50 People Share Their Extraordinary Collections Of Items Many Would Not Think Of Collecting (New Pics)
Some do it out of loyalty to their team, town, or country, others might be driven by the prestige that comes with ownership; either way, people like to collect. And the fields they're interested in can be interesting, to say the least.
So in order to show you just how cool, strange, and even creepy this hobby can be, we at Bored Panda put together a list of the most unique collections we could find on the internet. From pharmacy pills to exit signs, and beyond, continue scrolling to check out the stashes.
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My Hand-Painted Food Rocks
I Got Sober During Covid, So All Of My AA Meetings Have Been By Zoom. My Chips Are Mostly A Random Collection Of Round Objects I’ve Found On My Daily Walks. I Just Celebrated 7 Months
Dr. Andrew Dillon, who is a V.M. Daniel Regents Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, says that once humans gathered more resources than they immediately needed, they were able to break out of the continual hunting mode and start to trade.
Combined with our abilities to plan and count, collecting emerges as a natural disposition that is subject to the influencing forces of economics, social structures, education, fashion, and personal history.
"In treating collecting as routine, we can view the range of collecting behaviors as expressions which might vary across layers but reflect the shared basis of human motivations underlying our emotions, identity, value, and desire for connection," Dillon explains.
Authentic Geological Map Of Scotland
I Spent 4 Years Trying To Grow Salt Cubes At Home. Here Are The Largest And Most Transparent Crystals I've Managed To Grow So Far
I’m Painting A Collection Of Memes. Here’s The Progress So Far
While collecting might be an innate tendency, Dillon believes it's culturally and environmentally shaped. "Nomadic peoples were limited to items that were transferable or storable, but a surplus of food and materials of importance suggests that even from earliest times, people collected," he says.
"Changes in the means of production altered patterns of consumption, and the spoils of conflict and resource control exercised through power created a distinct type of collecting for desirable goods, giving us era-specific records of what was deemed important or valuable to different cultures even before the emergence of museums and galleries."
This Man’s Collection Of Lost Apple Varieties
Do I have any moonshine stories? *Cracks knuckles * My grandpa used to make moonshine and bury the jars in his backyard to hide them from grandma. Next day, she'd have all the kids out there digging around for them, like a demented Easter egg hunt. Also, there was this time my cousin handed me a jar of cloudy liquid and said "Try it! Neighbor Bob made it from the peaches he grew." Spent the entirety of the next two days on the toilet, as an upside down volcano.
After Years Of Collecting, Problems With Arcade Bylaws, And A Pandemic, I've Finally Quit My Career In It And Opened A Pinball Arcade
January Sea Glass Haul. I May Have A Problem
My Father-In-Law Just Moved To A New House. His Record Collection Required Its Own Move And Two Trucks
In more recent times, the cabinet of curiosities emerges around the discovery of the Americas and the expansion of people's understanding of place and space, tying collecting to self-presentation of worldliness and forward-thinking.
The Industrial Revolution led to the emergence of a consumer class that sought goods previously unavailable to them (and created a wealthy class that bought items to reflect their emerging status, sending their offspring on grand tours to polish their education and obtain all sorts of historical artifacts to embellish the family’s legacy).
This rising middle class, in turn, engaged in this most human behavior of acquiring and keeping objects of desire to the point where phrases like "Everyone is a collector" were also born.
My Coleus Collection
Helped My Mom Unpack Her Uranium Glass Collection And Install UV Lights
My Collection Of LEGO Pokémon I've Built
Tools Of My Trade (Hand Embroidery) Turned Into A Small Collection
However, as collecting is increasingly recognized as widespread, Dillon says we still have little data on people's motivations, their reasons, and self-explanations for their hobby.
"Individual case studies or small sample surveys provide some insights, but most of the research is suggestive and leans to inference from market activity," he explains.
"[But] it is sometimes assumed that the primary motivation for investing in artworks or antiques is financial, the belief that such works, by nature of their rarity, represent a distinctive form of investment."
My Wall Mounted Rotary Phone Collection
My 9-Year-Old Nephew Has Found Over 1500 "Lucky" Four-Leaf Clovers And Keeps Them In A Big Binder
A Collection Of Little Monster Toys I've Made
"What We Find In Your Tires"
There is, of course, a monetary consideration in major purchasing decisions, but financial returns might be a primary motivation for only a minority or niche group of collectors.
Depending on which study you look at, there's some evidence that the share of collectors who are in for an investment or possible profit can be lower than 10%.
