Good Collections That Are Not Consooming - A Self Improvement Thread

The line between consooming and just having stuff you enjoy

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BangBingBongalo

BangBingBongalo

kiwifarms.net
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Dec 29, 2021
The consoomer thread shows some of the very worst of people, filling entire homes with funko pops in a self destroying cycle.
But what about those examples which show how it should be done?
We talk about the worst, but never those who are actually fine.
So this thread is for those such examples.

4 blank walls is depressing. Add some stuff!

A poll has been set up too. Consooming is a slippery slope and every example may or may not be consooming depending on the individual.
But we can at least collectively agree the best possible definition of when is it usually acceptable.

Examples of what the vote selections are


Entire house
well, that's obvious

An entire room
again, obvious.

A part of the room:
1640904723015.png


An entire wall unit
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An entire display cabinet
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Evenly distributed around the house:
You have your sentimental old toys/collectables/whatever in different parts around the house.
A bit of stuff on your bookshelf, a bit of stuff in your cabinet, a few in your closet ect.

Much has been shown about what not to do.
But for those who want to have a collection or keep sentimental items, how is it done?
Like the consoomer thread shows examples of consooming, show not say
This is a "post good images" thread, not so much a philosophical debate
 
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I think the distinction between a collection and a "consoom" has been discussed in the consoomer thread. Some people may label me as a "consoomer" due to my collection of records, both vintage, represses, and modern releases. But I don't see myself as a consoomer due to the fact that:

1. I have listened to all my records more than three times
2. I don't rush out to buy records because they just released, or because I need to grow my collection
3. I trade and sell old records to other collectors and record shops
4. My collection doesn't span more than a single cubby in a small bookshelf.

So, to correctly "collect" without consooming, at least in my opinion, is to have a collection you enjoy and cherish and make use of, and are willing to part with pieces to vary your collection without the need to grow it without cause. Of course this is tangential, as you can't do the same with sentimental items in the case of trading/selling items, or with items like sports memorabilia in the case of using the collection.

But perhaps everyone who collects items of some sort are consoomers in their own right, we just decided that one type of consoomerism is free from ridicule while the newer types aren't. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
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The difference between a collector and consoomer is more nuanced that the poll suggests, and I actually wonder if it's even the right question to be asking if OP really wants to try and understand the difference.

I know people with collections that are displayed nicely through their entire house. Think along the lines of professional musicians that have a collection of guitars acquired over several decades who like to admire their axes as ornamental objects, whilst occasionally pulling one down off the wall for a bit of casual noodling about or jamming.

I also know people who consoom worthless tat and stuff it all into a display cabinet in their spare room that will just sit there until the heat death of the universe.

Some questions I'd be asking:
  • were all of these items bought new?
  • are any of these items vintage or genuinely interesting?
  • how much thought did you put into acquiring these objects?
  • do any of these items have an interesting story behind them?
  • do any of these items have any serious resale value?
  • do you enjoy using and/or admiring these items?
  • would you consider parting with any of these items if it means bringing new items into your collection?
If all these items were bought new, shoved in a corner, don't have an interesting story and have zero resale value, congratulations! You're probably a consoomer.

OTOH, if many or all of these items were bought secondhand, have brought you real joy, are assets that have either maintained or appreciated in value and you're open to selling an item at the right price in order to fund new acquisitions for your collection, then you're probably a collector.

The most obvious example is watch collecting. A collector might own 3 or 4 high quality watches, with maybe one purchased brand new and the rest bought on the used market. Think along the lines of someone that owns a Rolex, a Patek, an AP and maybe an Omega (or watches of a similar calibre), who will consider selling one of their watches to buy their next timepiece - especially if the watch they are selling has gone up in value since it was purchased, or if they are trading up e.g. selling the AP and the Omega to buy a Lange they've always wanted to own.

