Have you been called a Horder or Collector?

[digitpress Jim]

Was watching an episode of Horders last night and the guy on there had a hording problem as they call it, in this case I call it collecting =) Anyway, he has all these bad ass antique pinball machines, arcade games and more that he got set up and turned into an arcade. Which leads to my question, has any one called you a horder for collecting video games or do they recognize that it is a passion and love for collecting video games and not just hording junk like broken furniture, empty kitty litter bags and banana peels?

[Tempest]

To me it's not hording if it's well organized and not junk (which is a matter of opinion I suppose).

[jb143]

If people don't understand your collection then they could mistake collecting for hording, which may or may not be the case here, but I think hoarders in the sense that show usually portrays have a deep psychological (rather than just a sentimental) attachment to the stuff cluttering up their lives.

[Collector_Gaming]

Anyone who collects on a large scale would be fallen under the category of hoarding sadly. To us its collecting. To people as stated above who don't get it.. Its hording.

Thing is when i explain to people who don't get why I collect what I collect. Its because I personally am trying to preserve our history.
I got all these old video games to show kids these days. This is what most of us on this forum played back when we were their age.

Collect antiques. Shows history. Why did this item exist. who made it. The stories this item could tell if it could talk. Ya know thats what i explain.

For instance my medical battery home shock therapy device from 1938 (i posted awhile back in the finds). Its strange its bizarre which i love. But could imagine the story of the guy who bought this thing brand new back in 1938 or perhaps 1939 and thought he was gonna cure something by shocking himself with this device.

That is history.

Or the atari 2600 you buy at a goodwill or whatever. Imagine the story that could come from that. year 1982 for instance. Christmas morning. 8 year old timmy sees a package with his name on it under the tree... From santa... he opens it up and and the delight in his eyes when he finds out its the Atari 2600 home gaming device he saw on tv that he wanted.

That is history.

So if you call me hoarder so be it... I look at it as a personal museum.

[jb143]

Yeah, hoarders could possibly claim that as well, or justify it in some other way, but the difference is in parting with the stuff. A true collector could easily part with items from his collection if the price was right. A hoarder isn't going to give up their garbage without some massive panic attack.

[Collector_Gaming]

well yea i agree with that notion

i mean if one of you guys came up to me and asked 5 grand for all the video game stuff i own straight out. I would be like
here you go :D hope you bring a truck with ya!

[Shulamana]

It's a matter of degrees, as said above. If you put your collection before everything else your life, you're a compulsive hoarder. It's fine to have certain items that you would never want to part with under reasonable circumstances, but if you'd never want to give up anything for any reason and you feel like it would literally kill you to do so, then yeah, you have a problem.

I was sort of half-watching this episode but I missed the part about the arcade collector. I wondered if it would get mentioned here or somewhere else, but I missed enough of the important details to not be able to form an opinion on it.

[98PaceCar]

If you put your collection before everything else your life, you're a compulsive hoarder.

I think the above is at least part of the clinical definition of what makes a hoarder. As with anything, if it takes over or negatively affects your life or health, it's an issue. But there are plenty of folks here with massive collections of video games that still manage to lead very healthy, productive, and "normal" lives away from video games.

That said, I've never personally had anybody call me a hoarder other than myself (and even that was in jest). Most people that visit my house don't even know that I collect both console and arcade games.

[Slate]

No, I haven't. I may consider myself to have been a hoarder though, I was still attached to collecting even after my uncle died and I realized it was just a hobby. I didn't want to get rid of it even though I wasn't into it near as much - I didn't have the collection on proud display, It was in storage. Now its mostly in the garage, Waiting to be sold.

Austin

[treismac]

While I would say that there is almost certainly something more going on psychologically than me simply just buying old video games, I don't think I'm a hoarder in a technical sense. I do, however, "hoard" duplicates of the original NES controller (7 with one of their pcbs stuffed into the shell of a Famicom controller) as well as the dogbone controller (5) in addition to picking up an extra NES when the price is right (I have three toasters and one top loader). The reason is practical, I think (justify). Old electronics can break. It happens- tragically sometimes. Why not have some extra lying around just in case?

