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When does a large collection become hoarding?

Sep 18, 2011

    1. One of the episodes of Hoarders did have a woman who had tons of plush animals and lots of dolls, but it looked like all the dolls were all of vinyl, whether baby dolls or little girl dolls, and many were obviously collected from trash bins, while others she'd bought. However -- while the dolls were sitting on every inch of the furniture in one room, the plushies were piled in huge piles -- HUGE piles, blocking access to the interior of rooms. When the people dealing with her took the dolls and plushies outside and onto trucks for donating, they filled two trucks. And she had no real attachment to any of them, other than grabbing whatever happened to have landed outside on the top of a pile and saying how cute it was. The attitude was entirely different than that of people in this hobby.

      I have a selection of parts and some dolls that have remained in boxes since purchase. But that's because of a limitation in time to get around to all the projects I want to. Eventually they either get sold or rise up to be an active character.

      You want to know what a real hoarder is like? You should have known my father. It was only due to the efforts of my mother that the interior of the house stayed relatively clear, but he filled up a cellar, two garages and a back patio. After he died, we had to spend over $1200 for a 35 cubic-yard truck plus people to take stuff away, and then a 15 cubic yard dumpster, and there is still stuff in the back of one of the garages. And most of it wasn't even stuff we'd owned. He'd go around and pick up "useful" stuff from the local industrial parks and from who knows where else. At one point we counted 18 irons being removed, and multiple plate glass deli refrig/display doors. You couldn't get into the garages or the patio until we got everything taken away, and we're still cleaning out corners from things that are too heavy for us to lift, and we have no idea how he managed to get them in the cellar. Now, THAT was hoarding. He had no idea what he had where, and didn't keep anything protected or in decent (aka "ebay") shape. We even found every bag of clothing my mother had put out at the curb for charity pickup trucks, that had been snuck back into the back of the garage, where they rotted unseen and were rendered disgusting by being used as beds and bathrooms by a family of raccoons he didn't mind also occupying the garages.

      If he'd have gotten his hands on my doll boxes, they would have ended up stacked UNDER a table saw or other heavy boxes, out in the rain and other bad weather, and he'd have sworn he never saw them--

      Muisje -- I've had house rabbits too! You get into the habit of keeping things high and off the floor, because you never know what will attract them for a tasting! I don't have them anymore, so being able to set dolls out on the floor for a photoshoot and leave them there until I have time to complete it is quite an enjoyable luxury! (My favorite memento of my years and years of bunns is the paperback of Watership Down with the cover half eaten off by the rabbits. Seems appropriate that they liked the book!)
       
    2. I think perhaps the point one can determine if they are a collector vs a hoarder is when you look at your 'collection' and can't bare to part with any of it. There is a big difference between not wanting to let go of your collection, and not being able to let go of your collection. I have a large collection, they take up a lot of space but the house is still fully functional, there are no boxes in the hallways, etc... If I had to, other then two-three dolls (my first two dolls, and my main travel one), I could sell off the rest if I had to. If money got tight and I really needed to, I would. I like my collection, and would first sell off other items/collectables but I still could part with my collection.
       
    3. Well, I don't think we can easily categorize people as hoarders... though I do have to say that I think we, as humans and other animals, do enjoy "hoarding" things, and not in the mental disorder way. In this way, I do mean collecting. However, I can't at all agree with:

      Dolls in boxes = bad. In the other doll hobby (that led me into getting into BJDs), I was criticized for keeping my dolls in boxes and not taking them out to play with them. They were on display in my room, and the boxes were clear to show the dolls off. I gave into pressure and took them out. I had fun for a little bit, but I still, to this day, regret taking them out. It's not due to value or anything, but one of them fell off my shelf and her leg snapped in half when I caught her. Uhh...

      I keep all of my ball joint dolls in their boxes/cushions. Why? I have two large cats (read: tonkinese) that love to get into anything. They can jump extremely high and have actually stolen some of my doll stuff before as I was arranging them. -_- I would love to display my dolls, but I usually can't. They come out of their boxes for photoshoots or dress-up and then go right back in. So I'm not a hoarder just because they're in boxes. They're in boxes because it keeps them safe.

