Do you collect anything as a hobby?

[Locut0s]

Numismatics, Philatelist, Phillumenists, Deltiologists, Bibliophiles, Conchologists, Arctophiles, Cartophilists, Tegestologists unite!

Do you enjoy collecting anything?

I've been very slowly collecting vintage video game consoles and games. I could see getting into other forms of collecting as well.

[redwitch]

1. Hugs from folk singers.

So far I have Pete Seeger, John McCutcheon, Bob Warren and the late great Utah Phillips. The latter is extremely rare as he did not like touching. It's a great collection and it doesn't take any money ( well, except for tickets to the show) and it doesn't take up any space ( except in my heart).

I also collect vintage Christmas ornaments and decorations. Or used to before I became broke.

[marzipanni]

105. Just heard an interview with John McCutcheon on Friday

He'll be playing in a nearby town tonight.
Here's the interview, and a video from last year's visit at the radio station when he was on his annual California tour.

http://www.capradio.org/news/insight/2014/01/17/insight-011714/

[HappyMe]

2. Dust.

There's some under the couch and some on the book shelves.

edit to add - I have a small collection of needlework books.

[loli phabay]

45. eventually you can collect dust bunnies

[HappyMe]

65. Nope. I dusted and stuff,

so no dust bunnies for me.

[progressoid]

91. I've expanded my collection to include to cobwebs.

[WinkyDink]

3. Used to; need $$ for in-home caregivers now (DH).

[MrScorpio]

4. I used to collect comics

I can't afford to do that anymore

[NewJeffCT]

9. I quit comics about 20 years ago

keeping up with all the new crap that was coming out at the time became too expensive.

[Neoma]

5. Art supplies, books, videogames...Dangling earrings...

Mostly books though.

[Chan790]

6. Books: rare books, 1st editions, art catalogues, old books.

I have enough that I should consider once I'm employed again, taking an apprenticeship in a rare-book dealer and get certified as an appraiser and as an archivist/restorer.

It could be a career. Restoring, trading and selling in expensive books. I estimate my personal collections, stored safely across several locations probably has a 5-or-6-figure value. (I'd never keep them in my home, that's asking for trouble.)

[BobUp]

7. Film noir

most recently, a colorized version of "The Fastest Gun Alive" which isn't nearly as good as the original version, but when you find one for $12.00 vs a b&w version for $30.00, you take what you can get.

Most of the noir films I find are from sellers on eBay or IOffer, and the films they sell are out of print, no longer available, and in the public domain, some I own are pretty rare, but they're a niche, you have to like and get into really old films.

[pipi_k]

8. Copper

No, not the coins...

Copper kitchen type items. I have a shelf with trivets, cups, canisters, salt and pepper shakers, and more, all made of copper. The backsplash over my kitchen sink is copper too.

And I also have a small collection of funky/sparkly bracelets. I'm not a flashy dresser, but I do like to wear a bit of odd bling every now and then.


PS..and yarn. Lots of yarn. But most knitters/crocheters would probably say the same thing.

[Xyzse]

10. I used to be a philatelist...

I am thinking of giving away my stamps at some point, if I can ever find them.

I need to get rid of a bunch of books, sad part is, a ton of them are first edition sci fi and fantasy.

I still have my old SNES and Genesis, as well as an original PS, Dreamcast and so forth.

[csziggy]

50. If you have any Ace doubles, let me know!

My husband and I have a bunch of them, plus I have a lot of old science fiction anthologies, some going back to the 40s and 50s.

While I don't collect recent (as in the last few decades recent) or first edition sci fi, I'm always looking for the old stuff - 40s, 50s, 60s, some 70s.

[Xyzse]

59. Sadly no.

I started collecting in the 80s.

I have to try to find them.

[csziggy]

64. Oh well

I began reading sci fi in the 60s and our little public library mostly had decades old stuff so that was my introduction. When I was able to begin accumulating books, a lot of those old books were showing up in used book stores and at thrift shops so I grabbed a lot then.

My husband had a fantasy/sci fi shop for a while and bought and sold books. He kept every Ace double that came through the shop - that is the foundation of our collection.

[Aristus]

11. First editions, autographed , if possible.

I've got several shelves full of first editions, some autographed, some not. The most I have by one author is nine or ten by Harlan Ellison.

Most of them probably aren't worth very much on the collectors market. I just like collecting them.

