About collecting and its emotional value • A world of treasures

I am writing this article from a personal point of view. I am in the process of a difficult release from various collections - releasing the old furniture that I renovated and also releasing my special pillow collection. I only keep a few items for myself. It's a sad release combined with a sense of relief. Those who collected and released, understand what I'm saying.

I come from a family of collectors. My grandmother had a box of buttons probably like the one many grandmothers had. My father collected stamps, because that's what they used to collect, and he had stamps in his collection dating back to the time of Palestine, the Land of Israel. It seems that in every house there was someone who collected something. Golden wrapping papers, stickers, napkins, and what not. I continue the family trend. In the meantime, I leave the collection of healing stones of all types and sizes, an innumerable collection of tarot cards of all sizes and types, and when I go into my study and see the collections, I feel great. This is my treasure room. There I am wrapped in light and love.

Hobbies that cross cultures and times

It turns out I'm not alone in this. Collecting and collecting objects are hobbies that cross cultures and times. People collect a variety of objects - various tools, coins, toys, antique furniture, old postcards and what not. If you have more than three of something, then you are probably a collector too. Before you know it you will have ten and then the sky is the limit. What motivates us to collect? Why do we have difficulty saying goodbye to things? What do psychologists say about this?

Collecting objects preserves history, but studies show that collecting is a complex emotional phenomenon that provides a sense of belonging, meaning and value. According to an article published in a consumer research magazine, collecting is based on several central motives such as connecting to a community under shared interests, aesthetic enjoyment out of appreciation for the beauty of certain objects, an expression of the collector's knowledge on issues related to the field of collecting, and curiosity for more information in the field, nostalgic value and connecting to moments from the past , like things that remind you of your childhood home or your grandparents, Exciting moments from the past, like a collection of objects from one historical period or another.

Collecting objects that hold emotional value can provide comfort for a feeling of loneliness, longing or any other feeling, along with an experience of meaning for everyday life. Organized collections enable a sense of control and an experience that strengthens the feeling of security.

The collection expands my heart

Collecting is a hobby that usually focuses on a certain field or subfield. There is collection for research purposes, for trading purposes, and there is for pleasure purposes. This includes searching, locating, purchasing, organizing, renovating, storing, cataloging, displaying the items, and it fills the day.

Rina Collects decorated plates. Her large collection hangs on the entrance wall of the house "and there is more in the closets" she says. When she received the first plate from a friend returning from a trip, she didn't think she would become a collector. "Then I went and bought a plate from everywhere. You know how it is. People see that you have plates, so they understand that you like it and start bringing it to you for holidays, birthdays and just like that. It's nice when you know what you like and don't just buy something.

Today I already have five or six plates when I started following collectors' websites, looking for special things, and I fell in love. I didn't think I would be a collector. One and one and one and one and we will be a collection. Who do I present the collection to? For anyone interested. Over time I made friends who are also collectors of ceramics, of figurines, urns, and we are in touch. When I find something on one of the sites for them or they for me, I immediately report it.'

"There is something about decorated plates that expands the heart. It's souvenirs from trips, souvenirs from grandmothers, notebooks, it's a small world that hangs on my wall and I can look at it for hours and sink into sweet dreams. If it's an expensive collectible business? Each one is not very expensive, but in aggregate it is a lot of money.

I don't buy at auctions, and I don't have luxury plates worth thousands of shekels. There are serious collectors in the world looking for the Queen's plate or some ancient handiwork worth a lot. I don't have any because I'm not a trader. I guess the one who invests a lot is the one who buys and sells. I know that shops that sell souvenirs from the past attribute value to the previous owners of the object. Connecting the object to a famous person increases its value, like a t-shirt worn by John Lennon that can sell for thousands of shekels, or a plate that Michael Jackson ate from. It's less important to me.

To me the main thing is my memories and the beauty of the plate. I love having the collection and in general, not everything has to be practical. It's for the soul. Sometimes just looking at it is enough to feel good energy, happiness. What does the family say about it? They are happy that I am well. Just ask that I don't hang the plates all over the house, so that there is no clutter. I don't really care what they do with it after I'm gone. I hope that one of the children or brides will like it and hang it up, but also decide to sell it, that's fine too. Just don't get thrown."

Collections as a cure for the inner world

Collecting is a way of creative expression and personal empowerment. Collecting is not just a hobby or a leisure activity, but often serves as an expression of deeper mental issues and to create a meaningful life experience. Traumas, fear of abandonment, and emotional attachment to objects are also some of the issues sometimes associated with collecting. Traumatic experiences, especially those related to loss or abandonment, may trigger in a person a need to create security and stability. Collecting objects can be a way to create a sense of control over the environment when the outside world feels unpredictable or threatening.

According to Attachment Theory, people who experienced abandonment or instability in childhood may seek "substitutes" for emotional bonds in adulthood. Objects can become objects that represent love, belonging or security that may have been lacking in the past. The objects can serve as an emotional anchor that provides a sense of comfort. The psychologist Mary Ainsworth, who studied the emotional connections in childhood, claimed that the lack of emotional security may cause adults to develop an emotional dependence on objects.

The fear of letting go of objects often stems from the feeling of anxiety that the loss of the object will result in the loss of identity, the memories or the experiences it represents. The link between objects and significant moments in life, such as memories of a loved one or a happy time, make the object have a high emotional value, the price of which is difficult to estimate. Certain collections may become an integral part of a person's identity, so giving them up may be perceived as a threat to his identity. The objects serve as physical anchors in a changing world, and parting with them can trigger a feeling of instability.