      Volume of dolls = bad. I think it is hard to sell things we have an emotional bond to, and if someone can keep ALL of the dolls they've ever bought without it interfering with their lives, more power to them. Not everyone can... and this hobby has taught me that selling things with emotional attachment isn't bad. Actually, it can be a very good thing as it can give someone else a chance to get their dream doll.

      Cost of dolls = bad. Again, as long as you are able to support yourself, I think people should just not interfere. :| My parents don't exactly support my hobby, but my mom acts interested enough. She tells me I could spend my money on other things like vacation, clothes, etc... but I have a pretty awesome closet (in my opinion) and I just don't NEED more clothes.

      Honestly, I clean my closet every year at least. I also have gone through a lot of my old toys and clothes my mom had saved from when I was really young... aside from an item or two, most of it got thrown out. I just looked at things and said: "I never use this/look at it/think about it. I don't need it." This led to me downsizing my anime collection, too.

      ---

      Basically, only you can define hoarding. If you feel anxiety/feel bad over your collection and it doesn't have to do with other people telling you to feel bad, you may have a problem. Also, I think hoarding is more... clutter. I know of a woman (I used to go to school with her daughter) whose house was FILLED with random paper, cds, dvds, books, trash, dolls, toys, petstuff, etc. You had to make a path through her house. I was never invited over to my friend's for that reason- but I did get to see the house when I dropped her off one time, so... I mean...

      I know I have a little clutter around my house- not all of it is mine seeing as I live with my parents, but my dolls take up a small corner in my bedroom right now- I stack them on top of each other. >.>; I want to get a display case for them, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
       
    4. 40 dolls. one room. :D but i love every single one of them! I get to play with them almost every day, sew, make, paint : )
      It's not hoarding if they are used at least once a month ^^
       
    5. I never knew people could confuse DID with Schizophrenia. I've heard people declare people "schizophrenic" for all kinds of reasons, though, so I guess it's nothing out of the ordinary. Sadly, people tend to use it as a catch-all for a lot of unexplainable behavior.

      I'm not sure if this fits all the way. I guess you could call my dolls a collection; I have two BJDs, and I don't want to part with either of them... but that doesn't mean I'm a hoarder. A lot of people in this hobby sell their dolls, but a lot don't, and either way is fine. People sell or hold onto their dolls for a myriad of reasons, and while hoarding might be one reason a minute percentage choose to hold onto their dolls, it's not the only one.

      I think it's better to look at what this person is collecting, and/or the condition it's in. In a hobby where people can function around 50+ dolls, I think it's harder to look at certain behaviors and think of them as hoarding behaviors. Some people might think that having a mess of broken doll parts in a box a hoarding behavior; however, that person might be actively modding/repairing said parts in preparation for something yet to come. But if this person does not want to mod these parts, and doesn't do anything with them (like sell them or throw them out) then I might question it.
       
    6. From what I have read until now you got me thinking heavily. Am I actually a hoarder? Because I try to look at things from different viewpoints. Can it be used for the modelhorses (1:10), or my BJD (1:3)?

      Right now I am about organizing my final workplace. Up to now, my different hobby items were spread across the house. I am about grouping everything together, and it is just painful. I detect how many tons of various large fabric pieces I have, leather pieces, etc. This is okay, I just have to find containers big enough to store everything in.

      But to my surprise, I discovered 6 (!) glue bottles. I guess when I finished a project, I just stuck the bottle in use into the stuff without sorting it, and forgot about it. Now this is no biggie, as they will get used during the course of time. But isn't that the beginning of hoarding? When you have such items, but are too lazy to search for them?

      I really don't know...on the other side, I have no problem with throwing things out. I kept five catalogues for riding equipment for reference, and four are gone now. And I sold happily several of my modelhorses in order to be able to purchase my BJD.

      Perhaps I should just take my time and consider thoroughly what will be needed for future projects, and what not.
       
    7. Probably not. I think, in that case, it's either laziness or just forgetfulness - and we've all been guilty of that at some point. I've had times when I've bought something relatively cheap (like maybe glue) because I couldn't find it, and then having it show up a week later. I think it would be what you did after you emptied a bottle that would be important - do you keep them, even though they serve no purpose anymore, or do you throw them out?

