If there is one thing we humans love doing, it's collecting. Coins, seashells, stamps, baseball cards, vintage artwork — you name it, we hoard it. Some people see it as a hobby, while others build rooms or create special places in their homes to showcase their fascination with accumulating objects they're interested in. But there’s a whole other category of people who undertake the challenge of finding the rarest and most extraordinary items from every corner of the world.
Collectors of the most random objects have stockpiled impressive quantities of things they’re obsessed with and shared pictures of their discoveries with everyone on the internet. We at Bored Panda have scoured the web to bring you a list of sometimes whimsical, sometimes slightly creepy, but nonetheless captivating collections that might inspire you to start one of your own.
From shark teeth to four-leaf clovers to tiny balls from pen ink cartridges, continue scrolling to check out these interesting displays. Be sure to hit upvote on your favorite ones and let us know about the things you love to collect in the comment section below! Keep reading to also find our interview with professor and an avid collector Shirley M. Mueller, M.D. After you’re done admiring this list, take a look at Part 1 of this feature right over here.
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One Cup Of Sand From Every Beach And Desert I Visited Over The Past 3 Years
I Am Nearly 14 Years Old, And Have Been Collecting Succulents And Houseplants For Nearly 3 Years. Here Are My Succulents
Bentley Likes To Hide His Toy Mice Under One Specific Sofa. Here He Is With The 13 I Pulled Out Today
Human curiosity, as well as creativity, knows no bounds. Millions of people from around the world share the enthusiasm of acquiring all sorts of unusual items most wouldn’t think of collecting, yet for them, it’s irresistible. These possessions may even become a part of their personalities, signaling to themselves and others who they are and where they belong. Some collectors have even turned their hobbies into full-time professions by opening museums or galleries and offering tours right in their own homes.
To find out more about what’s going through our minds when we crave to collect things we feel deeply interested in, we reached out to professor Shirley M. Mueller, M.D. Being an internationally known collector and scholar of Chinese export porcelain, she happily shared some insights about creating unique collections and our behaviors related to it.
My Grandma Kept And Framed Her Valentine's Cards She Got In Second Grade, Around 1924
Here Is My Vinyl Record Collection
Weird Christmas Tradition: Parents Buy Me These Bird Pens Every Year Without Fail. Here’s My Collection After About 10 Years. I’m A 26-Year-Old Male By The Way
Mueller is a professor of neurology at Indiana University, as well as a renowned author of multiple books. Combining her two fields of interest, she recently published Inside the Head of a Collector: Neuropsychological Forces at Play, which explains the mysterious and often little-understood logic of the collectors and delves deeper into some of the topics discussed in the article.
According to Professor Mueller, an enormous number, around 30 to 40 percent of the population, collects one thing or another. And the reasons people lean toward accumulating unusual objects are numerous. One of the most common ones is simply because it gives them pleasure. "In anticipation of obtaining that special object, our pleasure center 'lights up' using a sophisticated scientific technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging," she told Bored Panda.
My Collection Of More Than 200 Four Leaf Clovers
I'm A Hardcore Collector Of 70s Space Age Mod, And Pick Up Every Single Piece I Find Thrifting. Here Is My Upstairs Living Room With Some Of My Finds Over The Years
I Recently Helped My Father-In-Law Pick Out A New Telescope. Today, He Said Thanks By Gifting Me His Collection Of NASA Mission Patches He’s Been Collecting For Over 40 Years
Every manned mission from Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. I’m speechless.
The neuroscientist who is board-certified in neurology and psychiatry explained her research in great detail in her article in Psychology Today. The method she mentioned is called the Oddball paradigm, and it's an experiment where the participant is presented with a string of ordinary items interrupted by extraordinary ones. Their brain activity is registered using a functional magnetic resonance machine which revealed that once people witnessed the unusual, their minds showed an overwhelming response.
"This may be why we seek the unique when we collect. It stimulates our brains in areas that connect to our pleasure center. This may also have an evolutionary benefit. We explore the new until we determine whether it is a benefit to us or not," Mueller wrote.
