What Drives Us to Collect?

[@robbinallan3767]

My husband brought the same subject to my attention a few years ago. He told me that what I have is not a collection because it has no parameters. I have collected pens and other writing implements for decades. My father was an historian. I think it is in the blood. I collect pens as mementos of places, events, writings, experiences...Very satisfying and it will probably end when I die.

[@neilpiper9889]

I like to go out wearing a vintage watch, carrying a vintage camera with a vintage pen in my pocket. Expressions of my personality hoping to start a conversation. Useful accessories and attention seeking I guess. Today I am wearing a 1980s Sea-gull St5 vintage hand wind mechanical wrist watch, carrying a 1970s Nikkormat ft2 with a 50mm f1.4 pre Ai lens, and with a 1950s Conway Stewart 84 with a fine stubby flexy 14k gold nib in black and green cracked ice celluloid with Seitz Kreuznach Palm green ink. I like beautifully crafted useful things.

[@mervynlau]

Collecting is a journey to finding what you love most.

[@amandajstar]

Further thought: it's much more fun to keep 'spending the same money' thinking about various options than actually making the purchase. I love assessing the merchandise -- whether it's tea towels, board games, or fountain pens. I don't necessarily need to possess them. Assessing is the real pleasure.

[@Will-jd2br]

I have slowed my buying significantly because I realized that I don't even use the pens that I have hanging around my desk. Self reflection is important, as it is what keeps us from tumbling down the rabbit hole. Now I get the same satisfaction watching pen content as I do buying them. Sometimes thinking about all of the new toys is just as fun as actually having them.

[@TheDireWookie]

A few months ago I was thinking I was 1 or 2 pens from being done. Now I thinking I'll be in line with you're current scheme or 1 or 2 memorable pens per year so I can actually use all my pens in a reasonable timeframe. Thanks for another interesting video.

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

An interesting discussion. With pens I much more do accumulation. I have a small variety of pens and there is a reason for (most) all of them. With board games, I do some collecting. I am working to get every game made by Splotter Spielen. I think collecting has a place and can be fun, but it needs narrow parameters to not get out of hand. In a pen collection, I could say that I want to collect all the limited edition Safari pens. That's one every year. If I were to say I want to collect every sailor pen in every finish...that could be problematic. There is something to be said for the enjoyment of just looking at a collection and feeling a sense of completion and satisfaction. Dunno.

[@Fernandohe111]

I began with Fountain Pens last august, I bought a Jinhao x750, later an Hero 901; and now I just got the Kaigelu 316 'EF'. And now I have the mindset that you described for yourself in the video, in terms of aesthetics there is nothing out there that I like more than this Parker Duofold's aesthetics, and the 'EF' I found out to be my ideal. So I don't want to buy another for a long time.

[@TakeCareMan]

I have talked a great deal about this with people in the traditional wet shaving hobby in terms of purchasing razors, shaving brushes, shave soaps, and after shaves. One strategy some of us have discussed is setting a limit on a number of each of those items we enjoy. For example, “I will only have 30 razors, and for me to buy a new one, I have to sell one that I love less than the one I want.” That way there is a cap on how large of a collection/accumulation we have. I think the chase, the ritual of shopping and researching, etc. is as responsible for the neurochemical hit as is the actual purchasing. I have found that the actual clicking of the “buy” button, checking out our cart, completing the sale has as much to do with the release, or release from, the tension built up by the logic of “I don’t need this item” yet I feel this compulsion to have it. Then the purchase becomes less about actually acquiring the item and more about escaping that tension of spending hours researching something you do not need and perhaps do not want. I know this because I have hit “buy” just to silence that argument in my head. When acquisition behavior takes the joy out of the hobby, then it is time to reassess and set boundaries to bring the joy back.

[@radellaf]

Take Care Man I haven't had anxiety from choosing but I have definitely had many times where the choosing and then waiting to get a pen was half (or more) the fun vs actually having and/or using it.

[@pensplanners6460]

Very very interesting, I've had that thought as well recently, of "where does it end?" - and I also very much know the excitement after a purchase fades down really quickly. There are a couple pens I still want to reach "completion" in my "accumulation" but I don't want to get to a stage where I have hundred or hundreds of pens laying unused most of the time. So, excellent food for thought.

[@tiantuatara]

Good questions to ask ourselves. I'm more of an accumulator than a collector. I do have some times where that dopamine hit is useful but I keep it to relatively inexpensive pens. I'm finding that I periodically go through my pile and determine ones that will find other homes. I'm sharing the joy and trying to keep things under control.

[@radellaf]

Terri Simon I have a lot that should find other homes but, ugh, I hate listing and shipping out... anything.

[@tiantuatara]

@@radellaf I do, too. I was lucky enough to sell some pens to some folks that I had penabled. :-)

[@andresjimenez5032]

a reality that we do not always recognize, we must curb the instinct of consumerism, I agree with your reflection !!!

[@cofeebeing]

Here's a third word to toss into the discussion, along with the interesting shading between accumulating and collecting. "Addiction". I suspect for many of us, and also am not judging anyone, our harmless hobby or pastime may not be. Today am debt free. Wealthy? Could have been. Not. Do have a big pile of pens, (and other stuff). Never use though. Thanks, Stephen, Didn't know psychologists have a study in "collecting". Could have used help many years ago.

[@Napalm_Candy]

You should check out documentaries and shows on hoarders where psychologists break down what is/may be going on in their minds to cause a need to hoard (and sometimes hoarders start off as collectors, or focus on hoarding one item - it's very interesting!).

[@cmdrdarwin3682]

This seems to be spot on! I have fallen into the rabbit hole & found myself wondering “Why am I buying all of these pens?”. This gives ample food for thought in how I might curb my addiction. Yes, I feel like it’s a form of addiction. Thanks for exploring this topic!

[@davecharvella4854]

Excellent! And, a reminder to keep those two questions in mind before contemplating/making another pen purchase.

[@JavierDiaz-zm1qd]

Great points to think about for any type of purchase. Critical thinking, researching, spending the time to think things over a days, weeks helps to make a decision.

[@FlorenceChandotCA]

Many of the reasons presented here are the driving element behind me moving away from the fountain pen collecting community. There are actually a distinctly few number of things that I actually collect and curate and being a part of a community which is fundamentally built upon collection (and comparison of said collection) was actively causing me anxiety and depression.

[@radellaf]

Florence Chan I get ya, though that seems kinda sad. I definitely do find that actively following most pen social groups results in spending more money on things people talk about liking so much. I still do, but over time I now take more enjoyment from the discussions vs compulsion to buy because other people are. It's still a thing, though.

