, that this is merely a charming personality quirk that makes them utterly fascinating.

Um, no. You're a manic hoarder of silly sh*t. And everyone else thinks you're nuts.

hahahahahahahah....one kid was just on it that was a collector of vacuums....he services them and stuff.

The one that is one right now collects those porcelain dolls...the creepy realistic ones, reborns. She sits them down to dinner and everything. She has one named "Tina" which is a living dead doll that has horns that moves and talks. The husband says its no different than a mom that takes care of a real child. Aha. She says that she loves how they're so creepy....the daughter likes the dolls too because they each have a "different" personality. I'm about to die. I really am. She also says she likes flaws on her 'babies' because it makes them more real. She also says her ultimate reborn doll is one that looks like it its breathing. She takes care of them over three hours a day. Cleans their butts with q-tips. Bathes them, feeds them. Does photo shoots with them. She takes the 5 year old doll out shopping too, such as for shoes. The due date is the date the doll is delivered. When the dolls come in, and she opens the box the husband records her as she is in "labor, giving birth."

Oh my gosh, I know, craaaaazy. This woman does not need to be featured on TLC, this woman needs therapy pronto!! Or should be featured on hoarders.

 

[maplefemme]

Chairs! I have a huge mid century modern chair fetish. Not the made in China repos that are everywhere now, not even the licensed reproductions by Knoll, I want the real deal.
I watch movies and recognize chairs all the time, my SO thinks it's hilarious. I wanted to steal the old Eames chairs at San Diego airport departure lounge - what a waste to have them there!
At least I'm limited by space, I can't get out of control, but nothing floats my boat like a fibreglass rope edged Herman Miller Rocker, or a curvaceous Hans Wagner shell chair *swoon*

 

[jewelerman]

saw the show and will watch it again...i don't have time for any other obsessions...my jewelry obsession keeps me very busy!

 

[lyra]

I watched that show the other day too. I'm the anti-hoarder. I get my kicks out of getting rid of clutter. Which is not to say that my house is completely clutter free, but I think I work on getting rid of things as hard as some people work on collecting. I saw that ad for the new show where they take everything away from the clutterer and just give them the bare essentials to live with for a month. I could totally do that and love it. I wouldn't let them bring anything back! I don't like material objects to have too much significance.

 

[oneam]

I've got to see this, I am intrigued by the kid that collects vacuums. Such a strange, random thing.

 

[LGK]

I admit I do collect antiques. My husband does too. So we have boxes, and boxes, and boxes in storage of Art Deco glassware from the '20s and '30s, mostly French. (Er, probably over 100 boxes.) I also collect sterling Art Nouveau stuff, mostly if it has poppy motifs.

The doll people are the ones that creep me out the most though. Since I work at an antique mall, I do see nutso collectors frequently. The doll collectors are absolutely the nuttiest. One woman puts dolls on layaway frequently, and she always talks to them like they're alive and tells me to make sure to keep their faces unwrapped so they aren't scared of the dark. And she is absolutely dead serious. When she picks them up it's totally this huge reunion, she cuddles the damn things and talks to them all the way out the door. Frankly, it's disturbing, and I myself am definitely a collector too!

When I was in Yakima (!) this last weekend I saw a woman toting a reborn doll. She was at least 80, dressed in a little girl's style frilly smock and wearing mary janes. And had this awful doll with her. She was having breakfast with the doll, and a couple of actual people as well. But she was talking to the doll pretty much exclusively. It was kind of heartbreaking really.

 

[Haven]

I have a bizarre compulsion to watch the shows about hoarders, and then I watch them in horror and feel sick to my stomach at all of the things they have in their home.

I hate being surrounded by a lot of stuff. I just went through my art supplies tonight and purged a whole lot of things and it feels SO GOOD. We cleaned out DH's office last weekend. My closet is next.

The few things that I do collect are:
- Old books. I really like them if they're inscribed with a personal note. I don't let them build up very much, though. I give away boxes of books periodically to make room for new ones.
- Hand potted items. I hope to eventually have full service for 12 in mismatched ceramic pieces. I love the way they look together.

 

[oneam]

The doll people are the ones that creep me out the most though. Since I work at an antique mall, I do see nutso collectors frequently. The doll collectors are absolutely the nuttiest. One woman puts dolls on layaway frequently, and she always talks to them like they're alive and tells me to make sure to keep their faces unwrapped so they aren't scared of the dark. And she is absolutely dead serious. When she picks them up it's totally this huge reunion, she cuddles the damn things and talks to them all the way out the door. Frankly, it's disturbing, and I myself am definitely a collector too!