Hello There, Here's My Collection. It's Pretty Much Finished And I'm Super Proud Of It. Hope You Like It
My Father's Collection Of Concert Tickets
This Book Collection Sorted By Color
Another common reason that drives some collectors forward is pride. By acquiring exquisite and rare objects, people feel excited it might set them apart from the crowd and could even lead to recognition and admiration from others. "Other collectors, aside from the rareness of the piece, want to acquire it at a modest price. That is their joy and gives them pride in being so astute. It’s the possession for comparatively little money that excites them," she added.
My Local Liquor Store Keeps A “Wall Of Shame” Of Fake Driver’s Licenses They’ve Accumulated Over The Years
Slowly Finding More Beatrix Potter 50p Coins. Found The Flopsy Bunny Coin Tonight
My Collection Of Uranium Glass That Glows Under UV Light
Then we have the history-lovers who feel fascinated by uncovering precious gems from our past and dream of getting their hands on antiquities. Mueller stated in her piece that this makes them feel closer to a time long gone, and can even give them a way to reconnect with their ancestors, important historical figures, or events that happened years ago. "This is the reverse of feeling a sense of history in looking toward the future. This collector may hope to build a legacy by passing on special objects to future generations," the professor explained.
My Parents Have A Map Of Bills From Around The World
Everyone Who Leaves The Hospital I Was At, Leaves Their Covid Temp Check Sticker In The Same Spot
My Hometown's Museum Has A Collection Of Objects Doctors Have Removed From Patients' Throats And Lungs
some medals and buttons but how do you end up with a safety pin in your throat , and what’s that big thing right in the middle of the collection oO ?
When asked whether having more of the same item makes us believe these objects are more valuable, the professor said, "A neuroeconomic concept is that we value what we own more than similar or identical items which others own. This is called the endowment effect. Thus, having more of the same items does make us think they are worth more than the same items which others possess."
Mueller pointed out that stumbling across and admiring extraordinary collections online can inspire us to take up the challenge of starting one of our own. "Additionally, knowing someone we admire who collects can inspire us to do the same," she said.
I Collect Antique Pencil Sharpeners So My Kids Will Have Something To Throw Away When I'm Gone
I Want To Share My Nintendo Gaming Cabinet With You All
All The Shark Teeth My Grandma Found When She Was Younger That I Now Own
We humans certainly stand out from the rest of the natural world by gathering items purely for the joy of the hunt and satisfaction of owning them. And apparently, this phenomenon is nothing new. Archeologists have discovered that 105,000 years ago, humans in the Kalahari region of southern Africa collected crystals. "Our analysis indicates that the crystals were not introduced into the deposits via natural processes, but were deliberately collected objects likely linked to spiritual beliefs and ritual," Dr. Jayne Wilkins, lead author of the study, told Forbes.
And as it turns out, we have never looked back since the moment we started. "Collecting is additive to life itself," Mueller told us. "It isn't a job; it isn't a hobby. It is a passion. What could be better?"
I've Been Thrifting Vintage Pyrex For The Last 10 Years. 95% Of My Collection Was $10 And Under
Started Collecting 1oz Bars Of Pure Metals: Aluminum, Titanium, Copper, Nickel, Silver, Gold
My Pen Collection 2021
I have a fountain pen collection that started with my Grandfather's pen from WWII
My 20+ Year Collection Of Art Deco And Commemorative Cameras. Mostly Between 1930 And 1950
My Grandfather Next To His LEGO Collection He Did During The Pandemic
I Collect Old Drinking Glasses And Came Across This Beautiful Cabinet Last Week At Salvation Army. It’s Perfect
Any Love Here For Retro Collections?
My Grandma's Collection Of 544 Different Cookie Cutters That She Has Been Expanding For 50+ Years
I Have Autism And Have Very Weird Interests. One Of My Favorite Hobbies Is Collecting Old Security Alarms
A couple of months ago a local company started saving the stuff they take out instead of throwing it away they then dropped it off for me to play with
My Little Collection Of LEGO Flowers
Yes!! The froggy bonsai ❤ Have you seen the new succulents and orchid?
