What Do You Collect?

I think I collect too much stuff.

Ive always collected Die Casts and sports stuff, but lately Ive started collecting coins, old books and other antiques.

I need a car to work on...

Any other collectors in here?

I don't "collect" anything on purpose, but I don't throw certain magazines away. I have every issue of GRM back to the results issue of the $1500 challenge and every issue for R&T, C&D back about 25 years and MotorTrend nearly that far.

Vinyl Records, CD's, Matchbox/Hot Wheels. I have a lot of books, tools, computer parts and A/V cables that are large enough to look like collections but they are just stuff I use.

Oh, yeah a large amount of GRM's that could be called a collection. We seriously need a DVD with every issue from the first 25 years meticulously scanned in PDF format.

Souls.

I collect hockey jerseys, currently have over 40 or so, I am actually not sure how many I have.

Today, I picked up six more Porsche wheels with tires (Free!). When I was putting them in my barn, I did a quick inventory and counted 26 wheels and tires stacked up in there, plus two more wheels without tires. So, I guess I collect wheels and tires.

About the only really collectable thing that I collect is my Curta calculator, but since I only have one, I'm not sure if that qualifies as a collection.

Of course, I would like to find another one...

Ugh. SWMBO thinks I'm a border-line hoarder (with OCD so it's all perfectly preserved, organized, etc). The significant collections include:

• Coins: International coinage and bills, a lot of US including concurrent $2 bills, full 50-state quarters, Lincoln pennies to 1918, half dollars, buffalo nickels, etc.
• Star Wars: Almost a complete mint set of the original Decipher CCG cards. I have like the first 6 sets complete, and then they taper in completion to 0 cards of the Episode 1 set, in binders with labels.
• Hot Wheels: Every Ferrari color scheme made since 1997, including Treasure Hunts. Most other cool and exotic cars. Some Muscle Cars, all the Javelins. About 1/2 open and 1/2 NIB.
• 1/18 die cast: ~20 Ferrari's and other exotica plus ~12 AMX's and 2 Rebel Machines, all on display in the office.
• Other die-cast: ~300 Johnny Lightning's, AMC's, Ferrari's, sports cars, rally cars, etc, etc. From Micro Machine FB RX-7's to 1/43 288 GTO rally cars.
• Slot cars: ~100 HO scale cars from original 1966 Aurora Thunderjets to modern Super G-Plus and Mega-G's. Plus 2 30-gallon tubs of track.
• Axis & Allies War at Sea: At least 1 of every boat and plane ever made so far, usually multiples, sometimes to class limits.
• Models: ~100 1/24 and 1/25 model cars, mostly sports cars, road racers, muscle cars, and RX-7's.
• Magazines: Every Hemming's Muscle Machines from Issue 1-present, ~50 GRM's, a few CM's, all (3) Japanese Nostalgic Car's, ~100 Hot Rod/Car Craft/PHR's, ~50 other various titles.
• Books: ~250 books of all types, fiction and non, hardcover and soft, cars and sci-fi and WW2 history mostly.

In the past I've collected Magic cards (made sweet profit every time, but damn that game is addictive), Thunderbird Turbo Coupes (the real 1:1 ones, I had 1 of every color except 1 at one point in time), HO trains, model planes (still have a few...), Star Wars Starship Battles, Battlefleet Gothic, and certain models and slot cars (I've sold 100+ models and 150+ slot cars in the last 18 months, mostly of the same cars).

I think I probably do have an issue now that I wrote all that down.

Clocks. Like this:

Antique engines, but no photos on this computer.

Toy steam engines and brass cannons, like these:

The tank is left over from my R/C days.

Most of it collected a junk and restored or refinished. It's more the restoration than it is the collecting. I hate not having a project.

Come to think of it, when I do sell a collection, I'll sell it complete and usually make a significant amount. I sold a Warhammer 40K Dark Eldar army in 2008 for enough to buy an HPDE day, and all new brakes for the P71.

I sold my Battlefleet Gothic fleets and rulebooks for enough to pay for the Evolution Driving School Phase 1 in 2010 and a new clutch for the Miata.