Rooftop Next To A Schoolyard
What An Impressive Tie Collection He Must Have Had
My Grandpa’s Vintage Prank Toy Collection
Years Ago I Told My Mom That I Liked To Collect Coins. Unfortunately, She Passed Recently, And Upon Cleaning Her House, I Found This
On the other hand, Dillon says there are innumerable accounts and case studies of individual collectors that explain these people’s actions by appealing to their emotional experiences, insatiable appetites for security, and even erotic ties to material objects, typically rooted in their unsettling earliest life experiences.
My Multilingual Calvin & Hobbes Collection
Over The Years, I’ve Collected Other People’s Collections That Have Been Thrown Away. Anything People Collect Will Be In These Boxes, Including The Boxes And Drawers
I worked in a rubbish dump for 15 years.
My Grandpa Kept Almost All Of The Rabies Tags From His Dogs
My Collection Showing The Evolution Of Portable Data Storage Over The Past 45 Years
"A more contemporary view of people’s relationships to material objects comes from social and cultural studies of consumption by the general public," he explains. "Looking beyond the business analysis of what we buy, some researchers have asked why we buy and how do we treat or use the objects we accumulate over time? In studying these phenomena, people are often conceived as continual consumers on a scale, with collectors at one end and disposers at the other."
"In this paradigm, an individual’s choice of goods is conceived as a reflection of their identity or their desire to be seen by others as part of a group, with their consumption and retention patterns representing a form of expression that signals particular lifestyle values and choices."
My Dad's Banjo Collection
Some People Collect Stamps, Others Collect Fancy Cars. I Collect Thrift Store Ski Jackets. Here Are Some Of My Favorite Finds
Abandoned Collection Of Over 175 Classic Cars In North London
Anyone Here Collects Vintage Monster Masks? Here Is A Small Bit Of My Collection
Clearly, there is a strong relationship between human psychology and the desire to collect, one that mediates personal identity, a sense of place in the world, and a desire to form networks and build community.
To explore these ties further, fire up our older publications 50 People Share Their Unique Collections and 50 Of The Most Interesting And Unusual Collections People Have.
This Car Is Full Of Bumper Stickers That Say Bumper Sticker
My Dad Passed Away Last Year, And I Was Finally Able To Gather All Of This And Make This Tribute To His 37-Year Career At Kmart
one of my sons worked for kmart here before they went out of business and they were so good to him when my granddaughter was born with some medical issues ( shes fine now) the people there donated sick days and vacation time to him so he could stay off with his wife and daughter and not lose any pay
This Collection Of Rubber Ducks
My Wife Has Diligently Kept A Journal Everyday Since 2000
My Collection So Far
Fake IDs Confiscated In A College Town
These Tiny Shells, Each Labeled With Type, Date Collected And Where. Part Of A Massive Multigenerational Shell Collection I’m Sorting Through
This is my favourite! And the fact that multiple generations have contributed makes it all the more special. Make sure you take care of it! Depending on the time frame we are talking about, this collection could easily form the basis of a research paper.
My Local Pharmacy Has This Huge Container Of Random Pills
Yes, You Can Collect Antique Traffic Signals. My Oldest Dates Back To The Mid-1920s
In The Year 2000, Aged 13, I Was Immensely Proud Of My Simpsons Collection
These Layers Are The Seeds I Collected Last Year. They Show A Timeline Of When Different Flowers Grow In My Garden
My Entire Plant Pin Collection To Date
All The Whiskers That I've Collected Over The Years From My Two Cats That Either Broke Off Or Naturally Fell Out
56 Mirrors And Counting. About 2 Years Worth Of Thrifting
My Collection Of Old Snake Bite Kits
My Collection Of (Mostly) Vintage Uranium Glass
Is that a green binger on the top shelf ... just to the left of what looks like a blue binger??
This Collection Of Glass Eyeballs At The Deutsches Museum, Munich
All These Hair Ties Underneath A Rollercoaster
It Just Makes Me Happy To See Things That Are Kind Of "Proof" That I Have Lived, Even If It's Something As Silly And Seemingly Insignificant As Tea Stubs
These Are Most Of The Exit And Fire Safety Signs I Collected Over The Past 2 Years
The Amount Of Lost Earbuds My Boyfriend Found Today On One Commercial Plane
Note: this post originally had 100 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
Very interesting article, It makes me think, 'At what point does collecting become hoarding?' 🤔
When I think of hoarding I think of people who have a hard time of letting go of things. It usually includes newspapers, trash, old discarded items that others didnt want. A collector usually doesnt get to the point in their collection when they are living in filth.
