Does anyone else ever get really depressed about their collections?

[turbo500]

I'm feeling very out of sorts about collecting at the moment. I was in the cellar earlier on putting the dryer on and looked around at all these vacuums and just thought "...urgh!". They're taking up so much room, expense and time when I could be doing something far more productive. I am THIS close to selling any of any value and giving any less valuable but in full working order to charity. The thing is, I've felt like this before and it's gone, but never so strongly.

Does anyone else ever feel like this? If so, what do you do? I don't want to do anything I'm going to regret later.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[kenkart]

You will be...

Sorry, everything ive ever got rid of I wish I had back, and i have been collecting a long time.

 

[gsheen]

I get a bit down about the fact that I have so many in poor condition that I simply do not have the time to overhaul.

Thats all changing. I have been spending so much time getting our new shop setup and running smoothly that its all been put on the back burner.

I Just finished building a workshop at home again just for overhauling and rebuilding my collection.

I enjoy working on my collection and its a nice stress reliever

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I just look at everything at times and

wonder 'how it all got here'. I want to/nee to/ have to organize it all. I' know there ias a lot I 'll sell as there are a lot of "multiples". I think about if something were to happen to me. My family would go nuts.
But, I nerver thought I'd ever have these machines, so, I am VERY GLAD to actually have them. So, no, I'm not "out of sorts". Maybe just a tad overwhelmed at times. When it's all documented and displayed, I'll mentally be a lot better.
Be careful: everyone is RIGHT when they say, 'You'll regret it later', if you get rid of them.

 

[thekirbylover]

I hate having an vacuum obsession i would just love to have the usual interests but i cant really do anything about it, thankfully I have friends who don't understand, but don't like or hate me any less because of them, when i feel low about them I try to remove them all from my room

 

[ultimatevacman]

Hi Chris,

I know how you feel, I was having one of those days a few weeks ago, and it's no so easy to get over when the only place you are allowed to keep you vacuums is in your room, staring at you all the the time.

What I did, was think about where those vacuums came from, and all the memories they bring back. Also think, "today, I don't like my vacuums, but tomorrow, I'll love them!".

Just make sure you don't get rid of your collection, as you will really regret it if you do.

Joe

 

[AudibleNectar]

My view on "collecting":

I am one who will "stock up" on goods/parts for areas of interest (hobby) or use (vacuums) - but not to the point of hoarding beyond anticipated use.


 


Examples:


 


I am an audio enthusiast who has a decent array of gears, divided into two systems: One home theater/2 channel combo room, the 2 channel portion comprised of vacuum tube gear, and another system in a second room comprised of vintage vacuum tube gears that have been rebuilt for best sonics and operability. These systems are built of such quality to be good until I am dead (McIntosh/Klipsch from the 60's/70's, etc).


 


I have a few pieces (amp pairs and preamps) that can serve as parts donors or replacements if anything goes wrong, as well as a collection of vintage vacuum tubes, like Telefunken and Amperex Bugle Boy 12AX7 and Genelex KT66, which will never be made again and are necessary to maintain the special sonics these gears are capable of. Nothing brings such beautiful music! So if those tubes need replacing, I have "back stash" to be able to replace them, as well as those precious power supply cans, resistors, and capacitors that sound like no other.


 


But I don't have rooms full of a hundred different components, like many I know in the hobby, just collecting dust and rarely get touched. What I have are for use or planned use and are limited in scope.


 


The same with my vacuum equipment.


 


I have a small "collection", but more from a perspective of usability than anything else. Three Aerus/Lux uprights (one daily driver, one occasional, one to be the "backup"), three canisters (same scheme), three Floor Pros (same idea - I could buy extra light use Floor Pros for less than I could buy the included brushes by themselves) , along with a stash of belts and brush rollers, and am still gathering a few extra parts. But NOT 50 vacs. Or 100. I have what I have knowing that this will probably be all the vacuums I will need until I'm dead, built of a quality that will likely be more rare in the medium to long term future. So I stocked up on light use late model examples of what I want for vacs, and will fill out some extra anticipated parts to back them up. And then I will be done.


 


With my audio hobby, I finished the "collecting" long ago, once I found and got what I wanted/needed. I only replace/buy new when required - for example new HDTV gear a few years ago. But I haven't bought much else in years, because I have what I need and will potentially use to keep up that hobby. All I buy now is music and a movie on occasion.