When my dad died, I inherited a number of his first edition books on the history of Nazi Germany. They might be worth something; I need to get them appraised.

[Tom_Foolery]

12. I used to collect pocket watches...

But I had to sell the collection.

[ISW]

13. I collect Seiko watches.

[Paulie]

79. Spring drive as well?

I dream of getting one one day.

[ISW]

81. Me too, but it is a little beyond my price range.

[LiberalEsto]

14. Pet hair

It's everywhere.
Two dogs, two cats.

[pipi_k]

16. If you knit...

or know someone who does...



http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bY21VdKkL._SX258_PJlook-inside-v2,TopRight,1,0_SH20_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

[LiberalEsto]

18. I wish I could knit

Unfortunately I am not very good at that kind of thing.

[raven mad]

82. I sent my granddaughter a sled-dog fur hat!

http://www.novaskayasams.com/HairPages/Alaska%20Range%20Creations%20New/AlaskaRangeCreations%20New.htm

Could be you don't just have pet hair - you have a commodity!

[LiberalEsto]

84. We used to have a Samoyed

Now THAT was a commodity.
I once saw an article about knitting shawls and blankets from Samoyed fur.

PS, What's your mailing address?

[raven mad]

89. "PS, What's your mailing address?"

No way, LiberalEsto - I have 5 cats in a 700 sq. ft. cabin! Plenty of fur flies here already! As far as collecting, my habit leans toward baskets - always big enough to let them sleep in, of course!

[mgc1961]

15. Coins and books, though I'm not actively collecting these days.

I recently sold most of my uncirculated and proof coin sets. I'm down to an eclectic collection of individual coins from various countries covering three (3) centuries.

I have a dozen or so old books. A few of them are from the middle of the 19th century.

[B Calm]

17. By the looks of my garage, a lot of things!

[hunter]

19. Old film cameras.

It gives me a kick to buy expensive cameras I lusted after as a kid for $10, and an even bigger kick to buy old snap-shooters for fifty cents or a dollar.

I clean them up and get them working, but I usually don't run more than one roll of film through them because the film and developing (which I often do myself) is more expensive than the cameras themselves. But the "look" and randomness of chemical photography is difficult to duplicate. I used to amuse myself writing filters and scripts for GIMP that approached the look of particular old camera and film, but Apple and Instagram took the fun out of that. These days digital pictures manipulated to look like film simply irritate me.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

20. I've been told that what I have is a car collection

I have four vintage cars (no new ones) that I use as daily drivers ('73 Saab, '69 Citroen, '61 Renault, '57 DKW). Here are photos of cars that look like them. I love old cars and hate new ones.

[polihood]

23. Wow

Those are some very nice rides.

[Mopar151]

85. Very nice!

I've never seen those wheels on a SAAB. Citroens aren't new or old - they are from another space-time continum entirely!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

88. My old Saab doesn't have those wheels

but it's the same color and vintage. In the Citroen I sometimes imagine myself in an alternate reality like Lemmy Caution in the movie Alphaville (although I believe he drove a '63 ID while I have a '69 DS)

[DebJ]

21. Hubby collects armies; I collect books and dead people.

Hubby loves military history. About 30 years ago he got into military gaming, first paper games,
then the actual miniatures. Our entire basement is filled with drawers of miniature armies.
The very large majority of them he never even looks at, and there must be at least 20 armies
he never finished putting together. Each little soldier has to be glued together, arms, legs, heads,
weapons, etc., and then they are SUPPOSED to be painted. Most of his are not painted. I told
him he never gets around to painting because he is actually attracted to this hobby for the
glue-sniffing, LOL. Although he does only very limited detail painting, he does spray paint them
with a base coat...spray paint sniffing LOL. He has Muslim armies, Roman armies, Greek armies,
Monguls, Brits, you name it, in the historical lines. Then there are the numerous fantasy armies
I couldn't begin to name. Well over 100,000 figures.

To play with these armies, he creates my favorite part of his hobby: battlefields and miniature
cities. He is very creative and has done some amazing stuff. The battlefields range from historical
recreations from Napolean, and ancient British history and the Crusades, to sci-fi type other planet
type of creations. I stole part of the latter for my grandson last Christmas, giving him a miniature
moon platform for the astronaut figures we gave him for Christmas after he expressed interest
in going to the moon one day (he is three years old).