I Kept All Of My Old Cell Phones Throughout The Years. Decided To Display Them For Some Reason
You must still be using the nokia 3210 Since it's not in the collection. How is the battery doing 85%?
Some Dice Appreciation After Reorganizing My Collection. I Only Want More
My Uncle Just Showed Me His Old School Star Wars Collection
Found This Vintage Powder Pigment Collection At A Thrift Store. Something About Tiny Glass Vials Are So Satisfying
I Found A Bunch Of Rocks On A Beach And Organized Them By Color
My Sister Is Collecting Banana Stickers
Here Is My Guitar/Bass Collection
Every $1 Bill I’ve Collected From Tips Over 2 Years (Roughly 1600)
7 Years Worth Of Bugs. Should Be Full By 2030. Will Update
My Fiancée Took Me To IKEA So I Would Have A Place To Display My Collection
My Completely Obsolete DVD Collection
As convenient as streaming is, this room of discs is full of so many bonus features, and for that, I am jealous.
My Aunt's Perfume Collection
Really hope they are well secured on that wall and not all going to fall into the world's stinkiest pile of broken bottles.
A Few Shark Teeth I Found While Diving In A River
My Typewriter Collection
My Grandparents Had The Full Coke Bottle Collection From Different Years
These are the Coca-Cola 1998 Evolution Of The Contour Bottle 6 Miniature Coke Bottles
My Dad Kept All Glasses He's Ever Worn Since 1964
I mocked my mom as a kid when I saw that she kept all of her glasses because they were kinda weird looking to me and why would she want to keep that sh*it ...now at 43 YO I have a stash of 10 because meh maybe I will need a pair if mine broke and because they were kinda expensive and because whatever ...now she is the one laughing :)
I Have Been Keeping A Collection Of The Tiny Balls In Pen Ink Cartridges Since Middle School
Back In ‘99 I Told My Mom We Couldn’t Throw These Away. She Still Has Them 23 Years Later
My Dad's Salt And Pepper Shaker Collection
5 Years Ago, I Thought It Would Be A Good Idea To Collect All The LEGO Batman Minifigures. Today I Can Quite Confidently Say That It Wasn't A Good Idea
Nail Polish Collector Here. These Are My Still Usable 1951 Dura-Gloss Shell Pastels. Swatches Are Two Coats With No Top Coat
My Dad Volunteered At The Rio Olympics, And Collected These Pins From Athletes All Over The World
Some Pics I Took Of My Horror Collection Room
Dude that's awesome :D I love The Thing head in the case and the Killer Klowns From Outer Space in the back
All Of The Pens I Used In The First Year Of My Ph.D Program
My Father’s Collection Of History-Making Newspaper Stories
On September 12th, 2011 the San Francisco Examiner had the headline "BASTARDS!" Then across the bottom "Who Did This and When Do They Pay?" I bought it thinking it might be worth something to a collector one day. I watched over that thing, protecting it and keeping it flat and dry. On the tenth anniversary if 9/11 I thought I'd try to auction it in EBay. My wife had by then thriwn it away!
My Twin Sister And I Love To Collect Swedish Dala Horses When Thrifting. They Don’t Show Up Often, So It’s Always A Thrill To Find One
I'm from Dalarna, where the Dala Horses are made. These are worth some money!