[@brettmullinix]

You make some interesting observations especially pertaining to the “why” and “ when will it end” questions. Is think these two questions should be considered in all accumulations or collections. I think fountain pen collecting simply for the purpose of collecting is fine however, fountain pens in essence, are writing tools to be used for whatever writing purposes one may choose and I think this is a distinct difference that should be considered. They are utilitarian things first and foremost which is not to say that they cannot also be beautiful objects to look at as well, I just mean that they primarily are tools to use. I write quite a bit and the reason I have “collected” more than one pen is because the “accumulation” enhances the act of writing.

[@WrexelsWorld]

There are probably more dimensions to the collecting equation i.e. what phase of the collecting is at (a person at the discovery phase accumulates to try new things), the need to have what other people have (ooh, that person has the shiny resin model), collectors vs users (my personal motto is to always have a use for the things I purchase).

[@greyareaRK1]

Pens shiny.

[@OwlxArt]

I feel like I've had this same outlook on fountain pens since I got into this hobby and never went through the "collecting phase". I try to keep my fountain pen collection at 15 or less pens and whenever I go past that number I force myself to sell the ones that I no longer use as often or like as much as other pens I have. Like any other hobby, you also sometimes fall out of love with pens you once liked so its always a good idea to re-evaluate the pens you have from time to time to determine if any of them serves no purpose anymore. You need to be disciplined in any hobby to make sure you're within your healthy budget, one that would not interfere with your overall finances. Also, I feel like you can call any assortment of pens a fountain pen collection , you dont need to have black/white similarities between your pens such as model or color, the mere fact that the pens you possess give you a similar sense of feel or writing or represent time periods of your life or the mere fact that you have bunch of pens is enough to call it a collection. I feel like the extend of collecting you describe is more of thriving for a complete collection, which is a lot different than what most people refer to as their "fountain pen collection".

[@JCAMD]

I was just thinking that pens are not possessions, but experiences; it would be great if we can borrow, learn and experience new pens all the time, but some of these pens can be very dear and risky to borrow or loan. Attending pen meets may be a good way to scratch the itch to experience new things

[@TheNightowl001]

I am an accumulator of sorts. Like Cmdr Darwin commented some hours ago, and is the comment showing directly below this as I write this, it does feel like a form of addiction. I'm addicted to those brain chemicals that make me feel good about buying a fountain pen. Because I have a rather largish collection of Sheaffer No Nonsense pens (a "focused collection"), and some other "brand collections," much of my large collection is composed of "mini-collections." Part of my problem is that I am on the verge of being a hoarder. Not completely, thank heavens. There are a lot of things I have no problem tossing in the trash. Or the recycle bin. But part of it was being raised by grandparents who were young adults during the Great Depression. From them I inherited an attitude of "Oh, I can't throw THAT away. I might find a need for it someday! Since I already have it, I won't have to search for or buy it again!" If something is no longer functioning and taking up too much space, like, say, a toaster. Does it have nuts and screws? Copper wire? Are there springs I might find a use for? Disassemble it as much as possible and throw away (or recycle) only what I think is now useless to me. Everything else goes into a box of other nuts and screws and copper wire, etc. Anyway, this is getting far too long, but most of my "mini collections" are a matter of completeness, as you say. I have a deep-seated desire for completeness in several of my collections. Such as every one of the Jonathan Kellerman "Alex Delaware" novels. At one time, I had an almost complete set of Reader's Digest Condensed Books, and carried a list with me of the volumes I did not have so I could search for them at library book sales or garage sales or flea markets. (They were destroyed in a flooded basement, and I never sought to replace them, which I occasionally reflect on with sadness.) Such is just my nature. I'd probably need years of psychoanalysis to figure out why I have this "hole that needs to be filled" that is the root cause of my acquiring things. And that's more than enough on the subject for a KZbin comment.

[@simonmichaeltanner]

Agree completely. I too have about 30 pens, and already know I have more than I can really use unless I religiously rotated them. But that would be far too much bother. There are a couple of pens I'd like and may well end up buying, but I'm aware that I only actually use about 10 on anything approaching a daily basis, and even those have different nibs and inks, almost as if I'm trying to justify to myself that I need them all. The "collection" concept has always struck me as somewhat sterile; my pleasure is based on using a pen I like that writes well, not at looking at it in a presentation box, regardless of its economic value. I have enough pens that tick the right boxes for me, and so it's increasingly unusual for a pen to appeal to me enough to buy it

[@archivist17]

Interesting discussion. And interesting that this was recorded back in July. I maintain a strict list of what I want in any area of interest and, over time, I've found that it distils down, even though I sometimes buy a pen, say, which isn't *quite* what I'd like, and I find that doesn't satisfy the desire for 'the one'.

[@filmronin]

I enjoy these videos and your reviews. I’ve kept a journal for more than thirty years now, a majority of the time writing with various fountain pens. My handwriting and writing has been a source of satisfaction and consternation for me for many years. Thank you for all of your advice and insights.

[@roguequill]

I've been watching your videos for... A close part of a decade now? It's been fascinating watching the development of a hobby and a man's insight into what he does - please keep up the videos! Frankly, your videos are great enough that I watch them even outside of the fountain pen stuff. As for me - I think I'm in the similar boat as you. I haven't bought a new fountain pen or even ink in about two years? It's not even I don't like them anymore. Practicing calligraphy and testing out nibs and inks can still occupy me for hours on end. It's more that I am looking for more depth in my searches and experiences, and simply gobbling up whatever the new product that catches my fancy doesn't really do it anymore. And I find all this perfectly natural.

[@sbrebrown]

Thank you for your continued viewership!

[@onemorepage8215]

Excellent question and much food for thought. There is definitely the biochemical zing of finding, buying and owning that sought after pen. I think there is also an evolution to collecting and perhaps that is what is more lasting and where the point of collecting may emerge. Over time the acquisition of a pen doesn't end with just its ownership but also in what else you are gaining with it - knowledge of its history and manufacture, firsthand experience with its strengths and weaknesses, the development of a personal taxonomy of preferences, and the gateway it provides into expanding your knowledge of paper types, ink qualities, calligraphic styles, plus an entry into a generous community that further adds to your understanding of this simple, everyday tool that has had a hand in our intellectual history. Collecting becomes the fun of endless discovery and expanding what you know about this wonderful object. And it's cool to be an expert.

[@Cocobird5]

Interesting topic. I am more of an accumulator than a collector. I have lots of books -- some are childhood favorites and some are new. I have many different genres. I do buy new books by my favorite authors when they come out, not to collect but to read. If I love the book, I keep it. If I don't, I donate it. When I first got re-interested in pens, I was curious, not sure what I really liked, and bought a lot of them. However, at some point I knew what I liked and got very picky. I think in the past year I've bought three or four pens. Yes, it is fun to open packages and look at my new whatever. You're right -- the thrill doesn't last.