I sold my last Magic collection (3rd time I've done that) in 2010 for enough to buy half of my Axis & Allies collection (yeah, that helped! ).

I wonder what I could get in exchange for all of the collections I have? On second thought, I don't want to know...

I have a ton of old magazines I've collected over the years. I'm rather new to GRM (My first newsstand issue was from 2004), but I have a bunch of old Sport Compact Car, Super Street, MT, C&D, R&T, and a few other miscellaneous titles mixed in. I also have a bunch of old Model Railroader magazines.

Speaking of which, I have a collection of HO scale model trains. I only consider them a collection because I never got a layout started. Now that I'm moving into a new home, I hope to have enough space to finally get a layout started.

Random car parts, computer parts. Not a collection, just seems like it/need to work through them

Watches and colognes would be it for me I'd say. Inactive; have some comics and hotwheels type cars from back in the day still in boxes somewhere. And IS300 related stuff like magazines and service records and model cars.

My son collects damn near everything though. Pixar Cars (from the first movie) Funkeys (needs to dump) Baseball cards, Dodgers bobbleheads, Mighty Muggs, etc...

Dust

In reply to SupraWes:

I just picked up over 3,000 LPs, 78's and 45's. I've just started inventorying and cataloging it all, but if there's anything you're looking for let me know!

Does it count as 'collecting' if I use the stuff? Big into "vintage" synths & music gear right now, mostly '80s, some newer, some older. Prefer that it has MIDI. Current set up is a Microkorg, Korg M1-R, Korg Kaossilator Pro, Yamaha DX27 (FM synthesis keyboard, same sound chipset as a Sega Genesis, sooo cool!), x0xb0x (Roland TB303 clone that I built from a kit), Yamaha QX5 MIDI controller and a Behringer mixer. I also use a tracker/sequencer on my PC via USB-MIDI dongle and am always scouting around for new pieces. I also have a couple random harmonicas that I have no idea how to play.

I can be a horrible packrat and trash scavenger but I never really had the 'collecting as a hobby in itself' mentality... has to be stuff I will use. Like also old school video game systems or (heh) '80s sports cars. I've had some collector-type stuff given to me that should be right up my alley (world licence plates, die cast car models, old whisky bottles, things like that) but never really found need to go scour flea marekets looking for more... not that there's anything wrong with doing so!

coins.... been going to coin shows, shops, and believe it or not ... mail order ( I've found a company that is .... bend over backwards ... to be fair ) since '89

Way, way too many car magazines...GRM for the last 15 years, every single issue of the BMW CCA Roundel all the way back to volume 1, issue 1, Hot Rod magazines as far back as 1952, and that's just a few titles off the top of my head.

I collect Hot Wheels, car posters, tin signs, car related books (mostly old racing stuff), and magazines.

Oh, I also collect souls...

petegossett wrote: Dust

Better than mold

Pez dispensers...over 300 or more of them now.

Fortunately my collecting habits are restrained by my income. Right now it's oddball guitars/musical instruments and vinyl mainly, though I do have a pretty good collection of vintage Gentleman's Paraphernalia, namely pipes, razors, cufflinks, tie tacks and such, almost all of it inherited.

Given more disposable income, I can see myself amassing a dangerously large collection of vintage hi-fi stereo equipment. I already have plans for three different systems tailored to different rooms in my house. God help me...

angry ex-girlfriends

JThw8 wrote: Pez dispensers...over 300 or more of them now.

That's how eBay got started.

Everything... I am sure if you guys stay tune to the show hoarders you will get to see my collections some day

Hot Rod Magazine back to June '67
!/18th diecasts
Wheels piling up in the garage
Montreal Canadiens memorabilia
NHL Hockey sweaters
-everything else in the garage is just classified as "stuff too good to throw out".

Woody wrote:

JThw8 wrote: Pez dispensers...over 300 or more of them now.

That's how eBay got started.

I am aware of this although I rarely buy them off ebay. Its alot of work/expense just to stay up with the current ones. The older rare stuff I usually come across at yard sales or flea markets. I refuse to pay really good money for any of them.

E36 M3