Yeah... perhaps I'm a borderline hoarder/collector.

[synbiosfan]

Yes I've been called a hoarder and I refer to myself as a collector.

People have to label things so whatever:ass:

[leatherrebel5150]

My girlfriend calls me a hoarder all the time. But I like to point out a couple of distinctions between hoarding and collecting to her, maybe I'm right, maybe I'm just trying to justify my habits.

But I tell her I'm collecting because I'm focused on one thing or category (video games) not just grabbing random crap that interests me and everything I have is neat and organized unlike most hoarders who think their cat ran away when its dead under a pile of stuff. Secondly I don't just grab anything video game related as soon as I see it. If its too expensive or not an actual game (like a t shirt or stickers or something) I don't get it. I used to do the same thing with guitars. Probbaly the biggest distintion I make is that alot of collectors have phases. At one time I collected model cars, the plastic kind you build yourself, than it was guitars, now it is video games. Once I was done with the old collections I moved on, Except on the guitars they look awesome hanging in my room.

[SpaceFlea]

Yeah, it always pisses me off when someone calls a collector a hoarder. Hoarding is a disease; collecting is a passion. I consider being called a hoarder by the general public a derogatory remark meant to diminish the accomplishment to a level they can understand.

[madman77]

Beyond the obvious psychological differences between collecting and hoarding I think there are also the organizational differences. I've never seen anyone on Hoarders who has their stuff together. It's largely in poor condition and randomly scattered in piles throughout their house with absolutely no rhyme or reason, nor a single focus. Video game collecting for anyone on here, I assume, also hasn't gotten to the point where our homes are falling apart and we are pooping in the corner of our bedrooms.

[Duke.Togo]

The difference to me is quantity. A collector (which is what I consider myself) attempts to secure certain items, or a single copy (sometimes a couple in the case of variants) of a game. A hoarder will keep as many copies of a game as they can without purpose.

[Casati]

The difference is a collector has his stuff organized so he knows where most of it is located, and will get rid of anything when it becomes apparent that he doesn't value it. A hoarder does not keep his stuff organized but rather in piles all over the house, and doesn't want to get rid of any of it no matter how useless. Quality over quantity.

[xelement5x]

The difference is a collector has his stuff organized so he knows where most of it is located, and will get rid of anything when it becomes apparent that he doesn't value it. A hoarder does not keep his stuff organized but rather in piles all over the house, and doesn't want to get rid of any of it no matter how useless. Quality over quantity.

Interesting distinction. I wonder where that puts me since I've got a bunch of stuff I want to sell, but haven't had the time or inclination to get rid of, so it just sits there in boxes waiting for that Forum thread that never comes. I've also got piles of stuff right now, but I'd say that it's only because I'm doing renovation and need to fix up certain areas of the house before I want to move stuff into them.

[jonebone]

When I hear hoarder, I think of someone that only buys. As in once they get it, it is never leaving. A collector has more defined goals and sometimes sells off items to fund new ones.

Also agreed with the organization aspect. Look at the houses of those families on the hoarder shows. They can't find ANYTHING and the entire house is filled from floor to ceiling with items strewn everywhere. A collector usually knows exactly what they own and has stuff ordered by sections even if it isn't alphabetized or anything.

[goatdan]

A true collector could easily part with items from his collection if the price was right. A hoarder isn't going to give up their garbage without some massive panic attack.

I kind of disagree with this. I wouldn't give up my crummy labeled copy of Earthbound for a perfect one because it was *my* copy, even if I was getting paid to do so. I wouldn't give up my copy of Super Mario Bros 3 because it is the first game that I ever saved up to buy.

There aren't tons of things like that, but those are two of them that I have for sure. I don't fancy myself a "hoarder" and I think most people would agree with me for those.