When I was in Yakima (!) this last weekend I saw a woman toting a reborn doll. She was at least 80, dressed in a little girl's style frilly smock and wearing mary janes. And had this awful doll with her. She was having breakfast with the doll, and a couple of actual people as well. But she was talking to the doll pretty much exclusively. It was kind of heartbreaking really.

Yes, this is disturbing. I saw a Hoarders featuring an older man, IIRC, he was orphaned as a child, immigrated to America & raised in orphanages. He was a tiny flamboyant character and he loved his dolls. He seemed to feel they were his friends and he even had one in the passenger seat of his car. It was so sad. I couldn't imagine how lonely he must be.

I have a bizarre compulsion to watch the shows about hoarders, and then I watch them in horror and feel sick to my stomach at all of the things they have in their home.

Same. I am horrified but I won't stop watching. They always put their stuff or in some cases, garbage, before their loved ones. And sadly, these folks seem to have a lower success rate than the subjects of Intervention. It's crazy. The ones w/ animals are the worst.

My mom and grandmother are true hoarders, though, so it's personal for me. Last time I visited my mother I had to stay at a motel because her place was so generally crowded, messy & non-functional that I couldn't stand it. And she has pets.

 

[Arkteia]

Books. Especially old ones, on history or philosophy or related matters. Luckily, Portland with its Powells bookstore is there and it is probably the best source I know.

 

[chemgirl]

I used to collect yarn. Like for knitting. I'd have projects in mind for each ball of yarn, but I'd buy it faster than I could complete projects. It never got too crazy, probably about 3 plastic bins full, but it was enough to freak me out a bit. My favorite yarn store has a promotion where you get a $50 gift certificate when your accumulated purchases equal $500. I hit the $500, realized that was crazy, and promptly stopped buying yarn. Its actually pretty strange. There is an entire knitting subculture and numerous types of "designer" yarns that are instantly recognizable to people who know yarn. I knit whenever I watch tv so now I'm down to 2 bins!

Hoarders freaks me out to no end. I've met a few real life hoarders and its so scary. My cats were in a hoarded home and they all have respiratory illness. They're ok for the most part, but they are prone to develop coughs and they sneeze whenever my house gets a bit dusty (ie if I don't vacuum more than twice a week) . I can't imagine the health problems that the people living in those conditions face.

 

[LGK]

I used to collect yarn. Like for knitting. I'd have projects in mind for each ball of yarn, but I'd buy it faster than I could complete projects. It never got too crazy, probably about 3 plastic bins full, but it was enough to freak me out a bit. My favorite yarn store has a promotion where you get a $50 gift certificate when your accumulated purchases equal $500. I hit the $500, realized that was crazy, and promptly stopped buying yarn. Its actually pretty strange. There is an entire knitting subculture and numerous types of "designer" yarns that are instantly recognizable to people who know yarn. I knit whenever I watch tv so now I'm down to 2 bins!

Hoarders freaks me out to no end. I've met a few real life hoarders and its so scary. My cats were in a hoarded home and they all have respiratory illness. They're ok for the most part, but they are prone to develop coughs and they sneeze whenever my house gets a bit dusty (ie if I don't vacuum more than twice a week) . I can't imagine the health problems that the people living in those conditions face.

I too fascinate on the hoarders show. My MIL- whom I haven't seen in years, and DH doesn't speak to for a variety of reasons including preserving his own sanity- is a true hoarder. She doesn't hoard in her home anymore (except food). She secretes her stash away in storage units, and then tries to hide the fact that they exist from *everyone*- I'm pretty sure she has well over 5, possibly a dozen. Basically, she was born and grew up in abject poverty and then when she married his dad, they made a lot of money really quickly. She couldn't handle it. She started hoarding pretty much right away- food, stuff, you name it. And when they divorced she stripped the house one night- just came in and took *everything*. I met DH about a week after that had happened and wow, the house was bare. Apparently she looted a giant collection of Rene Lalique that had been amassed in the '70s when it was cheap, though she would never admit to having it and it was never seen again. DH's dad saved *one* vase, which is awesome and is worth about $20,000. I wonder what she has from that collection- I'd love to just *see* it but that'll never happen.

For awhile her new home was stacked to the rafters with boxes- literally you could only follow this one tiny path around the place- but then it all disappeared, never to be seen again, into storage units. I once snuck into her garage when she was working on a new hoard that hadn't yet been moved out and poked into a couple of boxes. Wow, it was amazing. Boxes and boxes of awesome Roseville pottery, which again, disappeared shortly after.

She also had left a huge hoard of clothes behind when she divorced my FIL- the one thing she left behind. So much stuff, it was unbelievable- this enormous, enormous walk in closet full of clothes that had never been worn, with their tags still on. DH said when he was a kid they'd go into thrift stores, she'd give him a book and disappear for the entire day, and show up with like three shopping carts full to the brim- and she did this a LOT.