[@radellaf]

Sue Anderson So what do you call the set of books you have? I might call my pens a "collection" but the 100 or so books? They're just... my books. Really, the pens are just... my pens.

[@AnotherNerdHere]

The Accumulation vs Collection is a good description one that I had not thought of. For me, and I suspect many others, I accumulated many pens while I was learning what I like and how different nibs and filling systems worked. So my accumulation was organic due to the fact that I can not "brorrow" a pen meeting certain parameters for an extended period of time and then return it at little or no cost. I'm pretty sure Goulet pens, Andersons or other retailers don't allow it and I seriously doubt Visconti or Lamy or some other manufacturer would not allow it, not even the local pen club. So to answer your question, What drove me to collect or accumulate? For me, it was education. Learning about Fountain pens, what made this one better or different than that one. That in turn refined my choices for new acquisitions. My FP education got to a point I'm happy with and I no longer go for the shiny new object. Most of what I have now have some meaning to me. Some of the pens I currently have I would sell / trade or give away other its unlikely. In past years I may have bought 5 or 10 pens per year. This year, Zero new pens. Now lets talk about Ink.... and maybe Paper... :-)

[@radellaf]

Greg Moore I'd sell a lot of what I have if it was easier but don't you hate packing and shipping things out one at a time? At this point, with well over 100 pens I could part with, I really should just get some table space at the local pen show. Some I'd price, others I'd just be happy to see them have a good home. Alas, this year's show was canceled. Vaccines willing, we'll have one in 2021. June, though? IDK.

[@AnotherNerdHere]

@@radellaf I agree with you. The local pen group is great for such a reason. people know that the pen will go to a good home so often times sell pens to other people at the meetings for FAR FAR less then they may be worth. I usually care an inexpensive extra pen with me and have given away several FPs for people that are interested. I LOVE pen shows and while I'm not optimistic about 2021 I very much hope to go to several pen shows in 2022. Cheers.

[@Addwrite]

Although my accumulation numbers 27 modestly priced fps - the most expensive are my three Franlin Christophs (19s) - I still have the urge to buy more; albeit a few expensive ones. You are right about "sensible people" only owning one pen, but I believe fps are things of emotion which have a deeper significance.

[@radellaf]

Darryl Foster I think sensible people have hobbies. Hobbies usually have supplies. If not "collections," it usually comprises more of a thing than someone not in that hobby would have.

[@JozRad]

Thank you! For me it is about another ride, another story, that I can share. I just bought Rodeo drive, excuse the pun. At this time, The Time of Covid, I am writing and find great pleasure in that. So, what is the point? The point is to enjoy, life, the different inks, the pleasure of sharing my life.

[@dkayok]

Really helpful distinction between a collection and an accumulation. I have had a major collection in the past (not pens) and it was just as you described. I have an accumulation of pens. I accumulated as I learned about pens & gained experience with them. Lots of fun, but so many pens! I sold about half or them (35ish). I have a nice acrylic case with 5 drawers & I made pen spaces for each drawer. This is now my self-imposed limit. I accumulate different types of pens with a variety of nibs, keep only what I love & no more than can be nicely kept in my case - 40-50 max. Also, what about secondary accumulations - acquiring different types of inks and inks that go with the pens. It's really an accumulation of potential writing experiences with different pen types, nibs, inks..... I can imagine reducing down to 20 or less - just not yet. Thanks for a thought provoking video.

[@yurizgrill]

Very interesting discussion. When will it end, that is the question: so true. I always have a list of multiple pens I want to buy, and it never ends. My secondhand Aurora Optima Verde is expected to arrive tomorrow, and I am now already thinking about getting a Furore in Passion Red... I think the sea of beautiful fountain pen inks out there is another fuel to our desire to accumulate pens.

[@plainscrafter5374]

I have no problem admitting that I accumulate stuff whether it be pens, folding knives, or God knows what else The "where will it end" question is a great one to add to my current "why do I want it?" or "will buying this item make it harder for me to get something I need or want more?" I want to cut my accumulation down to 35 or so. I think one thing that happens is that accumulators acquire too many items trying to determine what they really enjoy and then have few avenues for getting rid of the items they no longer like.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I was actually pretty content with my collection...until I fell down the vintage rabbit hole. My modern pens really haven't changed much since then, but my vintage pens...yipe! I've focused on vintage eastern and central Europe, but my goal to have a pen from every continent puts the lie to that. I don't know if it's as much a collection as it is a hoard!

[@amandajstar]

By the way, I have a Parker Sonnet only because I was trying to mimic without good information the Parker 51 I ended up inheriting. I do quite like the Parkers, but I've learned that I'm not a fine-nib person. But then, it has been said that my grandad's 70 years (yes, no fewer -- he was given the pen aged 21 by my grandma, and he used it almost every day till his death at age 91) has made the pen a smoother writer than it was when it was new. I don't know: all I know is that it writes like cream, and it will always be my favourite pen : )

[@severalwolves]

Great video - lots of food for thought, plus a doggy-bag of leftovers for later haha, ohh man lol , that’s def in the Top Five dumbest things I’ve said so far today :) But I do really appreciate this video. I literally have OCD, and severe anxiety - like, Dx and everything. It’s actually part of the reason why I got into fine writing instruments: I’ve always been a writer, but a few years ago I realized that writing by hand (rather than on a laptop or whatever), really helped me to ‘ground’ my weird energy, and slow the speed of my thoughts down to just whatever given letter I’m writing at the moment, as my hand & pen carefully articulate its unique forms against the page. Meanwhile, it also contributes to my tendency to collect things (things like rocks and trading cards when I was a kid, to pens & records now). At some point I started becoming aware of this propensity, which is good because otherwise the collecting could easily get out of hand. One way it manifests is in my tendency to create these imaginary groupings - subcategories within the accumulation (if some new pens or inks are released that have a certain color-scheme, and are within my budget, but even if they’re not(!), I’ll just HAVE to have them... and just thinking about obtaining them will occupy an excessive amount of real estate in my head. I wonder how common/researched/documented this is; it vaguely brings to mind a course in Cognitive Psychology I took back in college... But anyway, what I do now is, before committing to a purchase, I ask myself: “What value (quantitative or qualitative) will this pen/ink/notebook add to my life?” Anyway, I’m gonna stop before this comment reaches novel-length, haha. But yeah, very thought-provoking video - I really appreciate it. :)

[@radellaf]

Steven Gordon Do you find that looking at some of your collection reduces your anxiety? I have GAD, and the satisfaction I take from a nice spread of pens or inks is definitely calming, when I take the time to notice what I have on display. I probably have sub-clinical OCD or asperger-y traits, but at a level I'd say are just personality rather than problems.