It is a very bizarre hobby, especially for a pacifist. I've been to a few of the annual conventions,
and the geekiness factor is extreme. My first thought was that I wondered how any of these
(almost solely) men ever get married and reproduce....then instantly laughed since I had married
one myself.

One time he told me heaven for him would be spending eternity doing this hobby. To me,
that would be absolute hell. I can barely see what some of the figures are. I think they
run 5mm to 25mm (I can see the 25s okay).

I have about 400 history books, 98% US history. I've only read about 60% of them so I've
slowed down my purchases. I also collect dead people............via family ancestry, that is,
which I've been doing for about 10 years. My favorite part is acquiring photographs of ancestors
from distant relatives that I find online. One of my favorite pictures I acquired this way was
of my great-great grandparents who lived from 1832-1893; they are in a top hat and furs.
I acquired that picture after sharing online a picture of their son, my great grand Uncle Benjamin
Dunham, in an acrobat's outfit. Turns out Benjamin travelled the world with Ziegfeld, of Ziegfeld's
Follies (the follies came later on), and was world famous, and is on a poster in the National Archives.
One woman acrobat who travelled with them and performed with them was the first person ever to
do a triple summersault from a trapeze. When I shared my family's pics of Benjamin, another poster
online shared their different set of pictures. Great fun. In Benjamin's heyday in the late 1800s-early 1900s
trapeze artists were a bit of a rage, and rather scandalous in their tight skimpy clothing.

Most of the pics I have are only headstones though ( I have over 4000 photos for 7338 people), and
my husband finds that to be hysterically funny, that I collect headstone photos. Hey, I majored in
history(as did he) and headstones are documentation! I also got photos (of their faces ) from distant relatives of
two other interesting great-great grandparents. I have stories that made the front page of the Washington
Post in the early 1900s....an attempted murder of one grand uncle by another...they made up later even
though one of them lived for decades with a bullet in his back. People who were government leaders,
and mostly, tales of the 'common man'.... their trials and tribulations make ours seem like nothing...
like my great-grandmothers who married extremely young (try 12 for one of them), several of whom
died after giving birth to baby #14 or #16, with many dying as babes in arms. I like to put their stories
into the historical perspective of the time. Many are in DC, so I'm interested in the history of DC. Some
are in Jamestown, some in Plymouth. All of this documented. As a history major, I need proof before
I add a relative.

Comparing our two 'collections', mine is electronic, so it doesn't take up much room, except for the few
birth and death certificates I have ordered so far (which I also scan). My hobby produces something that
all of my family, close and extended, shares and enjoys... I write stories about the lives of these people and
share them. When I join the ranks of family ancestry, and become one of those who have passed on, there
won't be much to clean up after me, as it is electronic. All can share and use it, but it takes up no space.
And for the most part, it has only cost me $30 a month for limitless hours of fun exploring and developing
the story of my family, with occasionally the purchase of a birth/death/marriage certificate or a historical
book about particular areas where my family was either significant or widespread. I have also 'collected'
new friends via living relatives I never knew existed until I researched. On the other hand, hubby's hobby is extremely
expensive (because he has OCD with it), and will be an absolute nightmare to dispose of, unless sold in
lump form at a greatly discounted price just to dispose of it. So, if you want to do other collections, there
are some considerations.

[grasswire]

25. where do you find people wanting to share photos?

I need to do that. I did find a photo of a great great grandfather who I had never seen, in google books. Need more.

[DebJ]

28. Two main sources

Ancestry.com and www.findagrave.com (now owned by Ancestry), the latter being a free site.

Some pictures are posted as 'public' pictures on Ancestry and you can add those to your website.
On the other hand, some trees and/or their pictures are private (as mine is). In those cases,
you contact via Ancestry.com the people who have trees with the same relatives, and ask if they
will share information or pictures with you. I always share my pictures with whomever asks,
but I do so via email or find a grave because I don't grant access to my tree except for close
relatives, or verifiable relatives, or distant relatives I have learned and shared much with...
in those cases, I only block viewing of living people in my tree (cause birthdates, cities, mother's
maiden names etc are all on there).