Tupperware Keychains
Everyone Is Posting Their Book Collections. Here Is My Daughter’s Harry Potter Small Book Collection
My 9-Year-Old's Rock Collection
I Made A Florida With All Of The Broken Shark Teeth I Found This Year. Quarter For Scale
6 Years Worth Of Stray Whiskers I Have Collected From My Cat
I Have Saved Every Hotel Key From Each Room My Wife And I Have Ever Stayed In Together
Most Of My Plush Collection
My Used-Guitar-String-Ball
Some Of The 50,000-Ish Superballs I Have Pathologically Collected
My Vintage Halloween Collection Is On The Display All Year Long
I Found My Collection Of 1988 Cereal Box Prize USA License Plate Collection
I'm A Korean Cuber. Let Me Show You My Collection
My Collection Of World War 1 U.S. Military Uniforms
My Collection Of Cool Stuff I’ve Acquired Since Covid Started
My Friend Custom Made This Awesome Display Case For Her Husband's Star Wars LEGO Figure Collection On His Birthday
My Color-Coordinated Hot Wheels Collection
Can I come over to your house please? I love hot wheels so much
My Mostly Marvel Popcorn Tin Collection
Is Anyone Else Obsessed With Vintage Pie Plates With Recipes On Them? This Is My Collection So Far, And I’m Always On The Lookout For More
Most Recent "Family Photos" Of My Lodge Minis Collection
Hammered minis, the majority from the 1930s to 1960s except for the 100-year anniversary and the two American Girl Doll minis (Pleasant Company, & J.B. Prince Co). Ashtrays and modern minis including the Japanese Snoopy set. Guitar minis, both race medallions, and a 1st pour coaster.
A Collection Of Keys I’ve Found While Metal Detecting
Have small collection - am planning to make wind chimes when I have enough.
My Collection Of Weirdo Cats
This Big Jar Of Match Boxes From My Grandfather's Travels Around Circa 1970s To 90s
All The Balls Stuck On The Roof At My Kids' School
Here's My Collection Of 15+ Years
My Parents Have The Evolution Of Cellphones In Their Kitchen Drawer
I Collect Different Bird Species' Eggshells. Need To Collect Enough To Fill The Display. Built The Shelf By Hand And 3D Printed The Stands And Painted Myself
I Have Saved Every Card And Personal Letter I Have Received Since I Was A Child
The iPod Collection
If you wanted you could see them and make quite a bit of money. ( although I would never sell any of my collections, just saying they are worth something)
My Dad's Metallica Plectrum Collection That He Gave To Me
My Toy Dinosaur Collection From The 80s And 90s
My Retro Game Consoles/Controllers Collection As Of April 2022. Game Boy Wall, Physical Game Collection, And Lots More
My Vintage Deer Collection
My Bic Collection
My Mostly Completed Collection Of Losing Presidential Campaign Bumper Stickers
A Complete Collection By My Uncle Of Every Natural Geography Month Magazine Printed Since 1972
This Dude On The Construction Team I Work With At The Airport Collects Zipper Pulls He Finds On The Ground. There Are 4 More Of These Cables Full
How To Survive A Nuclear War. My Collection Of Cold War Era Books And Pamphlets On Surviving An Atomic Attack And What You Can Do To Prepare
Do You Have A Collection? I Collect Novelty Rubber Ducks, And I Have So Far Collected 58 Giant Ones And 3 Small Baby Ones
Partial Collection From 4 Years Of Thrifting Brass
My Vintage Glove Collection So Far
Here Are All The Notes I Got From No-Contact Deliveries When I Delivered Pizza
Just Finished My Collection Of America The Beautiful Quarters Released From 2010-21
Is Anyone Else Collecting Retro Gaming Shirts?
My Sister's Puzzle Collection
My Collection Of Soundtracks To Forgettable ‘90s Movies. On Cassette
My Partner Has 2138 DVDs
My partner probably have as many, but all in ugly boxes instead of nicely displayed like this
Contents Of My Grandpa's Old Tackle Box, Probably Not Used Since The 80's
After Cleaning And Sorting Out My Collection. 4288 Manga
Tamagotchi Collection
These Vintage Items I Found In A Mouse Nest In My Wall
My Collection Of Radioactive Material
Finally Done With My 2002 Olympic Volunteer Jacket Collection
I Recently Passed My Goal Of Having 800 Menus From Over 400 Restaurants In My Collection. Here Is A Photo Of Some Of The Menus I Collected This Summer
The Waiting Room Of This Doctor’s Office Has Some Magazines, Small Plants, And One Large Collection Of Coca-Cola Bottles And Cans From Around The World
A 233 Playing Card Deck Collection
Some Of My Handcuff Collection
1. American Handcuff Company A-550 ultralight hinged handcuffs
2. American Handcuff Company N-105 handcuffs
3. American Handcuff Company Speed King in nickel
4. Chicago 1591 "Bavarian Justice" legirons
5. ASP Identifier hinged handcuffs - yellow. Model 56112
6. Clejuso #12A in yellow, red, and orange
Saved All My Change For 2 Years In Case Of A Rainy Day. 2 Years Of Change Will Give You $175.75 In Quarters If You Don't Count The Silver Ones
15 Years Of Saved Change
I was going to make a stupid 'worth a pretty penny' joke, but I'll spare all of you the cringe.