Load More Replies...I have the biggest collection of official Spice Girls memorabilia in my country. I wish I could share photos!
Lee, on the boredpanda website, there should be a button called 'add post'. Click that button. You can then write about your collection and include pictures. 🙂
Load More Replies...I have a little of 600 silver charms, about 40 of them are mechanical, including a typewriter that's about 1cm x 1cm x .5cm that when you hit the Space bar the roller moves.
I collect cat hair. Don't worry, it's freely donated.
I have three things I've been collecting, religiously, since I was little. I have a shoelace collection (mostly unused but a couple that were and I just liked the design) that numbers somewhere north of 650 at this point. I have a fast food toy collection-all unopened-that numbers somewhere in the range of 600. It would have more but I've given a ton away, use as stocking stuffers, easter basket fillers, rewards, prizes at parties, etc... I also have a machine toy collection-the machines you see, or used to in some places, at grocery stores, arcades, etc...That collection is massive and totals well over 7,000, as I've been collecting it since I was about 4-ish. I've only tapped into that collection a few times over the years. I still collect all three things too. My purse currently has two pairs of shoelaces, two unopened fast food toys, three little bubbles with toys and two mini fidget spinners. You never know when you'll see a kid who needs a smile, or just get bored yourself, lol.
I should start a whistle collection. I had a good and still have a pretty good collection even if its small. Unfortunately my "whoosh" whistle I had since my grade school days broke. I'll probably have to find a new one if they still make them. Some day I would like a slide whistle. I do have this old bird whistle that makes pleasant bird sounds when you blow into it that is after you have put in a little water.
I collected a few cute mini bird houses. After mentioning it to my students I now have a massive collection of mini bird houses. I love them!
I have a collection of chicken feathers. From school pets to home pets to work chooks. It’s not too big, only filling a small bottle.
I collect autographed Funko Pop figures, but those aren't nearly as interesting as some of these collections.
Interesting collections, but after years doing estate sales all I see is stuff that won't mean anything to anyone else and will be disposed of one way or another after the collector is gone.
Yep which is why I'm doing a death cleaning before we move out of this house. Been here 20+ years.
Load More Replies...Very interesting article, It makes me think, 'At what point does collecting become hoarding?' 🤔
When I think of hoarding I think of people who have a hard time of letting go of things. It usually includes newspapers, trash, old discarded items that others didnt want. A collector usually doesnt get to the point in their collection when they are living in filth.
Load More Replies...I have the biggest collection of official Spice Girls memorabilia in my country. I wish I could share photos!
Lee, on the boredpanda website, there should be a button called 'add post'. Click that button. You can then write about your collection and include pictures. 🙂
Load More Replies...I have a little of 600 silver charms, about 40 of them are mechanical, including a typewriter that's about 1cm x 1cm x .5cm that when you hit the Space bar the roller moves.
I collect cat hair. Don't worry, it's freely donated.
I have three things I've been collecting, religiously, since I was little. I have a shoelace collection (mostly unused but a couple that were and I just liked the design) that numbers somewhere north of 650 at this point. I have a fast food toy collection-all unopened-that numbers somewhere in the range of 600. It would have more but I've given a ton away, use as stocking stuffers, easter basket fillers, rewards, prizes at parties, etc... I also have a machine toy collection-the machines you see, or used to in some places, at grocery stores, arcades, etc...That collection is massive and totals well over 7,000, as I've been collecting it since I was about 4-ish. I've only tapped into that collection a few times over the years. I still collect all three things too. My purse currently has two pairs of shoelaces, two unopened fast food toys, three little bubbles with toys and two mini fidget spinners. You never know when you'll see a kid who needs a smile, or just get bored yourself, lol.
I should start a whistle collection. I had a good and still have a pretty good collection even if its small. Unfortunately my "whoosh" whistle I had since my grade school days broke. I'll probably have to find a new one if they still make them. Some day I would like a slide whistle. I do have this old bird whistle that makes pleasant bird sounds when you blow into it that is after you have put in a little water.
I collected a few cute mini bird houses. After mentioning it to my students I now have a massive collection of mini bird houses. I love them!
I have a collection of chicken feathers. From school pets to home pets to work chooks. It’s not too big, only filling a small bottle.
I collect autographed Funko Pop figures, but those aren't nearly as interesting as some of these collections.
Interesting collections, but after years doing estate sales all I see is stuff that won't mean anything to anyone else and will be disposed of one way or another after the collector is gone.
Yep which is why I'm doing a death cleaning before we move out of this house. Been here 20+ years.
Load More Replies...