 


So in that vein, I am less of a "collector" and more of an enthusiast. I like genuine quality in the things I use often, and will invest wisely in the things I know I will get good out of. But that's as far as it goes.

 

[alexhoovers94]

"I hate having a vacuum obsession"

I don't really hate having an "obsession" I have felt a strong interest towards vacuums since I can remember so I don't question it, and if I did question it, it would just lead to more questions!
I know that if I didn't spend my money on vacuum cleaners I would have more money for other things. If my money wasn't spent on vacuums it would just be something else that I would spend the same or more money on...There are far more worse things to spend your money on than vacuum cleaners I.E something that might kill you, like drugs, sex, alcohol, cigarettes.
If I normally loose interest in them I get them all out my way (I put them in the loft, shed or garage) so I can forget about them, I could NEVER sell them because if I were (which I knew I would) to get back into them I would regret it, very much!

I will leave you with this...You know what they say, you do what is right for you at that time. Good luck!

Alex.

 

[markus79]

you are not alone

Actually I have the same feeling right now. I have so many projects with my vacuums that I do not have time to do anything else. I have three different storages to my vacuums and one of them is my home!!! Right now there is 42 vacuums laying on my floor! Right now I own about 150 vacuums and it is so easy to buy but so difficult to sell or throw away (even broken ones). If I throw away some parts like a hose or wheel, next week I need it. Awful.

And it's so difficult to ask any friends to visit. I hope that I own the only one vacuum cleaner like normal people=)

You have a great collection, don´t sell it but maybe you can sort them out of sight for a while. Actually I will do that when I have time to do that. I hope to find for such a big place that I can get them out of my house.

Best Regards
Markus

 

[anthony]

i

tend to loose interest once i have repaired a machine and am always looking for the next challenge i dont spend a lot just a fiew pounds here and there i do like old vacuums better than new ones its like looking at a modern state of the art telly and then looking at one from say the 50s in a nice walnut cabinet with bakelite knobs no competition for me

 

[sebo_fan]

When it got to the point that my parents garage and loft became so chocka with many vacuums I had to draw the line. It is difficult trying to pick your favourites but at the same time, unless you are willing to sell your collection off bit by bit, if I had the chance to do it all again, I wouldn't because I learnt from my experience. I think something changed in me because as I sold off most of my collections, not always at profit I started to collect appliance brochures and vacuum cleaner paraphernalia instead. A couple of magazines is nothing to what I had before when it came to the 100s of vacuums I once owned.

Much more space now and little to fall over!

 

[starryblues4u]

Hmmm

I am going through that right now. Have been for a while. I have started selling off the ones I don't use. I am keeping my higher end brands.

 

[nycwriter]

Chris ...

... let me pose a few questions for you.

Do you think your vacuum hobby is keeping you from life responsibilities? (Work, family, etc.)

Do you think your vacuum hobby is keeping you from other activities that you think you might enjoy more?

Do you think your vacuum hobby is keeping you from being a more social person?

Do you think your vacuum hobby is keeping you from reaching your full potential (starting a business, writing a book, going back to school, etc.)

And finally, is the angst you feel about your collection generated externally, or internally? Is it something someone has told you? Are you framing your hobby -- something you love -- in the context of what OTHERS think and expect of you?

If you answered "no" to the first four questions, and "yes" to the final question, I believe I can safely assume that your difficulty is worrying too much about what other people think.

Enjoy your collection!

 

[kirbyvertibles]

Yes, toooooo many and not enough room.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Matt!!!!

That was profound.

 

[1926700]

Yes it was!!!!!

I dont see why SOOOO many people are so worried about there vacuums and what others think, we had this discussion in miscellanea involving the relationship side of it. But on the plain human side, it comes down the the same answer, BE YOUR SELF!!! if someone disapproves of you having 200 vacs, or in my case, plus 9 record players, and some large appliances, that is no business of there's.....everyone is not a carbon copy, if the good lord wanted us to be all the same he would have made us so.


 


the only thing that should make you question your collection, is if it is a battle with your self, inside your self, if something inside you is telling you so, then that would be a voice to heed, and follow. Just keep in mind that if you act to fast, then you might regret something, take your time. Think things over carefully. I love my vacs, but it has gotten to where i need to concentrate on only a few different machines and brands..... and that has helped massively.