[@izzywizzy2361]

pointlessly accumulating stuff makes me feel burdened with anxiety, I much prefer to have a few things that I really value and that have lasting meaning to me.

[@brendlelau1048]

I have a set of 5 multi pens in my collection and still get comments saying that’s too many. Now I hear that you used to have close to 30 fountain pens, should have opened a shop by now.

[@radellaf]

Anyone saying that 5, 10, 20 "is too many" is clearly not in the pen hobby. Even people not in it probably have at least a dozen pens around the house! I think 5 is a nice, minimal, number of pens to take with you to work, a cafe, or on vacation.

[@ironmic9244]

A timely video for myself. Why? Because I am doing one of the worst things; I am adding up how much I have spent on pens, leading to the question. When I look at the accumulated dollars spent, my eyes do pop, but I do not feel regret except for one pen. Nor do I feel the sense of parting with parts of my "accumulation." Perhaps I am rationalizing, but my attraction towards the fountain pen is based on the uniqueness of "using" a fountain pen. My intentions are to have a diversified portfolios of pens, within my defined parameters. I do not see the sense of having the same pen more than once, unless for extremely special circumstances. I think your 'gathers' thought is spot on. The question in anything is, how much is enough? I'll go further; find the motivation to your desire and action, and there you'll find your unique answer. Why am I doing this? We all need to be irresponsible in responsible ways - so don't abuse it, and have fun with it.

[@radellaf]

Iron Mike I know! Add up the cost and I'm appalled, but... yet... while I'd never re-buy all of them if they all magically turned into dollar bills, Neither do I really regret that I bought them. I would, however, sell quite a lot of them if they were easier to sell. Especially the cheaper ones. Who wants to go to the trouble of selling

[@ironmic9244]

@@radellaf Yes! You're right. I am not motivated at all to sell on ebay. Perhaps in the future or may be Fountain Pens Network has a marketplace for people who want to sell their pens. I know this is a lifelong collection that I am cramming into a shorter amount of time, and no matter what, there will always be another pen, but just like anything at first the curve is steep. I can't regret those purchases because they taught me what I like, what I am comfortable with, and what my pen portfolio will look like - at least for now. Pen shops of this nature are not around every corner like Staples, so to try is to buy. And every pen is/was a part of me at the time of purchase. Hey, at least it's not money spent on drugs, so I can be content with this addiction.

[@jerryw255]

Great discussion. I have asked these very questions to myself many times over. For me each pen has to have a unique different quality. It is mainly to experience the "moment". So the pens I purchase need to be unique in a special way. I buy fountain pens to "experience" the feel of the pen on paper and in the hand. I tend to buy many of the inexpensive cheapo pens first, then if I like them, I will buy a genuine quality pen to remember a special event in my life. I have a few genuine "prized" quality pens and numerous "cheapo" pens that I enjoy very much and that is it!

[@freespirit995]

I am in the 50+ pen category but find that my use of my collection varies with mood. I collect (or have accumulated?) Pelikans and Sailors, as well as some Italian pens (Viscontis, Delta, Pineider, Leonardo Officina) . I write a lot so rotate my pens frequently. I think I would describe myself as a "collector user", i.e. someone who buys pens to use as a practical object. I think that is a “defensible” reason for collecting as all my pens are used for writing. But there is a type of collector who completely baffles me, namely the collector who does not use the pens he buys. I know of one collector who did not ink his pens and simply collected them as desirable objects. Although these pens were very high end pens, still this seems to me incomprehensible. Like buying great wines and not drinking it.

[@jasondrinks]

I think a lot of the acquisitive side is driven by the desire to try - curiosity that must be satisfied by buying because there are few opportunities to try out fountain pens. If there was a fountain pen equivalent of a perfume counter at a department store, I would buy fewer pens, that’s certain. At the same time, curiosity combined with honest self-reflection over time can allow you to perceive what it is that makes a pen work for you - i.e. makes it truly desirable on a level deeper than just curiosity about what that pen is like. Maybe it’s a nib type, an unposted length that works for your hand, a filling system, or something else. I realised that the Wing Sung 699 is basically my perfect pen shape and size. So I should get a Custom 823. And now I know something I didn’t know before about what sorts of pens I might spend more than my usual amount of money on. That opens out the idea that a collection could be aesthetically or functionally focussed, like an art collection, not just brand or model driven, which is arguably less interesting although much easier to define and acquire, and arguably shallower to appreciate. And so over time, an accumulation that began as curiosity might refine itself into something more focussed that’s worthy of being called a collection, even if that collection is unified predominantly by a sensibility - like a library or a wine cellar - instead of a Pokemon-style desire to catch ‘em all. My day job is fine wine and there are very many interesting parallels. Maybe we should do a video about it!

[@Pegerod]

13:12 I have what i have; clearly referring to Roger 💀😄 But seriously, interesting topic! Those are useful questions to ask when you’re in doubt of a new purchase...

[@RobertMaguire67]

Those of us that assign sentimental attachment to an object will not easily relinquish something. Thus we often accumulate and thus collect something. If this idolatry well to an extent our emotional attachment to an object gives rise to collection. There are career highlights and pens as a reward, or pens from important people given from grandma and grandpa, and perhaps even those who are stone cold objective on selecting objects that will appreciate in future value. My thoughts in your fist three minutes of the video...lets hope you agree in whole or in part!

[@JozRad]

I'm not collecting, I am gathering! My letters are presently comprised of different inks and nib sizes, distinguishing parts of the dialogue . Taking the reader from past to present , from the present thought to something else. As I write I therefore switch to different pens. Yet, I do have collector pens...

[@businessman1912]

Regarding the accumulation/collection comtroversy, I think it entirely depends on your level of analysis. When you limit yourself to the field of fountain pens, you can perfectly well say that someone who has all the Lamy Safari’s has a *collection*, whilst someone who has some seemingly unrelated fountain pens has an *accumulation*. If we then widen our scope to writing instruments as a whole, can we then not suppose that someone who owns a lot of fountain pens is a *collector* (and he subsequently has a *collection*), whilst someone who also owns various pencils, ballpoint pens, fountain pens, quill pens etc. has an *accumulation*? For, after all, fountain pens are just a small part in the whole of writing instruments, just as Lamy Safari’s are just a small part in the whole of fountain pens. Likewise, if we choose a more narrow field of analysis, we could make the argument that Montblanc 149 collectors are actually *accumulators*, and people who specifically purchase 149’s in rose gold from 2014 are *collectors*.