To me, the difference is that a collector doesn't allow the "stuff" to take over their lives, while a hoarder does. My game collection is nicely put away in a couple pretty specific areas. I don't have games lying everywhere throughout my house that I have no idea where to put them because I bought them without thinking of how I could store them. That's the main difference -- if you buy more than you have a plan for what to do with, then you're hoarding.

Sometimes, I buy extra stuff for the GOAT Store, and it sits in boxes in a room or whatever until it sells -- but I'm not "hoarding" it because I already have a plan to get rid of it when I get it. The stuff I keep has a spot that I already know of before I buy it. I don't buy more than I can store, unless I intend on selling it through the GOAT Store.

So, yeah. That's my opinion.

[Casati]

I've been accused of being a hoarder by someone who watches that show but they don't get the difference between quality and quantity. Those hoarders often will not even throw away garbage or wornout clothing. They can have a house piled with stuff so they can't move around, but the total monetary worth of their piles is maybe $400.

A collector can have $400 worth in just one of their organized stacks of boxes. If you count all of the stacks' worth and add future appreciation, they may have enough to retire sometime. But your average House Hoarders viewer would probably "get rid of the junk" if it's not being guarded against idiocy. My family got rid of my boxes of 1970s comics when I went to college, and I hate to think how much they're worth now. That show is a bad influence.

Here's what compulsive hoarding looks like:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsive_hoarding

[jb143]

I kind of disagree with this. I wouldn't give up my crummy labeled copy of Earthbound for a perfect one because it was *my* copy, even if I was getting paid to do so. I wouldn't give up my copy of Super Mario Bros 3 because it is the first game that I ever saved up to buy.


The post you quoted from me was a continuation of my earlier post where I mention that there is a difference between sentimental attachments and severe physiological attachments. Your reasons for never selling those particular items is purely sentimental. And notice, I didn't say they'd easily part with their entire collection, I said they "could" easily part with "items" from it. Not even particular or most cherished items.

Would you take 5 bucks for that 4'th copy of SMB/DH you have? You would? Then you're probably not a hoarder. Now, if someone needs a trained psychologist to help them through the transition? Then they certainly are.

[BlastProcessing402]

I don't like the term hoarder. To me that says you're collecting many of the same object and don't want others to have it.

I much prefer the term packrat, basically, you never throw anything away.

[goatdan]

The post you quoted from me was a continuation of my earlier post where I mention that there is a difference between sentimental attachments and severe physiological attachments. Your reasons for never selling those particular items is purely sentimental. And notice, I didn't say they'd easily part with their entire collection, I said they "could" easily part with "items" from it. Not even particular or most cherished items.

Would you take 5 bucks for that 4'th copy of SMB/DH you have? You would? Then you're probably not a hoarder. Now, if someone needs a trained psychologist to help them through the transition? Then they certainly are.

Aha. Okay, fair. I still personally think the difference has more to do with the plan before you get the item and having a spot for it, but I see what you're saying.

[slapdash]

I sometimes define the difference as definability... If you can look at your stuff and say "I collect these because...", you're a collector. If you shrug, you're a hoarder. My place looks a bit hoarder-y because I am running out of room, and I don't know where EVERYTHING is anymore, but I'm not compulsively buying every game I can find "just because". My problem is just that I haven't set ENOUGH limits on my collection.

[VertigoProcess]

I sometimes define the difference as definability... If you can look at your stuff and say "I collect these because...", you're a collector. If you shrug, you're a hoarder. My place looks a bit hoarder-y because I am running out of room, and I don't know where EVERYTHING is anymore, but I'm not compulsively buying every game I can find "just because". My problem is just that I haven't set ENOUGH limits on my collection.

If you watch the show the people on it have reasons for keeping every piece of trash they have...

[MachineGex]

Hoarding to me is more like someone who collects way too much stuff for the space/room they are keeping everything in. If everything is nice and organized and you can find stuff without digging, you have a collection. If you have shit piled on top of shit and you can't find anything, you need to organize and think about getting rid of shit.