 

[dysondestijl]

I really think I should just get a life but then I realise the joy of finding something in its box with all it's original tools is wonderfull!
If you do end up giving a few away then let me know

 

[turbo500]

Ok, here goes...

Q. Do you think your vacuum hobby is keeping you from life responsibilities? (Work, family, etc.)
A. Not necessarilly, but it is something I have to consider a lot. One of the things I want to do in the near future is move house so I'd have to pay more to find someone to keep them all.

Q. Do you think your vacuum hobby is keeping you from other activities that you think you might enjoy more?
A. Yes. IT's expensive. And rather than spending £30 or £40 on an old vacuum, I could be out doing something far more productive or at the very least, paying off things like my overdraft, credit card etc. I'm also in desperate need of new furniture and could be spending money on that.

Q. Do you think your vacuum hobby is keeping you from being a more social person?
A. No. Quite the opposite. I've met some of the best people I know through this.

Q. Do you think your vacuum hobby is keeping you from reaching your full potential (starting a business, writing a book, going back to school, etc.)
A. No. Although my work colleagues do seem to find it hilarious and that can be very distracting/annoying/upsetting at times.

Q. And finally, is the angst you feel about your collection generated externally, or internally? Is it something someone has told you? Are you framing your hobby -- something you love -- in the context of what OTHERS think and expect of you?
A. Difficult questions. I've had both positive and negative reactions to collecting. I'm not a person who really cares what others think of me. I've firmly accepted my flaws and my positives, and if somebody doesn't like me for it, then I can't really done anything about that. If someone didn't like me for something that wasn't true, then I would be upset about it. But overall, no, I don't think this is a feeling that has been brought on by others.

I'm actually feeling a lot better about it today. I'm going down to visit Jon & Jack in the not so distant future. I think being around my close collector friends will do me some good and help me make a decision about whether to carry on collecting or part with the collection.

Thanks everyone for all your comments, really appreciate it.

 

[sensotronic]

I sold most of my collection in the 90's including some pretty rare machines, but I still have a lot of them on video which can be seen on my YouTube channel. I sold these through local papers, long before Ebay existed and if I had them now, I know I would have made quite a lot of money selling them to collectors. I do regret getting rid of some models, but once I started selling them and seeing the space that was created, it got kind of addicted to it and ended up getting rid of models I wasn't originally going to part with.

I seldom got my entire collection out to look at and when I did I was sick of the sight of them after a couple of days and had to pack them away. If I had kept every cleaner I had, then I would have over 400 machines which I certainly wouldn't have room for. My collection has built up a bit over the past few years, but I do sell some from time to time and I will start selling some of the newer vacs I have bought very soon. I like buying new cleaners, unboxing them, videoing them and trying them out for the first time, but now if a cleaner doesn't suit me for any reason, I sell it. For example today I was using my Morphy Richards Lift Away, (based on the Shark Navigator Lift Away) and found it much more pleasant to use than the Dyson DC25 I bought a few weeks ago. So the Dyson is going to be sold and I will continue to use the Morphy Richards from time to time.

I really wish I didn't have this urge to buy vacuum cleaners and if I could get therapy on the NHS that would help me to stop, I would do it in a heartbeat. I do enjoy vacuum cleaners and vacuuming with different models, but when it comes down to it, they are just inanimate objects that perform a household task. This is how the majority of people see them. We are all going to die one day and our vacuum cleaners will not be waiting for us in the afterlife (if you believe there is one) and someone will have to deal with your collection after you've gone. My partner jokingly (I think) says he will hire a big skip.

Chris, I don't know how many cleaners you have, but why not get rid of a few that you like the least and see how you feel? Try and trim your collection to cleaners that you enjoy using or have for sentimental reasons.
If your collection gets you down, what is the point in keeping it?

Like I said, I regret getting rid of some cleaners, but I regret other things in my life that are more important than selling some vacuum cleaners. I lost my beautiful dog Rupert four months ago at the age of four due to diabetes and I would gladly get rid of all my collection if I could just hold him again for a few minutes.

To quote Beth Nielsen Chapman, "All that matters in the end, is how we love."

http://www.songlyrics.com/beth-nielsen-chapman/how-we-love-lyrics/