[@smart4141]

Thanks for this video.

[@AlbertoLaiho]

In my head, there are three main reasons why I might want a pen: because I like their looks, because I want to experience writing with them (because of comfort, nib, feel, etc), or both. And then, there are pen models that fit those categories. I usually choose what I perceive are the top contenders, but won't normally get more than one of each model. I only own two King of Pens, because I had one ground to a Fine, and I wanted to experience a Broad KoP nib. Other than that, I only own one of each model. I have been tempted to collect all Momento Zeros and all Made in Canada Parker Duofold Jr Streamline colors (especially the latter is quite the category, which I still intend to pursue... eventually), but I haven't really followed through with that. It's a lot of effort. The pens I own can be categorized as I described above, but I would still struggle to call them "a collection" per se.

[@radellaf]

Alberto Perez What's sucked me into getting a mini collection vs just one or a few of a model I like is a slow drip of new colors or designs. I did not set out to have more than a few M200/205s, or 3776s. I'd never have spent that much in one go... but $100 this year, $100 the next year... and all of a (decade's) sudden you've got a small collection.

[@matthewbeddow3278]

Hi Stephen , I hope you are well. I am a memeber of a few facebook groups that are fountain pen based topic wise, a quesion i often see is regarding so called grail pens and that a person has finially got their grail pen . The problem with this I think is that you get your Grail pen and immediatly on recieveing and using the pen people have a new grail pen in many cases and the cyclic repeats over and over . It is as you say based on Brain chemistry dopamin, seritonin all those things that make us feel better but its a short fix then you want more. I used to collect pens in a big way , not so much expensive pens but any new pen from China or where ever i would buy , for a long time i collected all the Lamy special editions until one day i just thought NO im not doing this any more , since then i have brought a few pens but maybe one or two a year , i know i dont need them but i want that feeling of a new pen day. Once an addict your always an addict even after rehab yuu have to be aware you are an addict and be mindful of this . I am not judging anyone in any way collect a million pens if it makes you happy i have no problem with that whatever works for whoever. I hope that made sense. :-)

[@amandajstar]

Why do we collect? I collect -- or rather, accumulate -- books because they make life worth living. I have collected Ladybird books because they connect me with the childhood I lost prematurely (taken from England and my family there, and the countryside I loved). I collected them also for love of beauty, and to keep for myself a culture that has rapidly slipped away....

[@whssem4793]

I, thankfully, stopped getting the urge to buy more pens now that I have 9. The good thing in my case is that my brother also uses pens, so he gets whatever I no longer use. He gets free pens, I feel less guilty about buying too many pens. Win-win all around.

[@taze9999]

Amazing video, I have observed after some point the hobby switches from love of fountain pens to collecting and a further sub section happens to be fountain pens. So it is like the hobby you started takes a backseat. Perfect description of a dopamine high and a sudden drop after accumulation

[@rob_ward]

Insightful and enlightening as always. I think I tend towards collecting for completion, without end as that inevitably entails, but I reign myself in constantly and become an accumulator as a result. I’d like to be a true minimalist, but the gatherer instinct in me is too strong. Ah, the dichotomies of the human condition.

[@davidanderson3425]

The discovery of that one sought after pen that will complete your 'collection' will certainly release those feel-good chemicals in the brain. At the other extreme, I worry that the endless quest for just one more rare pen will detrimentally affect the mind of the collector. Indeed, this surely will for some people produce feelings of stress and anxiety. For example, you see the pen you really want on an auction website but other people want that pen as well. Your bidding may spiral out of control rather like the way in which people with a gambling addiction cannot stop themselves. Some people cannot prevent this obsessive behaviour. If you lose the pen to another bidder the feelings of loss don't bear thinking about. On the other hand, to win the pen means spending more than you can afford. So, this course of action will bring with it feelings of guilt by going over your budget mixed with the conflicting feeling of elation by securing the pen you have always wanted. I can remember when I was a child I would think to myself a certain toy would be all I ever wanted. If I could just have that one toy everything would be alright. That was until the next toy tempted me. Interestingly there are cultures in the world that teach their people not to have a sense of attachment to possessions. We do become too attached to our 'things' in Western Civilisation because we are bombarded with advertising and subconscious suggestions about a way of life we might want to achieve. I agree entirely with your distinction between 'collecting' and 'accumulating'. Another interest of mine is collecting books, except I don't really collect anything. I accumulate books on different subjects, all of which interest me. I also believe you are correct in thinking what drives us to collect goes back to our early roots of being hunter gatherers. Probably something to do with our insecurity.

[@radellaf]

David Anderson I've had, and seen in others, more anxiety at misery from hobby items when ones you do get don't work, or maybe even worse, work only 90% as well as they could or should. Fortunately, for pens, I've been at this for decades and can do repairs at tweaks to a point. Anxiety about filling a spot in a collection is something that's never happened to me. I've bid on some pens but I really find auctions psychologically offputting. I'll literally bid what I'll pay, sign out, and if I get a "you're no longer the high bidder" email then, meh, that item was too expensive for me.

[@rztour]

I own 9 or so fp’s, with my most expensive pen coming from a pen shop in New Orleans. It’s funny that I’ve reached a point in my life where I can afford a very expensive pen, but my upbringing won’t allow me to purchase one. And being married to your high school sweetheart keeps a control on things too. 😀 Having already come to the conclusion that I can only enjoy one pen at a time, I really now give myself a few days to decide on taking the plunge in buying another pen. Side note....Not sure I can explain it, but something about your video bummed me out.

[@alexwhiteowl]

You have formulated very well some of my thoughts lately... Beginning of 2020, I had one Parker. Then I bought another one, just to see how it's like. Then read that there are much better pens, way cheaper and chased Platinum Preppy PPQ-300. Got one, nice, and a Prefounte (naaah). Then a Cross Botanica that was on offer, and 2 Kaweco Sport. I was amazed that such little ugly pens could write so well! Then I discovered you and got a TWSBI... because of the colour. And lotsa inks from LaCouronneDuComte. Then a 2nd TWSBI, different nib, different colour. But i wanted more. Read lotsa reviews, got some Jinhaos, thought of a Safari, maybe even Lamy2k... I got a Platinum Century #3776 to have a gold nib, yay! Now i was in another leagure, i thought, but where was i going?? Got to 20 bottles of ink... I was disappointed that the pen is too short... and discovered Leonardo pens, those beautiful resins and celluloids, but so expensive for me! I really wanted the Furore Grande Green Emerald, but it costs too much... so i got the Furore Blue Emerald. Amazing swirls, but I still liked the nib on TWSBI more. Then i got a Momento Zero Hawaii F on an offer, writes like a charm. And i stopped buying any pens. Black Friday was tempting, but why buy another MZ with a stub nib instead of a TWSBI with a stub? Would i really like a stub? The are cheap caligraphy sets... I stopped. Because it takes too much mental space to read reviews on pens and inks, and everytime i see a pretty colour, i may want it. And then do what? I still dream to one day have that Furore Grande... until then, put to use what I've gathered. 30 bottles of inks and more than 10 pens later. Oh, i didn't even mention all the paper and notebooks... I guess i wrote it all here because i don't have a reddit account for /r/fountainpens :)) thanks fo the video, it gave me an opportunity to re-think this hobby.