My Collection Of Fake Bills Has Grown Quite A Bit This Year. Careful Out There Fellow Cashiers
Can you say what gave each one away? [No threads, thickness of paper,etc.?] Even the $5 bill is fake?
For Twenty Years I Saved Every Wine Cork. I've Made A Box To Hold The Next Twenty Years Of Corks. Many Good Memories. More To Come
My Current Collection Of 416 Can Koozies
Just Wanted To Display My Collection, Been Collecting For 20+ Years Now
My Collection Of 1936 Colorado License Plates From The 63 Counties. A Few Of These Had Fewer Than 100 Passenger Registrations That Year
My Collection Of Gas Masks I Collected Throughout The Years
My Collection Of Old And Vintage Smoke Detectors. Originally Started Collecting Them To Overcome A Childhood Fear, But The Interest Grew And Now I Own Several
My Leonardo Collection
I Started Collecting Military Rations 2 Years Ago. Here's What I Have So Far
Here's My Ornithological Osteology Collection
AKA bird bones, in case you don’t want to look up “ornithological osteology”.
I Collect Vintage Maps, Focusing On The East Of England
Found An Old Fridge Full Of Soap On A Friend’s Property. They Said The Property Used To Belong To An Uncle And Have No Explanation For It
My Collection After A Decade. Can You Spot The Only Sennheiser Product I Own?
Part Of My Four-Eyed Collection
17th & 18th C. Figure-Heads From British Ships
Here’s My First Decade Of Movies! Ticket Stubs From Ages 10 To 20. First And Last Films Are On The Same Date 10 Years Apart! Anyone Else Here Collect Stubs?
I collected them for the longest time but they started fading even though they were in a closed box so now I have a bunch of blank stubs!
Tom Brady Wearing His 7 Super Bowl Rings
My Sister’s Tick Collection
This will sound really dumb but it is a dream of mine that if I was ever to come into a significant amount of money, that I would have an entire room with nothing but the Barbies I had when I was a kid, the ones I always wanted as a kid, all the accessories I had/wanted to have and play sets/houses. Like I said, dumb but playing with my Barbie's was a significant part of my childhood.
No, it's not dumb. You do you! If that's what makes you happy, go for it!
Load More Replies...I have a huge collection of Lego dragons. I'm pretty sure I own almost all of the ones that have been made. The only ones I'm missing are ones from like 10 years ago because I was so young and hadn't gotten into them.
I collect gemstones, hot wheels, Pokémon stuff, and can tabs (I can’t call them collections but I hope to someday)
I save the teeny feathers that sometimes fall off my bird’s head and neck when I pet him. They go into a bottle labeled “scritches” and someday it will be a memento of time spent cuddling.
I collect all sorts of dinosaur stuff including books, shows and movies, toys, clothing, actual dinosaur fossils, stickers, stationary, bedding, pillows, and candy(which I eat in about 2 seconds lol) it's quite an impressive collection of dinosaur things. I'm a huge dinosaur fan and I have been since I was a toddler.
I collect Zippos, have 11, fridge magnets from where I have been, as well as old cameras
I've got about $10 worth of Bicentennial Quarters neatly rolled up. Every time I see one, I keep it. They're still out there.
I have large dice collation my self. It have around 700 dice in it now, I have a larger collation of miniatures figures it is just over 1,000 figures.