On the other hand, if you have a drawer full of shitty microbrand and/or well-known designer label watches where the brand has no horological provenance, you're a consoomer.

Whether your're a watch collector or a watch consoomer, you won't be putting your collection/your bad life choices out on display for the world to see. You'll be storing the former in a nice box (probably in a safe) and the latter will be floating around your underwear drawer.
 
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Dunno how to reply without being power-levelly but here goes.
I have a collection of limited edition, signed, numbered wildlife prints, acquired from second hand stores and antique malls. Cheap- $30 to $50 each, better than bare walls and fit in with my rustic location.
Small collection of stained glass lampshades, same sources. Everybody needs a few table lamps.
100+ ceramic pub jugs and ashtrays in cabinets, $10 to $35 each, although prices seem to be rising. A few pub mirrors help make up for lack of sunlight in the basement. Same sources as above.
House would seem like an empty shell without stuff in it. As would the occupant.
3 for 1 pic:
1640909207701.jpeg
 
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Pee Cola said:
I also know people who consoom worthless tat and stuff it all into a display cabinet in their spare room.

Some questions I'd be asking:
  • were all of these items bought new?
  • are any of these items vintage or genuinely interesting?
  • do any of these items have an interesting story behind them?
  • do any of these items have any serious resale value?
  • do you enjoy using these items?
  • would you consider parting with any of these items if it means bringing new items into your collection?
If all these items were bought new, shoved in a corner, don't have an interesting story and have zero resale value, congratulations! You're probably a consoomer.

OTOH, if many or all of these items were bought secondhand, have brought you real joy, are assets that have either maintained or appreciated in value and you're open to selling an item at the right price in order to fund new acquisitions, then you're probably a collector.
Click to expand...
Now for example
Hypothetically if Chris actually improved himself and started cleaning up he would probably keep some his old toys and stuff for "sentimental value"
Where would he put them?
I know this is Chris we are talking about but again hypothetically.
@UnsufficentBoobage you collect toys you like, lets see your collection
 
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Moosebonker said:
Dunno how to reply without being power-levelly but here goes.
I have a collection of limited edition, signed, numbered wildlife prints, acquired from second hand stores and antique malls. Cheap- $30 to $50 each, better than bare walls and fit in with my rustic location.
Small collection of stained glass lampshades, same sources. Everybody needs a few table lamps.
100+ ceramic pub jugs and ashtrays in cabinets, $10 to $35 each, although prices seem to be rising. A few pub mirrors help make up for lack of sunlight in the basement. Same sources as above.
House would seem like an empty shell without stuff in it. As would the occupant.
3 for 1 pic:
View attachment 2842928
Click to expand...
That's a collection. You've built it up over a period of time, and you've put a lot of thought into what you've collected, they serve the purpose of humanising your living space and admiring them gives you joy. No doubt many of these items have interesting backstories attached to them as well.

A lovely collection it is, too.
BangBingBongalo said:
Now for example
Hypothetically if Chris actually improved himself and started cleaning up he would probably keep some his old toys and stuff for "sentimental value"
Where would he put them?
I know this is Chris we are talking about but again hypothetically.
Click to expand...
IMHO this is neither collecting nor consooming. Some of these old toys were probably gifts from others.

I don't know what I'd call it. Curating one's own history, maybe? Whilst it could probably be loosely termed as a collection, it's not like Chris made a conscious effort to either collect or consoom.
 
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Pee Cola said:
IMHO this is neither collecting nor consooming. Some of these old toys were probably gifts from others.

I don't know what I'd call it. Curating one's own history, maybe? Whilst it could probably be loosely termed as a collection, it's not like Chris made a conscious effort to either collect or consoom.
Click to expand...
I'd call that hoarding, which is the third branch of where this can go. When you "hoard", you retain items you have already owned and refused to get rid of them, whether that be something that can inflate in value, something that has sentimental value, or something that has no value at all. You may not feel the need to continuously buy the item in question (disqualifying it from being consumerism), but the items are not gotten rid of nor do they hold value (barring it from being it a collection). It is merely the accretion of _____.