[@randy-9842]

Hey there Doc Brown! I very much appreciate your careful attention to the nuanced distinction between nearly similar words. I'm an (edit -aggregator- I meant accumulator!). I also appreciate addressing the end game. My initial "goal" was to learn what I liked and how to maintain them before "settling down" with a reasonable number of diverse styles. Unfortunately, now I have a bunch of pens I don't use and don't really know how to sell (I"m not set up for that). Ancillary question: a bunch of geese is called a gaggle. A bunch of wolves is called a pack and cattle make a herd. What's a bunch of pens supposed to be called?

[@MrAtheta]

I am a collector. I have collected modern coins, Ancient coins, pens, model railroad stuff and insects - beetles to be exact. The beetles are my early hobby turned to career and finally a tool to do research. There is no question collecting is in my "blood". Why? Being an evolutionary biologist I am a bit suspicious about the idea that it is something related to the evolution of survival. I see it more as a reaction to have something of my own in a problematic family situation, but perhaps it is a combination of many things. Interesting to me is that most of the stuff our host pointed out is familiar to me. I see a trend from (1) fountain pens are nice, (2) I would like to have more, (3) I like these Japanese, (4) ebonite, (5) could I afford maki-e, (6), I have to focus - Platinum in my case, (7) this makes no sense, there are so many, (8) start to sell, (9) what do I really want to have, (10) great writers that are beautiful. Here I am, with 200 pens, most expensive ones alreadt sold and less than 30 I really want to keep. Well, with insects I have collected, nothing like this happens, as they are part of my actual real life as research material and they will end up in a museum. All this said, the pens have been fun and will be fun. There is a Danitrio Sho-Genkai still coming in. I finally got it cheap...

[@threethrushes]

A flourish of pens?

[@rebeccawhite2582]

I am an avid accumulator of cotton fabric for quilting, and have started buying a few fountain pens. I wonder whether I engage in this behavior because I have an addict's brain?

[@radellaf]

Becky White I think there's definitely an _element_ of addiction in my pen buying (or World of Warcraft playing). I can't call it an addiction I see as a problem because overall both have been positive things in my life. I'm not sad or ashamed of any of it. Now if I did add up the price of all my pens and thought about how that'd be really nice to have in my IRA instead, well, OK, maybe some regret. But not really. And I could still sell them. The gaming time? That is forever spent. I had so much fun though, addiction or no.

[@carlosruperto8705]

YOU SIR, have made a very good point! For the record, I only have one pen, and NOW I feel proud of that😂. And geez, I just discovered that there are so many Karen’s in the fountain pen community too.😂

[@JohnGMeadows]

Some good thoughts! I have about 40 to 50 pens, nothing high end but a good number of mid-range, and I really shouldn't be buying more, I have around 15 pens that make up the core of my rotation, and others hardly ever get used. It is hard to avoid the next shiny object; something I need to work on. A goal for 2021 I suppose.

[@ichirofakename]

You sound like me. Luckily the dollar amount I have spent is justifiable for the entertainment (of buying and trying) alone.

[@Snek03]

I disagree. According to your definition of collecting the only difference between collecting and accumulating is who defines the “set.” I see no difference between a set defined by total production and a set defined by the individual. I would say an accumulation and a collection are synonymous, the only difference being one has a positive connotation and the other has a derogatory connotation. As for the completionist aspect, it sounds like you are saying a collection is not a collection unless it is a complete set. This is not the case because a collection and a complete collection are two different things. It is possible to have your own collection with varying reasons for owning them. Your collection does not have to be defined by someone else, nor some arbitrary similarity, and it certainly doesn’t need to have a tangible end to be a collection, although wise to do so. You can simply have a collection of three pens you love, and the tangible end can simply be “pens that I can fiscally responsibly afford to own at this time in my life.” Collection complete.

[@peterhofmann8292]

Stephen, wonderful discussion. I am firmly in the "accumulator" camp, but lately have been more restrained in my purchases, after all do I really need more than 100 pens? (no!). I am also in the process of trying to thin out the collection (accumulation) to keep only the pens that I can use. Again great discussion and I do love these as they force me to think and reflect

[@MukeshGupta-mk4bh]

Good job please keep making

[@cliffhughes6010]

The gathering of berries and other foodstuffs is with an eye to survival against possible future shortages. Whereas collecting as a hobby (or, in extreme cases, a compulsion) generally has no purpose other than to make the collector feel good. It may be that we wish to be part of a community, such as the stamp collecting community. It may be that some of us want an all-consuming interest that takes up so much of our time, energy and money that we have none of those things left over to spend on one-to-one relationships (and thus avoids perceived probable failure of said relationships). I have 40+ fountain pens and I don't think I'll ever buy another. I have just 3 1930s valve radios which I love and use, but doubt I'll ever buy another. I have a lot of books and comics (some of which I've bought for a second time, 50 years after my mother threw them out). The sets are far from complete but I won't be getting any more because I think my nostalgia has been satisfied. But, you never know...

[@radellaf]

Cliff Hughes You mention a really good point - community participation. If I need to spend less for a while, I quit reading about pens. Otherwise yeah there can be some good fun in hearing people enthuse about something and then trying it for yourself. Maybe, even talking about your experience in public.

[@luckyoleary9626]

Pity the soul that decides to collect every Sailor of any given model.....

[@ironmic9244]

Stephen, great video, pertaining not just to fountains pens. But a simple question if you care to humor me. Why do/did you accumulate fountain pens?

[@galvandavis]

I think i have an issue, cause I'm buying pens that I actually can't afford, I mean, I'm spending a whole week wage in just one pen. I really love every pen I have and I don't stop cause I see them as a fashion accessory. When I bought my first FP, it was because I liked the FP concept, after that I just wanted to match different pens for different situations. I definitely think that I should stop

[@JoelTurrell]

I'll pass up the cheap shot that "what's the point?" is a dreadful pun. My own scattershot collection is related to the fact that writing is a tactile experience, as well as a ruminating one for me. I have wanted to explore the several, and often subtle, differences among nibs, pen sizes, materials and finishes. Just one small example: the Homo Sapiens lava composite finish So different from ebonite, and acrylic, and lacquered brass, etc. I could only describe it as "luxurious", a term I recognize as inadequate and even silly. Yet I go back to that pen frequently and simply to renew that sensation/acquaintance. I've owned at least 1 Montblanc 149 for the last 46 years for capacity reasons, and when I pick one of those up, it's a sensation of "coming home". Some of you may think this is simply rationalizing, but it is real to me.