That was how I got the other pictures of trapeze artist Benjamin Dunham and my great-great grandparents
(his parents), as well as other pics of great-great grandparents. I actually found a first cousin my mother
(who is still with us at 85) didn't even know she had...her Aunt had moved to the west coast in the 1940s
with three children; waited quite a few years and then had several more children. The families had lost
contact and Mom didn't know about the second set of children. We are now FB friends and continue
to share a lot through FB.

I have also found distant cousins on FB and simply emailed, through FB, pictures and info I have
on mutual relatives.

[grasswire]

35. I find it a bother to connect with people on ancestry who keep their trees private.

What is the point of that? Aside from living relatives, what does it matter if research is posted openly? Isn't the point information sharing?

[antiquie]

38. Information wants to be free

[DebJ]

55. I've considered going public, but then you have to be moving very slowly

so as to insure that every single living person is listed as living. For awhile there, the program was
set up to default to dead unless you changed it to living, meaning all of that person's information would
be public...birth dates, etc. I have slowed down in my tree now with a base of 7300 people. So if i get
the time to go back to insure that every living person (or might be living person) which is hundreds
are each set up as 'living', then I would feel free to do so. I've seen many a person on other public
trees whose info had been inadvertently revealed this way, and immediately advised the tree owner
of such so they could change it. Problem is, sometimes people don't check their ancestry mail for
months at a time. So, that's why.

[antiquie]

57. Thank you, valid reason.

[cyberswede]

22. Vintage radios, jazz 78s from the 20s-40s...

cocktail shakers


Nancy Ann dolls


dresden figurines


My favorite radio is one like this:

[grasswire]

24. 78s!

When I was an officer in a jazz society, someone donated a 78 collection. In sorting it, I found the entire set of recordings of the ODJB at their first recording session. That was very cool, even though I didn't own them.

[grasswire]

26. 12,000 pieces of sheet music

Popular music mostly prior to 1939. Mostly in storage. Agh. An albatross of sorts.

[csziggy]

52. I just acquired a large number of sheet music pieces

That had belonged to a music teacher. She apparently cleaned out her studio and donated them to a local library. The Friends of the Library couldn't sell them and were going to throw them out so my sister rescued them. My musical nephews took a few pieces, but I brought the rest home.

I have the family piano though I no longer play, and having this music will at least give the illusion someone uses the instrument.

[OriginalGeek]

27. I have a small vinyl LP collection

a little over 200 albums. I would have had a lot more if I hadn't caved to convenience and started buying CDs in the early 90s however I am slowly rectifying that by buying nothing but new vinyl from here on out and visiting local record shops to fill in gaps and stuff I missed in the nineties and the aughts.

[a la izquierda]

29. Stray dogs and books.

Thankfully, I'm limited to three dogs at a time.
Also thankfully, I'm a university professor, so my office is the book depository.

I'll soon start collecting stamps in my passport: up next, Canada, Germany, and Spain.

[Blue_Tires]

30. hot wheels cars

i used to buy them whenever I ran by the supermarket like some pathological obsession...

I didn't ever keep them for long; when I got too many of them I'd give them away to neices and nephews or to charity...

[Callmecrazy]

31. I am a spermologist...

Get your minds out of the gutter.
A spermologist is a collector of trivia.

[GoCubsGo]

32. Cool stuff...

I.e., shells, beach glass, fossils, pretty stones, feathers, foreign coins and stamps, stamps featuring plants or animals...

If I could afford it, I'd be collecting Southwestern Native American pottery, Kachina dolls and jewelry. I already have a few pieces I bought before my life turned to shit.

[mrmpa]

33. I have collected.......

sail boats (not ones that go to sea) but knick knacks, paper weights, etc. I also collect old post cards, I like giving them as gifts, e.g.
For my 83 year old mother's first birthday after my Dad died, she was 70 I gave her post cards of where they had lived, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Miami, New Bedford and Camp Lejeune, where they had met Virginia Beach and where they were married near Parris Island. The one from Parris Island was a shock to her and to me, it was the hotel my Dad put her up in for the 3 days before they married. They are old post cards from the '50's, all linen. She has them framed together and it's on a wall in her bedroom.

I have done this for others and it is a treat for me to try and find the cards and a treat for those who receive them.

[antiquie]

39. What a wonderful gift!

What a generous spirit you have.

[mrmpa]

56. I humbly thank you....eom

[kwassa]

34. Dust.

I try to move as little as possible to perfect the best collecting method.