Chris hoarded all his toys and art from when he was a kid, and it shows in his room. Barb is/was a hoarder, and Bob's collection was boarderline hoarding. I forgot the exact amount of records he had, but the fact he had such a massive record collection means that he was just hoarding music for the sake of having it, and I am sure he hadn't listened to all of them, or if he had I am sure he hadn't listened to all of them all the way through. He wrote to Chris that he "collected" many types of media for Chris to "study from" and "appreciate", and while Bob surely had good intentions, I am certain he used it as an excuse to hoard as much DVD's, cassettes, 8 tracks, VHS', Records, et cetera, as he could.
 
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Pee Cola said:
That's a collection. You've built it up over a period of time, and you've put a lot of thought into what you've collected, they serve the purpose of humanising your living space and admiring them gives you joy. No doubt many of these items have interesting backstories attached to them as well.

A lovely collection it is, too.

IMHO this is neither collecting nor consooming. Some of these old toys were probably gifts from others.

I don't know what I'd call it. Curating one's own history, maybe? Whilst it could probably be loosely termed as a collection, it's not like Chris made a conscious effort to either collect or consoom.
Click to expand...
But what I am saying is where does he put them? A display cabinet? A wall unit?
Something that doesn't make a consoomer shrine or make someone question if its the room of a boy or something.
 
depends mostly on what you are collecting, not how much of it. is it something real, something with interesting history, something with utility? then it's probably cool. guns, cars, etc. but if what you are collecting is just vapid pop culture shit then it's trash. owning funko pops makes you into an IRL soyjak in my eyes, regardless of whether you own 2000 of them or just 2.
 
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BangBingBongalo said:
But what I am saying is where does he put them? A display cabinet? A wall unit?
Something that doesn't make a consoomer shrine or make someone question if its the room of a boy or something.
Click to expand...
What difference does that make? Some collectors use wall units and display cabinets. Some consoomers use wall units and display cabinets. Some genuine collectors have entire rooms dedicated to their collections.

Mild PL, but an older friend of mine owns over 500 vintage radios. One of the rooms in his house is basically a small radio museum. It's taken him over 50 years to build this collection. He's not a consoomer. Meanwhile, I collect vintage computers. I have a display of 3-4 machines on a shelf at any given time. The rest of my collection is stored in a cupboard, and I rotate the collection from time to time when I feel like freshening up my home office.

These are both collections.

Meanwhile, I know someone that has a chest of drawers in one of their spare rooms that is loaded to the gunwales with Beanie Babies they bought about 20 years ago. I'd call them a consoomer (and a misguided one at that). Said spare room is filled almost floor to ceiling with everything from Star Wars figurines to Lego. Some of it is displayed, but most of it is in cupboards or on those metal shelves that are usually seen in garages or sheds. That's a consoomer boarding on a hoarder. In effect, it's a Babushka doll of smaller consoomer collections bundled up into one massive temple of consoomerism.

Whilst I see what you're trying to get at with your original poll i.e. whether there is some sort of physical line between a collector and a consoomer, the question is poorly worded and possibly ill-defined.
Getwhatyou said:
What about fragrances?
Click to expand...
If you have a rotation of fragrances that you wear on a regular or semi-regular basis, that's not consooming. That's just consuming i.e. buying a consumable item. That's perfectly normal.
Hell, I have around half a dozen fragrances at any one time that I wear depending on context e.g. season, time of day, whether it's for work, weekend casual, formal occasions etc etc because in my experience there's no such thing as a fragrance that suits all occasions and all conditions.

A couple of them are signature scents (such as Terre d'Hermes which is my winter go-to), and the others are fragrances I might get as a one-off before trying something else.
If you just buy all the fragrances to stick in a drawer and never use, that's consooming.
 
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