[@radellaf]

Joel Turrell Hey if you enjoy your pens, and can afford them, I just call it getting things you like. No rationalizing required. Enjoyment is enough.

[@ichirofakename]

1. I have a collection of pens with different nib sizes and types (all steel, one titanium). It is complete insofar as I have every different kind I can afford. I thought that different nibs would result in different drawings, or perhaps I would find the ideal nib that would make all my drawings better. Neither has proven the case, though Pilot Parallels can certainly save a lot of time and effort. 2. Then I discovered that a certain shape of pen let my hand draw more precisely. I have 2, and could justify a few more. I'm pursuing the ultimate pen of that shape, so I may end up accumulating different brands of pens similarly shaped. So far I have found none truly comparable; so I may just wait till I have immediate use for more, and then just keep buying more Faber-Castell Neo Slims as needed. 3. Were it not obvious let me admit that I am an amateur artist of limited technique with a largely unfounded hope that the perfect drawing tool will somehow result in some improvement.

[@radellaf]

Ichiro Fakename Oh god yes, I started with the rationale that I was looking for the perfect pen for... whatever (copying morse code, in my pre-FP pen days). At some point I laughed and realized that the best possible pen for what I want to do, is probably one I have. Finding the tool that will get me to draw or write or whatever? Yeah, definitely a motivation in the back of my mind. Even more so for blank journals!

[@ichirofakename]

@@radellaf Don't buy any of that stone paper.

[@frankvars7925]

Very interesting! Thanks!

[@Cacciatore_Raccoglitore]

For me someone who wants every lamy Safari ever made Is a completist. Someone who wants various shapes various filling system etc Is a collector Someone who wants many many pens that all looks very similar Is an accumulator

[@jackthompson8377]

I never set out to become a collector. Over the years I have accumulated items that I love because of their design or function: hats, folding knives, watches, pens. To me a dozen of each is the perfect assemblage. Items should be useable. More than a dozen becomes unusable. I like things that I can holding my hands and use daily.

[@greyfriar9008]

I knew a couple who collected only the packaging of everything they had bought since getting married. They even vacuum packed the packaging and catalogued the items. The items they used and disposed of when being replaced but the packaging was always kept. They were perhaps the most extreme collectors that I have come across in a world where humans collect everything from stamps to automobiles, aircraft, teaspoons, cameras, inks, pens etc, etc, etc. This got me wondering and based on observation came to the only conclusion that made sense. That was as follows. Humans are, for all we know currently, the only sentient intelligent species in the universe then our purpose is to be the Universe's cataloguers, archivers and auditors. Humanity, as a collective, is the intelligence of the Universe. Should other sentient species become apparent then I would seriously consider that they too would also collect things and be part of the Universes collective intelligence. Just a thought.

[@radellaf]

Collecting vs accumulating? No need for the second word. Do I have a collection of books on my shelf or an accumulation? Nobody would say accumulation. You might just say "i have a bunch of books/pens" and "I buy a lot of books". That's fair. They do accumulate, but I wouldn't call them an accumulation. When will it end? When I am dead, or broke, or run out of room (the ink takes up 10x the room tho) Hopefully I can sell some pens if I am broke, and with 1000 of them, not really miss some. If I become less lazy, I'm fine with selling some to fund buying more. What is the point? Enjoying getting them (woo!), using them (if only a few weeks, intensively), and what you missed: the pleasure of looking at a selection of them (40-80) on the desk. Increasingly, some of them are not yet inked as I can only keep up with 40-50 inked pens). I enjoy having lots of colors and nibs ready for one letter, and I enjoy just seeing them all. I also, sorta, enjoy checking them to see if they're beginning to dry out and adding water, ink, or cleaning them out. It's like I am prepared for the apocalypse... one where food is readily available, but pens/ink/paper will never be sold again in my lifetime. Why THAT feels good, while I realize it's totally irrational, I have no idea. It's part of my psychology that I like to have the equipment to do things I aspire to do but never really plan to do. I also always over-buy supplies. I have a dozen never used 2-4GB memory cards and flash drives. I find it amusing, and a bit satisfying, to know they are there.

[@peggylove1]

I just say there’s no method to my madness. 😂 Good video, as always.

[@carssv]

Interesting how you end your video with a kind of justification that you are able to use all your pens at least once per year ;-) , thank you for your videos they are really interesting.

[@katjaengelkamp3452]

For me it is an interesting journey. Asking myself questions about why I purchase thís pen. Do I need it? Why do I want it? Does it add something, what does it add? I feel nervous when I have too many pens. I feel that limit of 30, too. I am getting at a stage that I feel it is enough. The way I purchase pens is somewhat like the way I garden. Look at it, what misses? Color, material, nib, shape. It is looking for some kind of balance. And I try to buy pens I can sell again. The hardest part is to part with pens I love, but don’t use. I want to use them, if I don’t, they may leave. But... that one I got at a crazy price from someone I know... that one is specially made for me... that one is so beautiful and special... I will come to a stage where I will sell these pens. Because in the end it are just pens and laying around makes no sense. I love this journey, it tells me a lot about myself, it helps me to ask myself relevant questions. It is mindful. Thank you for this video! 😘

[@radellaf]

Katja Engelkamp That was one thing I didn't get that SBRE said. Nervous? What makes you nervous about a lot of pens? I can only guess it's either the total $$$ they have tied up in them, or the possibility that in a fire or flood, that's too many to face having destroyed. Or, I guess, I could be nervous about what having 1000 pens says about me.

[@katjaengelkamp3452]

@@radellaf I get nervous not to be able to use them all. I kind of feel guilty towards the pens that are not in use.

[@grahamparr3933]

I was wondering if you have come across the Waterman Centurion, I can find no review of this pen,can you help?😟

[@joshuanorris5860]

Thats a brand new pen? Ive wondered what waterman pens are like now.... My waterman was new maby 15 years ago. Im not sure of its model though :/

[@nancymilawski1048]

@@joshuanorris5860 I have a Waterman Laureat blue marble bought new in 1989 and a Waterman Allure (Graduate) in a beautiful light blue this year. I bought the Allure to see what the cheapest Waterman available to me was like. They both write great. 😃😃😃 After some research on Google the Centurion seems to have been made in the 1980s and was priced between the the Graduate and Laureat models. (Laureat more expensive. )

[@joshuanorris5860]

@@nancymilawski1048 mine is plastic but looks good with a big fat nib on it. (Girthy pen too) Writes like butter. Wet and its my most bold medium by far lol It was like 40 bucks and writes amazingly. It was the first pen i ever bought so it is a constant reminder for me that i did NOT ever have to buy another pen lol because my first one was great.

