We have been heavy handed with the whole de-clutter theme recently, and for good reason.  Just like too much food or liquor makes you sick, too much stuff directly affects your mental health.  It can also affect your wallet since you’re paying to maintain and store it. But what does that imply about collecting as a hobby, is it just a waste of money and space, or are there any benefits to keeping an ever-growing stash of collectible frogs in your attic?  It all boils down to the positive effects of the hobby and how it makes you feel when you have it.  Why do people find enjoyment in collecting.

Collecting reinforces passions.  There are a lot of objects in our home that do nothing more than take up space.  Maybe they want to satisfy their ego and image.  Some of the things are probably the result of impulse decisions that have no real explanation. Finding a great collectible is not an impulse decision, but it gets our heart pounding instead.  It could be comic books that remind you of the happiest time in your childhood, or maybe you first started amassing license plates when your dad was alive and you fixed up old cars together or maybe you read a story like I did when I saw the article Collecting Frogs - a Fun Hobby for All Ages and became engulfed in the world of frogs.

Collecting flexes mental muscles.   It is not just a matter of going to a store and buying something, you have to understand what you are looking for and where you might be able to get it from.  If you’re really clever, you might even find some gems for practically nothing.  Not only can you gain the perfect piece for your collection, you can also enjoy the knowledge that you gained while looking for it.

Collecting gives you the thrill of the hunt.  Most discretionary spending satisfies a perceived emotional need and that is why advertisers use sex, humor, and fear to market the benefits of their products; so you’ll justify buying whatever non-necessity they’re pedaling whether it is in a store or on a website such as www.myfrogcollection.com, because, for collectors, the thrill of seeking and finding a hard to find or unique piece is generally the main motivation which comes entirely from you, not your peers or the media.

Collecting teaches you to be resourceful.  You could limit your search to the local mall and eBay, but you might as well collect soda cans or hang nails if that’s how you’re going to do it.  There are networks that have been created to buy and sell collectibles.  It is true that one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure.

Collecting can be lucrative.  It is not true that everything has a price tag as some of us would never get rid of some of the things that we have.  A person’s house is only so big, and at some point they might find that their collection has started to outgrow their house and must be dealt with.  When you start to feel overcrowded , one way to open up some space is to give away some of your collectibles to friends.  It is also okay to put some items up for sale.  If you have bought well and kept your collection in good shape, you might make a lot of money.  Putting the things for sale in front of your home is a great way to engage your neighbors in a friendly activity.

Collecting can be exciting, educational, satisfying, challenging, and even profitable, but as with all the stuff we buy, you can’t take it with you.  It is important to have some control over what will happen to your collection if you are not around and this can be done at any time.  There are many things a person can do with their collection.  The real value of a collectible is what it means to the person who has it and how the collectible makes that person feel.  Even when you no longer have the item, you still have the story.  For that reason you can never have enough stuff, even if you do not always see it.