[Arkansas Granny]

36. Rocks. They range from specimens of semi-precious stones to

rocks I picked up on a creek bank because I thought they looked interesting. Some have been incorporated into my flower beds outside, some are displayed inside and I even have the proverbial box of rocks. Friends have brought me rocks from different places they've visited, too. One of my favorites is a rock from the Urinals River which flows in the valley below Machu Pichu.

[Locut0s]

44. Do you have a polisher?...

I wanted to get into rock and gem collecting. There are lots of quarries, rock slides and other formations here in BC where you can go hunting for rocks. There are a few guide books as well. I thought of taking this up at one time with the specific goal of getting a rock / gem polisher. Some very mundane looking stones become very beautiful when cut and polished!

[Arkansas Granny]

49. No, I like to keep them in their natural state.

Polished stones make beautiful jewelry and I love wearing them, but they don't have the same memories as the ones I find.

[Orrex]

66. I find Polish jokes offensive.

Wait.
What?

[applegrove]

37. I get rid of books after I've read them. But I love frogs. They are such joyous animals. If I come

across one at a store I'll stop and look at it. But I don't buy very often.

[Locut0s]

40. There is something endearing about frogs isn't there?...

Not just cute but as you say they seem to almost feel happy. I know its an anthropomorphic quality we have given them but it's hard not to feel that way. The few times I've come across Them in the wild I just had to pick them up too

[applegrove]

43. I used to come across them in the wild as a kid. I remember bringing baby road toads

to the frog pond (because to my child's eyes that was their home). As an adult I'm not too sure that was the right thing to do. But yeah. We used to put on rubber boots and step into the ponds filled with algae. You'd see just the eyes of the frogs sticking up out of the water. We catch them and then let them go. As an adult I worked it a gift shop that had all kinds of frogs for sale. I so wanted to put them all in the window for display with a sign that said "WE HAVE FROGS!!!". But I was just a cashier. Since then I have bought maybe 5 frogs (stuffed, china, pin, iron, keychain). I don't look for them. But if I come across them in a store I stop.

[Demo_Chris]

41. Friends. So far I just have one but I am working on my collection.

[Vashta Nerada]

42. Fingernails and hair from peoples' garbage.

I'm kidding.

I collect books. So far, I have well over 3,000 of them. I do read them!

[loli phabay]

46. enemies...

oh and naked pics.

[In_The_Wind]

47. LOL

[IrishEyes]

48. I collect coins and political pins.

I have hundreds of old coins from around the world. I have been collecting them since I was a kid. I started collecting old political pins a couple of years ago. I have about a hundred political pins so far.

[chungking34]

51. I collect model cars

So far I have around 50 in my collection.

[trof]

53. Beets.

I have almost 5,000 so far.

[Locut0s]

62. As in music? nt.

[Initech]

54. I build PCs and I have two computers that I use regularly, and an HTPC.

And I also have my laptop and two tablets - a second gen iPad and a Dell Venue 8 Pro.

These are the two PCs I have (at least the cases) :





And then the HTPC:



Yeah I'm a bit obsessed.

[Locut0s]

58. Wow we should talk :P...

I've build my last 4 or more computers. The behemoth I'm running now I built when I was working at a computer hardware reseller about 2 years ago. I got stuff just about at cost since I was an employee. The specs are:

Intel i7 970 CPU (I actually got this directly from Intel MUCH cheaper than the public can normally get it due to working for a reseller)

Gigabyte X58-ud3r mobo

18GB of Ram (again working at a retailer I was able to get some good deals)

ASUS Radeon 5970 video card (spent too much on this sucker and it overheated in a year. Now forced to use a crappy vid card)
2x

2 x 2TB WD Green HD in RAID 1 config (so I only see 2TB of the 4)

250GB Kingston SSD

750GB Samsung 840 Evo SSD (this was a gift some time back)

Sound card salvaged from another system (sound blaster live gamer I believe)

Corsair Obsidian 800D Case (love the look of this beast)

Kind of nuts I guess. But like you a bit obsessed.