[@nancymilawski1048]

@@joshuanorris5860 yes for 30 years I only owned the Laureat. Writes every time I pick it up. 😃😃

[@PB877]

Hi Stephen, thank you for this interesting video and the two leading questions in the video you are offering. Do you remember our first meeting in the netherlands some years ago? We were facing the same question... and I would like to reintroduce the idea of „pleonexia“ into your reasoning. Actually that idea should be seen in the context Sokrates put this idea in... the individual who is lost in pleonexia (collecting, accumulating, hording...) is out of balance because the good life does not consist in collecting things (dead things), but in the development/rise of his own mind. Is it more a question of overcoming pleonexia? You told me and the audience that you were collecting a lot of fountain pens and now you changed your mind. Could it be that you develop the new idea that the amount of fountain pens is not the question to be answered in order to find a good life... You have chosen for quality, the pens, that you love... so your idea changed because your reasoning on that topic changed? It would be nice to hear or read your reaction on this input... wish you a wonderful christmas time! Greetings from Kölle!!!

[@PB877]

Actually while watching your video, Matt Armstrong of the pen habit comes to my mind. He stopped doing pen habit videos because, in my mind, he was lost in „pleonexia“, or? Actually one of the negative aspects of the reduced collecting is that a lot of funny vids are missing... please remember your epic comparison between the bic ballpoint pen and the Montblanc 149!!! The same with the Prof. and Lord Windermere... or the disassembly line videos... these were good ol‘ times!!!

[@MotoMarta]

How much of this collecting is driven by the ongoing exposure to all of the collecting that other fp users do and promote? How much more obsessive or compulsive collecting is done by people who are active on or watch social media posts vs people who are not? How many people's collections are influenced by what their friends are collecting? I think part of the acquisition aspect is driven by a social desire to fit in or compete within the given realm. We are hard wired to mimic. We see others earning praise from the community by showing off the new acquisitions. We as a group celebrate the act of the acquisition. The act of getting a new pen so that it can be shown off I think is what drives many people. The dopamine shots get triggered not by having the thing but by going through the process of getting the thing. Then comes the dopamine shot from getting the social credits received when sharing the fact that you got a new thing. Having those things once you got them is rather useless as far as getting a happy jolt goes even if they are in fact useful things. How much social credit do you receive on social media when you post "look at this new Safari I just bought" vs "look at this old Safari that I have which I bought a while ago". The second statement is less valuable to make unless the item is scarce within the community either by being a sold out limited edition or being expensive which makes it harder to get for most others. How will this end is a question that can be answered if you are collecting. It can't be answered if you are accumulating. There might not be much real life value in collecting all the Sailor Pro Gears considering you can only write with one of them at a time, but there is I think a deep seated psychological value in the perceived value of social status and social commodity the collection can provide. That commodity of social value and the need to belong are hard wired in any social animal as part of basic survival instincts.

[@radellaf]

MotoMarta This way pre-dated social media, or the web (as we know it). I got started when the Zoss FP mailing list was _it_ for talking pens. If I bought a lot fewer shiny new things, well, 1997-2005 or so, there were relatively few new pens coming out. I still find online message boards way more rewarding socialization-wise vs social media. And Facebook way better than reddit or Instagram. The real diff is with, say, FPN or FPGEEKS, you can easily and often enjoy discussions that are years old. That "back catalog" moderates the 100% new! new! new! thing that social media exclusively presents.

[@anjichurch4406]

I think you are correct regarding the hunter gatherer line...reason being, I feel secure with my collections and I do come to a place when I feel safe and satiated with my accumulations...I have hundreds of pens, but many are just what it took to figure out what it is I prefer.

[@ichirofakename]

So true, it takes a certain amount of exploratory buying to foocus one's wants and needs.

[@Symphing12]

I'm at 15 or so pens and I'm already at this point. I still want to try, say, a Sailor, or a Platinum gold nib, maybe a Visconti? But I'm at that point. My wallet likes me. Oh, for a topic: it's not a pen topic, but an academia topic. How do you motivate yourself to research and write about that research?

[@dannywillmott1786]

I collect tarantulas. But keep them in beautiful naturalistic enclosures. It gives me happiness.

[@thetruth495]

Obsessive collecting is a form of mental illness, and I think I suffer from it. I collect both pens and watches and have spent north of $60k since 2006 on the hobby. I think collecting comes from lacking 'something' in your life, whether that is love/sex, or just other hobbies. For me it's just a manifestation of the mid-life crisis - I started collecting when I was 39 and I'm now pushing 54. I'm close to quitting now and sell more than I buy, though I see something that wows me then I'll probably get it. I wish I had something else that could make me happy, but I don't.

[@threethrushes]

A year on since you wrote your comment, and what has changed? I've spent the last few days in a daze, teetering on the edge of the fountain pen precipice - trying to recreate something from my youth when we used fountain pens at school, and spending more than a few pounds on a pen was crazy. I remember buying a Shaeffer in the 1990s which was probably GBP20 and seemed very fancy. I just dropped a few hundred Euro on a Montegrappa, just because I liked the design! Creating rather than consuming scratches the itch for me. I publish book, and my 'reward' for a new book is going to be a pen. So one a year!

[@caseym890]

Biggest problem is being able to try them.

[@amandajstar]

Accumulation -- you mean like my hubby's PAD (pipe acquisition disorder). This isn't my term or even his: it's well known within the pipe-smoking community : )

[@radellaf]

Could you link the previous video about collecting that you mention? This one? kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3_KaIiDZtqDl8k

[@davidsolomon7981]

I tell myself I collect because I am looking for the perfect pen. It will be a sad day if I find it.

[@radellaf]

david solomon Yeah I started that way. I was so far past that still making sense when I realized it didn't apply any more that I had to laugh. If there's an ideal (or close) pen for a purpose I might have, I probably already have a few of them.

[@sagnikadhikary2917]

Seriously, Dr. Brown! You've got to stop trying to explain/justify using professional terminology/categorization. If legit science terms me an accumulator rather than a (moustache tweak) collector, then that's that. I know this is an obsession and to be honest I am OK with that. There are other worse things to be obsessed about, much worse. If some people were offended at being accumulators, then I believe they can take their dainty little skirts and park them someplace where it don't b**thurt so much.