      The fact that you're willing to sit down and organize is probably a good thing, too. It might be overwhelming, but you're doing it. I think a lot of hoarders don't see a need to organize, because they know that that might mean throwing something out, and they don't want to do that.
       
    8. I suppose I should have mentioned you also need to have a 'significant' number of dolls as well. 10+ but likely more like 50+. And while you may not want to part with your dolls, if you HAD to, could you? You may not want to, but you could. If things got bad enough and I needed the money I would sell them off, it would not be easy but it would happen. Hoarders can not part from their 'stuff', regardless of the situation (that it takes over their house, or they need the money).

      Maybe another test is that you can't go on vacation because you can't bare to leave your dolls behind and there are to many to take with you.
       
    9. when you do not have time for all your dolls....?
      and you feel like you can no longer take care of them
       
    10. writerm: I throw anything used up away. I have also a nice assortment of different pearls and such things. I keep them separated into boxes with compartments (electricians use these). And the shop wrappings are thrown away.

      I guess you are right. More of a lazy person, most likely. And I never keep food wrappings. Our house is also fully functionable.

      But to part with my boy? Yes, I would try if necessary. Although I really appreciate him in reality even more than I could have imagined.
       
    11. I think BJD collections can be a form of hoarding when they consume you. You itentify yourself with the dolls. I don't think it has anything to do with numbers when it comes to enjoyment. What I mean is that someone with 50 dolls could enjoy them every day if they are retired and stay home all day, while the next person who is in college can have the same amount of dolls and may get the same amount of enjoyment by looking at them even if they don't have time to play with them. However, numbers can play a role just by sheer area taken up by resin. If your whole entire house is a shrine to BJDs, you might be a hoarder :sweat I think a person should be able to have a somewhat normal looking house. I plan on having a BJD room, but they will not take over every room I have. One is enough for me, but if you have a house with a lot of rooms (or a lot of money) then I don't see why you can't have five rooms full of BJDs. They just shouldn't be sitting on your stove and in your bathtub like the Hoarders:Buried Alive show we're talking about :lol: Nobody complains when someone rich collects cars which takes up way more space. I also agree that hoarding is also the inability to let them go.

      Personally I have never been called a hoarder.
       
    12. I have 1000+ dolls. 20 are BJD's. I have been collecting since I was a child. I know every one of them. A couple hundred are boxed because this house has 1 less bedroom. I know I have hoarder tendencies because I also have all my toys and all my kids toys too. Plus tons of doll clothes.But my house is functional. No trash and the rooms are normal. I do want to sell a lot of them though.
      There are dolls everywhere and it freaks some people out.
       
    13. I have alot of stuff. I still have all of the "My Little Ponies" I had from growing up and my transformers figures. I have one doll but I have other things as well. But I know I am not a hoarder. When I lived with a friend and his mother and sister, I knew the true meaning of hoarding.

      I understand that bad things in life can cause a person to begin hoarding but from what I understand from him, she has always been like this. we stayed in a "2" bedroom floor and it was hard to get around. His sister would bring home 20 news papers because she liked something in the one she read. She would hide half eaten food in various spots, but we did find alot of hidden money.

      His mother is a wonderful woman but she needs help. She is a craftier and she enjoys making things. But she would go to Salvation army and buy 30 denim skirts to make purses that never get made. the garage was falling apart but filled with various things. I did get trapped in there for a few hours when things fell on me and they had no idea where I was.
       
    14. Hoarding to me just loosely means when you have too much stuff that doesn't get used, doesn't get played, and doesn't fit anywhere.

      Some people start selling their dolls when it becomes "too much" and they feel pressured by it, and that exact number depends on what each person is used to I suppose.
       