Hoarding can become a problem when it becomes overstocked. "Hoarding" is a phenomenon in which collecting objects disrupts daily life. People who suffer from overhoarding say that they are unable not to take the thing they find or want, that they feel it is stronger than them. Although in many cases the objects are not arranged but piled up in the hope that the moment will come when they will be free to sort them, the phenomenon takes over the entire house and interferes with the life of the person and everyone who lives with him.

Mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) tend to be common among people who suffer from overhoarding. In such cases, it is recommended to seek professional advice that will help to return to balance and free the objects and the person from the feeling of coercion and hoarding.

repair and renovate gives me satisfaction

Maurice Hemlock Worked 30 years in marketing and decided to retire to devote time to his hobby, collecting and refurbishing old furniture. He has warehouses where he has collected tools and objects over the years, and since he retired from work he spends most of his time in his warehouses. "It started with work tools. One of the first things I did was to make room in the warehouse and collect old and new tools. I understand chemistry and materials and started cleaning and refurbishing. Unopened tools, old rusty ones, I cleaned and everything works. Saw axes, pliers, pliers, everything works. Where I put it on display on the wall of the warehouse.

I knew I liked renovating things. It has always interested me. The process, dealing with the renewal of things that others have thrown away. It gives satisfaction to repair and renovate. I love those antique shows on TV, about those who travel all over Europe looking for special things, mostly furniture. Over time I also started collecting furniture that people throw away. Beautiful things that at first I didn't believe that such things were thrown away, but people told me - take it, you don't have to pay, it's yours. I started renovating, upholstering, repairing, painting, I'm neither a carpenter nor an upholsterer, but I have good hands and patience. I don't have artists in my previous generations, but my mother was an artistic seamstress so I may have inherited the creativity from her.

The first furniture I renovated was a kind of experiment. People took furniture and painted it warm. A lot of furniture was painted brown. You have to clean the old paint, let the furniture reveal its original color, its beauty. This is a complete Torah. At first I made a special chair for the family, a cabinet, then I started collecting in warehouses. The family accepts it very well. My wife and children cheer. They like what I do and that I do what I like.

People who turn to me and ask me to fix things for them. They hear about me from friends, from friends of friends, you know, I renovate for one and he tells the others. At the same time, it is an expensive hobby. I recently decided to take part in a job in order to have additional income. It will give me time and opportunity to do what I like as well. I have friends who are in the business of refurbishing furniture and they sell mainly on the Internet. The children want me to publish, to sell, I have to decide.

I like things to be done to a good standard, and it takes time to become professional in all things. I sink into it. Out on Sunday and suddenly Thursday. It fills me up. It's satisfying, doing, a wonderful feeling. Yesterday, for example, my wife calls and asks where I am, because I went out in the morning and didn't notice that it was already six in the evening. What have I been doing all these hours? I built one good chair from four broken chairs. The legs from here, the seat from there, the supports from the third and the backrest from the fourth. I love it and it fills me up."

disconnect and say goodbye to the collection

One of the significant challenges in collecting is the emotional attachment to objects. Prof. Bruce Hood from the University of Bristol, researched the subject of the "psychological essence" of objects. He found that people tend to give objects meaning that goes beyond their monetary value. For example, a loved one's shirt may carry unique emotional value that cannot be replaced.

Evolutionary psychology explains that keeping possessions may have been a survival advantage - in the past, accumulating resources was associated with personal security and survival ability. Today, this mechanism is "translated" into the accumulation of collections. So how to deal with parting with a collection? When the collector decides to say goodbye to the collection, he sometimes experiences complex emotions such as on the one hand relief, because the activity of searching and collecting objects ends and leaves a free space, and on the other hand sadness, because the subject that was the center of interest has ceased to be a part of everyday life. Sometimes parting with a collection is accompanied by a feeling of guilt, like abandoning something you were attached to.

According to a study published in Psychology Today, it is useful to do the parting process in ways that facilitate the transition from the life of a collector to a life without collecting. Instead of saying goodbye to the entire collection at once, you can start with small items and over time increase the feeling of security in the process. Talking with friends or family members can help process the feelings, documenting the collection in photos or videos may ease the feeling of loss and leave a pleasant memory, donation or sale knowing that the collection is going into good hands, giving comfort.

Rethinking the purposes of the collection and focusing on the meaning behind the collection, and not just the objects themselves, can help channel the energy in new directions that will give the meaning the collection gave. Things like writing about the collecting journey, documenting the objects and telling a story about their history, or a completely different direction that would give a sense of meaning and satisfaction on a similar scale.

Sweet memories of grandma

Collecting and hoarding are fascinating expressions of the human soul. They make it possible to preserve memories, express creativity and build relationships with others. However, it is important to maintain a balance and remember that the true value of objects lies in the story they tell and the meaning we give them.

Sima, Collected dolls in the shape of ducks, but in the last year gave away most of the collection. "I gave the collection away because new things entered my life, and I was no longer excited by the ducks. I already had too many duck figurines. I kept a few that I particularly liked, ones that remind me of my childhood, and remind me of the ducks that were in my grandmother's garden. Everything else I gave them to other collectors, who were very happy to receive them. People tell me - live here and now, you don't need to keep the past, but I feel that those who don't keep something from the past at home, An object or image that moves him, that connects him to his roots, is a person who does not belong to anything.

People for whom everything is functional things do not understand that objects have a soul. Do you need to keep things only for practical use? There are also things for the heart, for love. People need to have roots, to respect history. You ask what I will collect now instead of the ducks? Now I have a granddaughter. I have a new love and excitement for it every day. Maybe I'll collect pictures of her."