My local mall has a toy store inside and they sell mini Lego sets, the company is called "Nanoblock" and I have a small collection worth $80 I think? I have pancakes (lost those ones tho ;-;), A mini grand piano, a hamburger, a parakeet, a donut+coffee, a mini giant panda, and a little build of Big Ben. (Just realized how many sets I have that imply the thing is big even though it's tiny). All the sets are $10 except the Big Ben one was $20
i collect meowth/persian merchandise- so far i have 32-34 cards and one small figurine, but i wanna get more >:3
I have several huge collections: over 600 antique silver charms of which about 50 are mechanical, every Harry Potter LEGO set from the first 4 movies still in the box, a wall hanging made of metal cookie cutters (shown), and over 100 pieces of enamelware, most with their original labels. (That cactus on the right is about 3 cm wide and over 160 cm tall) 20220706_1...db1e0b.jpg
I must be weird but I just don’t see the point in collecting. It actually make me anxious- all the dust some of these collections must gather (eg the toy dinosaurs), and what happens to the collection once the person dies… 😬
Nah, you're not weird- I'm the same way lol. Really the only thing I can stand to collect are ribbons that I've won, but only the pretty ones- But tbh I think it's pretty normal to want to collect things :3
Load More Replies...This will sound really dumb but it is a dream of mine that if I was ever to come into a significant amount of money, that I would have an entire room with nothing but the Barbies I had when I was a kid, the ones I always wanted as a kid, all the accessories I had/wanted to have and play sets/houses. Like I said, dumb but playing with my Barbie's was a significant part of my childhood.
No, it's not dumb. You do you! If that's what makes you happy, go for it!
Load More Replies...I have a huge collection of Lego dragons. I'm pretty sure I own almost all of the ones that have been made. The only ones I'm missing are ones from like 10 years ago because I was so young and hadn't gotten into them.
I collect gemstones, hot wheels, Pokémon stuff, and can tabs (I can’t call them collections but I hope to someday)
I save the teeny feathers that sometimes fall off my bird’s head and neck when I pet him. They go into a bottle labeled “scritches” and someday it will be a memento of time spent cuddling.
I collect all sorts of dinosaur stuff including books, shows and movies, toys, clothing, actual dinosaur fossils, stickers, stationary, bedding, pillows, and candy(which I eat in about 2 seconds lol) it's quite an impressive collection of dinosaur things. I'm a huge dinosaur fan and I have been since I was a toddler.
I collect Zippos, have 11, fridge magnets from where I have been, as well as old cameras
I've got about $10 worth of Bicentennial Quarters neatly rolled up. Every time I see one, I keep it. They're still out there.
I have large dice collation my self. It have around 700 dice in it now, I have a larger collation of miniatures figures it is just over 1,000 figures.
My local mall has a toy store inside and they sell mini Lego sets, the company is called "Nanoblock" and I have a small collection worth $80 I think? I have pancakes (lost those ones tho ;-;), A mini grand piano, a hamburger, a parakeet, a donut+coffee, a mini giant panda, and a little build of Big Ben. (Just realized how many sets I have that imply the thing is big even though it's tiny). All the sets are $10 except the Big Ben one was $20
i collect meowth/persian merchandise- so far i have 32-34 cards and one small figurine, but i wanna get more >:3
I have several huge collections: over 600 antique silver charms of which about 50 are mechanical, every Harry Potter LEGO set from the first 4 movies still in the box, a wall hanging made of metal cookie cutters (shown), and over 100 pieces of enamelware, most with their original labels. (That cactus on the right is about 3 cm wide and over 160 cm tall) 20220706_1...db1e0b.jpg
I must be weird but I just don’t see the point in collecting. It actually make me anxious- all the dust some of these collections must gather (eg the toy dinosaurs), and what happens to the collection once the person dies… 😬
Nah, you're not weird- I'm the same way lol. Really the only thing I can stand to collect are ribbons that I've won, but only the pretty ones- But tbh I think it's pretty normal to want to collect things :3
Load More Replies...