    15. Not sure if i am a hoarder or not but I know my mom is bec. she keeps everything, I might have a hoarder tendecy but I do sale anything I no longer have interest . When I was little I collected all types of stuff animals then I move on to dolls. But I started giving away my stuff animals soon when I realize I like my vinyl large dolls eg. ginny, ashton drake, middleton, masterpiece etc. Then later on I fall in love with bjds. So I sold alot of my vinyls and collected bjds. Now I have bjds and very few vinyl dolls left. I don't display all my bjds bec. i do not have enough rooms in the house to display all. I always dream of one day having one room for myself and displaying all my dolls but not yet since my kids are still in school LOL. I do feel pressured to sell alot of my larger vinyl dolls bec. I really do not have a big house and they take up lots of space. If I have lots of $$ I would buy a big house so I can still keep some large dolls up to 46" tall.
       
    16. To me a large collection cannot be hoarding unless you have many broken doll parts you haven't thrown away after you replaced it. Hoarders tend to collect trash/junk over a period of time and don't have any control of it.
       
    17. I've seen collecting, and I have seen hoarding. Just because someone has an entire room dedicated to a collection, doesn't make it hoarding. Hoarding is when you 1) honestly cannot bear to part with something, no matter how miniscule it is-even if you don't know why it's important and/or 2) when the 'collection' becomes overwhelming.

      I was a borderline hoarder of plush animals before going to college. I had many, most i couldn't even remember having, but when it came time to downsize, I had a hard time parting with them. True hoarders are usually unable to part with things on their own without the help of other people.

      If you have a huge amount of dolls, old broken parts, old torn clothes, messed up props, things like that, and you feel that you *cannot* get rid of them, then you might be a hoarder. Having a bunch of dolls and supplies for them is collecting if it doesn't truly overwhelm you.
       
    18. Most doll collectors, even those with lots and lots of dolls, are just that - collectors. I think the idea of mental disorders has been subject to inflationary use through the media. People tend to be really quick with calling someone a "hoarder", "depressive", "suffering from OCD", "hyperactive", without even knowing the person in question.

      Collecting can develop unhealthy traits, of course. But even then, it is not necessarily connected to the "hoarding" phenomenon - which is not a disorder, but a symptom. Often of impaired executive functions, an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and maybe also a comorbid depression. Buying more and more dolls can be a symptom of something else, though, too - for example of an addiction.

      And even if you have more dolls that you can handle, don't remember all the molds you own, and your room is messy, it doesn't necessarily mean you are a "hoarder", an "addict", or anything pathological at all. You could just be a bit lazy and too occupied with something else right in the moment.

      The use of the term "hoarder" for a doll collector with a lot of dolls is, in my opinion, mostly inappropriate, expecially if coming from a person that hardly knows the doll collector in question. This is why I cannot define "symptoms" for "doll hoarding". It doesn't matter if you keep your dolls in boxes, have 100+ of them, or don't know their names.
       
    19. Like many others have said -- hoarding is a psychological issue and not just a matter of having a lot of dolls. There are a lot of topics that come up around here that seem to be concerned about whether or not something is unhealthy. If your doll collecting is not impairing your ability to function and/or making you miserable and you have enough to pay the bills, then you're probably doing just fine. It's really not uncommon for people to collect things, and collections can be quite large and costly. That does not mean that the owner of said collection is a hoarder -- part of collecting something is acquisition, after all.

      I think people need to be careful of the tendency to attach labels and to over analyze their fellow hobbyists.
       
    20. I believe I have certain hoarding tendencies, having grown up in a hoarding household, but I blame my real problem on lack of time or mental focus to sort and get rid of things. I have a large box of wigs to sell... I don't want, never use but SOMEONE would want them! I NEED a consignment store where I could ship stuff off... I don't even care about the money, I just want it gone. I have dolls like this too. I just don't have time to deal with rehoming and it pains me to think of throwing away perfectly good dolls, wigs, clothing, etc. Just because I don't have time to deal with it. I guess that makes me by definition a hoarder, but my actual doll collection is well cared for and displayed. I just need to find a way to get rid of stuff that isn't junk, I just don't want it anymore. :(
      There are some dolls you will have to pry from my cold dead fingers and others I would be grateful to have gone if only I didn't have to deal with the actual selling ( especially shipping ) myself. Maybe one day I will have time but right now I just don't have either time or energy to deal with it. Now doesn't someone want to start a Dollie consignment shoppe?!