Bottom line, if you have too much shit for your place, get a bigger house. :)

[joshnickerson]

Bottom line, if you have too much shit for your place, get a bigger house. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac

[SonicBoom]

Well, I Have been called a collector, But the reason i am never called a horder is because my "Room of Doom" Is very neat. Luckily, I Get a big house for cheap, Plenty of room here.

[Pinksheets]

I think it really just depends on how organized everything is. Plus these people on hoarders have major psychological problems. I mean if stuff is that important to these people why is everything thrown everywhere in there house? How many times do you think they step on things and break them? If you have everything neatly organized for display that is a major difference

[slapdash]

I admit, I don't watch a lot of those shows, but I saw one about a hoarder of old bicycle parts, and he couldn't say why he collected. Others seem like the reason is "because I can't throw it out", not because it has anything to do with WHAT they hoard. *shrug*

[Emperor Megas]

I've been called a "pack rat" before, but I don't ever recall being called a hoarder; not seriously anyway.

As many have mentioned already, I think one of the biggest and most notable difference between a collector and a hoarder is how organized and tidy the collection is. I try to keep all my things organized and well maintained. The worst example of this is what some might call my 'Corner of Doom' in the attic, which is where most of my boxes, and my collectibles I haven't displayed yet, are stacked...and I think it's still pretty tidy compared to some of the hoards I've seen.

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/3757/cornerofdoom.jpg

[Icarus Moonsight]

Ok, the shelves and drawers constitute my collection... The closet, that be the hoard. lol

Put a dragon in the closet, everything will be fine.

[Flashback2012]

Pack-Rat. Collector. Hoarder. Someone with too much damn shit. I have heard and been called every name in the book. I've actually gotten to the point where I want to downsize my collection a bit; not because of nagging roommates or anything like that but from just not having the same drive for it as I did even 5 years ago.

[Informationator]

I have a bit over 300 unique SNES games at this point and I've built some really nice oak shelves to house them (the shelves will fit 750 games). I've yet to have someone look at them with disgust or think I have a problem. I suppose the nice oak shelves give my collection some legitimacy (vs. psychotic piles like I had before).

There's so much history behind those games, and the more I collect and read, the more I can tell people stories and interesting facts about the games they care about. When people understand that I'm enthusiastic about completing my collection, but recognize that ultimately the games are just things that I do not need to survive or be happy, I think they appreciate what I'm doing.

Most of the time, though, people are just sort of in awe of the epic wall of games in front of them, at least, if they ever played SNES.

[Blitzwing256]

I had a girlfriend that when I met her, she thought the toy and video game collection was awesome and cool, then like 6 months later when she had the "lock" she decided it wasn't cool and "we" needed to get rid of all the excess clutter and junk.

so I said to her "yeah, I totally agree "we" need to get rid of some excess baggage."

so I told her to pack up all her trash and get the fuck out of my life.

[Emperor Megas]

I had a girlfriend that when I met her, she thought the toy and video game collection was awesome and cool, then like 6 months later when she had the "lock" she decided it wasn't cool and "we" needed to get rid of all the excess clutter and junk.

so I said to her "yeah, I totally agree "we" need to get rid of some excess baggage."

so I told her to pack up all her trash and get the fuck out of my life.You're a wise fellow, Blitzwing'.

[Lerxstnj]

If you are on this forum, you are probably not at hoarder status yet... Since you'd have to dig out a trail to your computer and scrape all the old food and nasty garbage off your keyboard to be able to type.

