Readers Respond: You Know You're a Collector When . . .

Responses: 53

By Barbara Crews, About.com Guide

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your favorite antique or collectible dealers say when you walk into their store "you don't really need that item. You don't have any more room!"
—Guest audrey

You don't know how many magnets, s $ p's , cookbooks, books in general (many on not shelves) small trinkets or items that remind you of your childhood.... your house looks like a museum. You watch Hoarding shows to make sure that's NOT you! You're husband won't watch them with you, yet will take you to the swapmeet after he says maybe you should stay away from thrift stores.(enabler) And a daughter who asks if you're going to be one of those old ladies who dies and leaves boxes and boxes for them to take care of. Hope they know the value of things by then...maybe I should start marking what they can't donate or toss. Anybody want to buy a Barbie McDonalds? Leftover from my daughters stuff she left here and no longer wants.....I get to get rid of all of it, once I can get to the closet! I have Fibromyalgia and chronic fatique, all this is no easy task.
—Guest Xenatoyou

When you try to diminish your excess items and find they have already been grouped into mini collections.
—Guest Arlene

Your cookie jar collection has a bedroom of its own and there is not a single one in the kitchen.
—Guest jarlover

That come to your house and they say," I didn't know this was an Antique Store!"
—Guest Janice Staley

When... as a child you remember your grandmother telling you to sit down (when you really wanted to go outside) but you did, and she showed you the right way to rub with a soft, cotton rag while she cleaned the silver because it was either Thanksgiving, or Christmas. You sat down because when I looked into her eyes even though I was older now and wanted to go outside, I remembered her having a tea party with me ....oh 6 years years before that ( I'm about 4-6 years now) but I was her only grandchild, and as we sat there she went to that cabinet, and with each item that she pulled out so did the story/history that I was told with each and every setting. I'm 55 now. She is gone, mother is gone. They all are gone. I have/kept/was given/ left all. I have post-revolution pewter. I have 'occupied-Japan' English commissioned hand-painted tea sets with the original silver embossed labels and hand painted serial numbers with the Kings crest.
—Guest jean

Your surroundings are overflowing with something you do not need and you have few places to sit, walk, or put things. In my case it is dolls. I will pay more for a doll outfit than for an outfit for myself.
—dkkdolls

...You stay up until 5am to make sure you win that online auction you've been closely watching for the past 4 days...but at least I won, and my bid was even high enough that the last second sniper couldn't grab it out from under me! Haha!! ;D
—Guest Ineeda Name

and realize you still have every trinket and toy you've ever owned! Year later, moving to a new state I boxed up my collection of about 500 Flower Frogs which didn't get unpacked because of remodeling. After 9 years they are still carefully boxed, but somehow I have managed to collect another 500 plus 2 additional collections!
—froggieb

You blow money you don't really have, on a collection of vintage matchbooks that you don't even normally collect. But you couldn't resist!
—Guest Kathleen Hennessy

You just spent your last 3 dollars (3 weeks before payday) at a garage sale, flea market, or antique shop.
—JennyFox

When you switch collectables from the 350 rabbits you displayed at your local library with Beatrice Potter books. Falling in love with the Campbell Soup kids which you bought at a flea market and many more items after that. Moving on to the Smurfs, reversed paintings. It must stop. Have run out of names for all my precious rabbits.
—Guest Norma

You know your a collector when your house is full, your large shed is full and you finally learn to use a computer to sell something so you can get more. All the years i've collected, I only sold one thing last week to get floor space and it hurt me. So i got an italian coffee table to fill that space. I want to sell things, but I love em all. I'm not a hoarder just a lover! My heirs will be much wealthier than I am and we'll all be happy for it. Thats a collector I think. it's all for the love.
—Guest johnny

You know you're a collector when people come to see your house more than you. You know you're a collector when people ask what you collect, and you start to make a list.
—carlettaheide

Barbara Crews
Collectibles Guide