Do you ever feel like a Hoarder?

[zap18]

I reassure myself that I'm not a hoarder because I'm organized, and someday I will have the room to properly display everything I have in drawers... mmm, toy museum!!  But yeah... I feel you.  I think the quantity of toys I bring in (as seen in my show and tell thread) shows how much I feel you

Also, what somebody above said about getting mad when there is nothing to buy on ebay and getting mad when there is?  That was gold.  Soooo true!

[natnolly]

When I first joined this web sight to identify toys I thought, " Bunch of freaks"... I don't want to be rude but some of those toy collections are CRAZY!!!!  I do let my little girl play with the few toys I have, but then they have to go back on the shelf, I don't want them to get mixed in with her toys and I feel that displaying my treasures helps her to take care of her stuff because it's special.... and as far as having stuff in boxes, makes me think of the other people who are searching for childhood memories and it's probably a multiple of something that one of you have in a box somewhere... I've always wanted the whole LLL collection so if someone has extra AND in good condition to I WILL PAY. But not alot.... I could never afford any of that NIB stuff but would love to someday... I have a small shelf I keep special stuff on but when or if it flooded off of that shelf I would definitely examine myself.

[Fairy Dust]

Me a doll hoarder?  NOooooOoo. ...... *looks around in panic*  Those dolls over ther on the shelf, oh well I had a few and they needed friends (that's why I used to have 6 of them and now have 80).  No, it's not an army of them they are just happy and like to group together (the more the better and look I saved a lot of these from uncertain doll futures).  Those numberous big drawers of dolls and the other drawers of doll clothes- uuuuhhhh.....I plead the 5th.  No that big bucket of dolls I'm not collecting.  I'm just putting them there until I decide to repaint, reroot them and no I won't keep them I promise. And no I won't collect any other dolls besides this series, and that one, and those, and a few of them, and of course I had these since I was a kid and will pick them up ONLY if I see them and cheap.......   Ok,........I guess I'm a hoarder.  But a happy one. lol 

I do have dolls and toys I want to sell though.  Been getting better at not picking up just anything.  I used to do that with Barbie things but I've done well and sold a lot off already.  Unfortunately I love to uh "foster" certain dolls lol.  I'll have to make a list of stuff some day to post here.

By the way part of the part I love to collect is I love to sort and id stuff!

-Jamie

[Fairy Dust]

Edeneye I know how you feel about being embarassed buying doll or toy stuff.  Within the last few years I've gotten over most of that myself.  Yes I used to say I was buying for some imaginary child of a friend of mine's but now I even let people I work with know.  I figure they can know me better and plus they might remember the things I collect and want to talk about it or better yet maybe they have some still and might sell (who knows, it could happen!).  I guess I came out of the doll closet.  My poor husband tolerants my dolls.  I'm lucky he does.  He just wants them organized, out of his way, and for me not to quiz him all the time about which Jem character has certain hair colors (yes I was training him to know dolls/toon of Jem better lol. and btw he does pretty good answering now if I can get him to answer me lol).

[AngelBear]

I get worried about that too.

But . . .

I have some rules:

1. Appreciate each toy, give it respect.
2. Be picky about what you collect (don't collect things that you remember but had no personal connection with)
3. When it stops being fun and makes you feel ill, take a break.
4. You have your whole life to collect, there is no need to buy everything RIGHT NOW.
5. Make sure to get a good deal. That item will come around again in time, but your money may not.
6. Only display a bit at a time (my personal rule) makes me appreciate everything.
7. Do not talk about toy collecting with people who wont support it.

Years ago I told my whole family about my obsession with Care Bears and I got attacked. I was seen as a baby and childish and immature. Since then I have hidden my collecting from everyone except those who live with me and my mom because she is a collector too.

I figure, life is full of pain and hardship, why not fill it with something that makes me happy . . . toys! When I have had a hard day I am instantly made happy if I go down and look at my toys. It's an easy fix. Don't let other's ideas of how you should live and spend your money affect you.

[Fairy Dust]

My mom hates my dolls.  I don't care that she doesn't like them since she doesn't have to come over and see mine if she doesn't want to lol.  Since she is also crafty like me I have had to discuss with her before that I don't care if she "hates" them as long as she can appreciate my reroots and repaints for the work I did on them and not just the fact it's another doll I have.  She's gotten a little better but I have to set rules up for her if we go garage selling together or to an antique store.  I tell her she can ask me if I really need the item and if I say yes then she has to drop the subject but if I ask for her help on deciding the item then she may talk about it lol.  I like my husband to go with me since I ask him if I really need something and he helps me think it over and I usually put it back then since I got to hold it for a little bit and then was happy to put it back down and walk away.  He knows what I'm really looking to collect and helps me find them sometimes.  I in return make sure if I buy something big like a Gene doll that I get rid of as many spare barbies as possible.  I have a ton of them to sell now which is good and he likes seeing the gene dolls around then he likes the barbies.  He tolerates my collecting.  When asked which doll he likes best he says none and won't answer though hehe.  When I ask which doll he'd like to destroy the most he says "all of them" lol.  He never would harm them though.

I agree with your whole list AngelBear.  I do try to follow them myself except for the talking about dolls to people.  I like to talk about it if I ever find anybody to listen lol.

[AngelBear]

Yeah I wish I could be more open about my toys. I am hoping *someday* That's why we have places like this message board.

[jadedoz]

[AngelBear]

If it makes you happy and you aren't hurting anyone, who can say it's bad?