[Gameguy]

I admit, I don't watch a lot of those shows, but I saw one about a hoarder of old bicycle parts, and he couldn't say why he collected. Others seem like the reason is "because I can't throw it out", not because it has anything to do with WHAT they hoard. *shrug*
I can understand someone keeping around old bicycle parts if they're into the hobby. If you like to find and fix up old bikes it's useful to keep old spare parts that you salvage off of other bikes, older parts aren't manufactured anymore as technology changes so if you don't have a part it can be hard to track down or somewhat expensive to find a replacement when you need it. I used to pick up old bikes from the trash when I was in high school just to fix them up, I stopped doing that but it was fun to do and didn't really cost much. If you're into vintage bikes you'll be keeping any spare parts you find, you need the proper parts(same make and model) to really restore them properly so you won't just be using any compatible parts. You won't be able to find spare parts too easily, if you get lucky and come across some you'll keep them. It's the same reason why people here pick up spare controllers, adapters, and other hookups when they find them cheap.

As for the hoarding in general it does have a lot to do with the size of your house. If you don't have a lot of space to display or store everything it will look messy. Just imagine someone having a complete NES collection but forced to fit it all into a small corner of a room instead of having an entire room or basement for everything. A lot just builds up gradually. Lets say you buy a bundle of games off craigslist and it comes in a box, you don't know where you're going to put the games at the moment so you just keep the box against the wall of a room until you figure it out. It's not really taking up that much space so you don't rush to find a better space for it. Next you find another bundle, you end up keeping it next to the other box. Imagine this just keeps happening and eventually it just spreads out. That's how a room becomes cluttered, it's not all about someone just wanting to keep jars of their urine or old food laying around because they can't get rid of anything. And while it's messy, often the person who made it that way still knows what they have and where about it's located. Organizing things is really to help other people find things easily, not the person who put the things away to begin with.

[Emperor Megas]

And while it's messy, often the person who made it that way still knows what they have and where about it's located. Organizing things is really to help other people find things easily, not the person who put the things away to begin with.I can't say I agree with that. I'm sure this may be the case for some people, but I think they're the extreme minority. I don't think it's often the case that people know where everything is when there stuff is all over the place. I think most people are as overwhelmed as outsiders when their environment is cluttered and chaotic.

[slapdash]

I can understand someone keeping around old bicycle parts if they're into the hobby. If you like to find and fix up old bikes it's useful to keep old spare parts that you salvage off of other bikes, older parts aren't manufactured anymore as technology changes so if you don't have a part it can be hard to track down or somewhat expensive to find a replacement when you need it.

This was my point, though I didn't actually make it clear -- the guy WASN'T into bikes. He wasn't an active rider, didn't collect or repair them, he didn't care about bikes really. He was just obsessed with keeping parts of them, in giant piles, all around his house. If he was a bike fan, when they asked him why he collected them, he would have said "I like bikes", or "I keep the parts around in case people are looking for a particular vintage part", or "this stuff is worth something" (whether correct or not). But he couldn't even find that much rationalization. It was an obsession without a rational foundation. That to me is the difference between hoarding and collecting.

[Sunnyvale]

There's one 'friend' of mine that calls me a hoarder, but he only does so when he's trying to buy a joystick or power pack or game or something. "You've got 6, why can't you just give it to me for what you paid for it?" is his favorite argument. I usually respond with "You've got hundreds of dollars, why can't you just give me what this is worth?" Idiot.

As for the rest of the folk in my life, they mostly get it. Even the ones who don't really like the idea of me keeping games I never play that are worth a bit get that I need the consoles to test games with, and by saving this stuff I have a decent 'savings account' in certain people's minds, like my pops. I'd like to have it all, but I don't tell them ;)

[Gameguy]

I can't say I agree with that. I'm sure this may be the case for some people, but I think they're the extreme minority. I don't think it's often the case that people know where everything is when there stuff is all over the place. I think most people are as overwhelmed as outsiders when their environment is cluttered and chaotic.
There was a documentary about people with clutter and when asked to find specific items like for example a research paper that they wrote 13 years earlier, most of the people could find what they were looking for within a few minutes. They knew exactly which pile or section of stuff it was kept in, I believe only one person couldn't find what they were looking for.

I've found a link to what the documentary was called, I'm still looking for a link to the whole thing but so far can only find general info about it.
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20080516/Freed_documentary/