People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so.
Indeed they can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful
which they did not know they owned. Those who never have to move house become
indiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter. They leave
unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics for years, in the belief
that they may one day need just those very things. As they grow old, people
also accumulate belongings for two other reasons, lack of physical and mental
energy, both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away, and
sentiment. Things owned for a long time are full associations with the past,
perhaps with relatives who are dead, and so they gradually acquire a value
beyond their true worth.#
Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoid
waste. Among these I would list string and brown paper, kept by thrifty people
when a parcel has been opened, to save buying these two requisites. Collecting
small items can easily become a mania. I know someone who always cuts sketches
out from newspapers of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had the
money. As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford
such purchases are remote; but she is never sufficiently strong-minded to be
able to stop the practice. It is a harmless habit, but it litters up her desk
to such an extent that every time she opens it, loose bits of paper fall out
in every direction.#
Collecting as a serous hobby is quite different and has many advantages. It
provides relaxation for leisure hours, as just looking at one's treasures is
always a joy. One does not have to go outside for amusement, since the
collection is housed at home. Whatever it consists of, stamps, records, first
editions of books, china, glass, antique furniture, pictures, model cars,
stuffed birds, toy animals, there is always something to do in connection with
it, from finding the right place for the latest addition, to verifying facts
in reference books. This hobby educates one not only in the chosen subject,
but also in general matters which have some bearing on it. There are also
other benefits. One wants to meet like-minded collectors, to get advice, to
compare notes, to exchange articles, to show off the latest find. So one's
circle of friends grows. Soon the hobby leads to travel, perhaps to a meeting
in another town, possibly a trip abroad in search of a rare specimen, for
collectors are not confined to any one country. Over the years, one may well
become a authority on one's hobby and will very probably be asked to give
informal talks to little gatherings and then, if successful, to larger
audiences. In this way self-confidence grows, first from mastering a subject,
then from being able to talk about it. Collecting, by occupying spare time so
constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom.&