Collector vs Hoarder

[Desert Phone Guy]

I am having a discussion with my better half.  She thinks I am a hoarder... I think I am a collector.

I took a photo of a couple of shelves in the garage... ( there are several more).

What do  you think?

Steve

[Haf]

Impressive! But as it looks like, every phone is cleaned and stored properly not just thrown in a stash. You even have a pattern to wrap the cords. Looks a bit like a depot of a museum where the phones waiting on shelves to be displayed someday. But after all, you have to decide what you are or what you want to be. On the other hand...if you want to get rid of the one or other, I would be interested

Haf

[Pourme]

She's not being fair.....She needs to be told about the symptoms of "phoneitis"....

Of which you seem to be afflicted...

Benny

[twocvbloke]

So, what does her shoe "collection" look like? Can't tell me that she ain't hoarding them...

[Desert Phone Guy]

Ha ha

Funny you should mention shoes... I have practically O space in the master closet....

Good point on the shoes.... Course guys don't need 35 pairs of shoes... I don't think I have owned 35 pairs in my lifetime....

[Key2871]

 Both men and women have their nitch. Yours is phones, hers is shoes, so who's "hording" more? Is yours taking up closet space, or living space? Seems to me you have a nice stash for retirement. Are her shoes going to bring some nice $$ when it's time to start selling down? My wife complains about my small stash, but it's not really in the house, it's pretty much in the shed. She hordes everything else, and I mean everything.

[Desert Phone Guy]

Well I only have 2 phones inside the house... a WE folding vanity, and a WE PFFCT wall phone that I got decades ago.

Everything else in in the garage.  Works well 8 months of the year, but the summer months are tough.

I have found that the fun part for me is the "hunt"... then the "disassemble, clean, and restore to as orininal a state as possible"... Then store and more on to the next one. 

I guess we  will keep the current plan.  It actually works fairly well.. I was curious if others have had similar discussions with their partners.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Here's an idea...give her a chance to prove how much more of a "collection" this is over a hoarding situation. You're going to need more space to showcase each individual phone, rather than stuffing them on the same shelf.

All you need to do is throw her shoes out and build another shelf in the closet.

Does she object to her shoe "collection" being thrown out? Than you're a collector, not a hoarder.

[Key2871]

You sound like me. I like the thrill of the hunt, and getting them back for a good cleaning, then restoration.
YOU'RE definitely not a hoarder, simply a collector who enjoys old phones. Mine years ago would fill three book cases in my Den and payphones mounted to a board on the wall. Those days are gone, only have bits and pieces left.
I miss those days, I used to just enjoy going in my den to just look at the phones. Remembering what it took to bring them back to pristine condition. You might try getting her involved in phones, and the enjoyment they can bring. Talk with her about the difference between them. I did that, and my wife got bit by the bug too. She liked novelty phones more, but she enjoyed helping me clean them up. Maybe that will help you both!

[Pourme]

Here's an idea...give her a chance to prove how much more of a "collection" this is over a hoarding situation. You're going to need more space to showcase each individual phone, rather than stuffing them on the same shelf.

All you need to do is throw her shoes out and build another shelf in the closet.

Does she object to her shoe "collection" being thrown out? Than you're a collector, not a hoarder.

Ha!...Bravely spoken by a man that doesn't have and has never had a wife! 

[twocvbloke]

Ha!...Bravely spoken by a man that doesn't have and has never had a wife! 

Almost 33 myself and no wife, I only have three pairs of shoes too (Winter boots, every day shoes, and stinky "working in the garden and/or shed" shoes)... 

Though I will admit, I could do better with my phones, just need to get an extra set of shelves from Ikea and I can get them all back out again!!

[Jim Stettler]

When you reach 1,000+ telephones, then you might be a hoarder, But most likely just a serious collector.
JMO,
Jim S.
Serious Collector

[AE_Collector]

I agree with Haf...Hoarding is acquiring and then storing without doing much to them. You're in the clear!

Terry

[LarryInMichigan]

You are definitely a hoarder and need to cure your problem.  The first step is to know that you have the problem, which we have just accomplished here, and the second step is to separate yourself from the object of your problem.  I will be happy to help you with that step also by allowing you to ship all of those hoarded phones to me .  You and your wife will be happy, and I will somehow find a way to deal with the problem.

On a more serious note, never having been fortunate enough to find a wife, I would be happy to trade all of my phones, radios, and anything else for a good wife.  I have friends who had wives and lost them at least partly from lack of sensitivity to them.  Never disregard your wife.  I have met some collectors whose wives also collect something (like one whose wife collects Barbie doll stuff), and that seems to work for them.  As fun as collecting is, it is not worth harming a good marriage.

That is a beautiful collection you have.


Larry

[kleenax]

How many phones would you say are in this photo, and do you think that this guy "collected" or hoarded? EVERY-SINGLE-BOX in this photo was full of phones!  The paper barrels were full of handsets and handset cords. And since this is all we could fit in this gym for the sale, we scrapped 3 - 20 cu yd dumpsters full of the "less desirable" stuff (sorry).