[Initech]

63. It can be a bit obsessive and expensive!

I'm actually a moderator over at Tom's Hardware. I used to have an i7-920 and then I upgraded to an i5-3570K. I can post the part lists for my builds:

[url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mU2E]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mU2E/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url] / [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mU2E/benchmarks/]Benchmarks[/url]

CPU: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80637i53570k]Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor[/url] ($219.96 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-cpu-cooler-m02000000234]EVGA M020-00-000234 84.0 CFM CPU Cooler[/url]
Motherboard: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz77xud3h]Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard[/url] ($148.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/mushkin-memory-993995]Mushkin Blackline 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory[/url] ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/ocz-internal-hard-drive-vtx425sat3128g]OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk[/url] ($127.90 @ Staples)
Storage: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezrx]Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive[/url] ($65.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-video-card-111990320g]Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card[/url] (2-Way CrossFire) ($289.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-video-card-111990320g]Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card[/url] (2-Way CrossFire) ($289.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-case-cc600twmwht]Corsair 600T White Graphite ATX Mid Tower Case[/url] ($172.78 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/pc-power--cooling-power-supply-ppcmk2s950]PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk II 950W 80+ Silver Certified ATX Power Supply[/url]
Optical Drive: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/lite-on-optical-drive-ihas124-04]Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer[/url] ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/plextor-optical-drive-pxlb950sa]Plextor PX-LB950SA Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer[/url]
Operating System: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-wn700404]Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit)[/url] ($97.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1585.59
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-09 02:25 EST-0500)

And then for my second rig:

[url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mU4L]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mU4L/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url] / [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mU4L/benchmarks/]Benchmarks[/url]

CPU: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80619i73820]Intel Core i7-3820 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor[/url] ($294.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2]Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler[/url] ($33.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-x79agd45plus]MSI X79A-GD45 Plus ATX LGA2011 Motherboard[/url] ($249.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmx16gx3m4a1600c9]Corsair XMS3 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory[/url] ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sandisk-internal-hard-drive-sdssdxp240gg25]Sandisk Extreme II 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk[/url] ($209.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-hd103sj]Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive[/url] ($114.98 @ Amazon)
Video Card: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-02gp42662kr]EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card[/url] ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Case: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-case-500rwt]Corsair 500R White ATX Mid Tower Case[/url] ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ss750km]SeaSonic 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply[/url] ($156.66 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/pioneer-optical-drive-bdr2206]Pioneer BDR-2206 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer[/url]
Optical Drive: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/plextor-optical-drive-px891sa28]Plextor PX-891SA-28 DVD/CD Writer[/url]
Operating System: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-fqc04649]Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)[/url] ($133.00 @ Amazon)
Monitor: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-ve247h]Asus VE247H 23.6" Monitor[/url] ($144.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1778.55
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-09 02:26 EST-0500)

And then for the HTPC:

[url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mU7k]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mU7k/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url] / [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mU7k/benchmarks/]Benchmarks[/url]

CPU: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80623i32120]Intel Core i3-2120 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor[/url] ($114.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-motherboard-120sbe672kr]EVGA 120-SB-E672-KR Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard[/url]
Memory: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/mushkin-memory-996770]Mushkin Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory[/url] ($76.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz7pc128dam]Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk[/url] ($147.80 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd5003azex]Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive[/url] ($72.22 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-01gp31556kr]EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti 1GB Video Card[/url]
Case: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/silverstone-case-gd05b]Silverstone GD05B HTPC Case[/url]
Power Supply: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-s12ii430b]SeaSonic S12II 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply[/url] ($65.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/pioneer-optical-drive-bdr206dbks]Pioneer BDR-206DBKS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer[/url]
Operating System: [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-gfc02050]Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)[/url] ($82.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $560.96
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-09 02:27 EST-0500)

It took me several years and lots of trial and error to collect all these parts. My second rig actually currently uses an i5-3450, but I'm planning to get the i7 in a couple months when I get my tax refund. I already have the motherboard and the cooler. On my first rig I very badly want to sell my 7870s for a GTX 780TI but the cost of the 780TI is quite a bit steep!

[hopemountain]

60. lately, i have become obsessed

with lichens and mosses

[Locut0s]

61. Do you collect them in an album?

I've heard people collect lichens and mosses:

http://www.huh.harvard.edu/collections/lichens/collecting.html

[hopemountain]

73. not at this time

but i do have them separated according to shape and color. they inspire me!

thank you very much for the link!

[Bucky]

67. Rejection notices

Not from publications; from women

[Throd]

68. Oldsmobiles and beer cans

I have about 4000+ different cans. Started collecting the as a kid in 1974 and never stopped.

[tabbycat31]

69. Campaign memoribilia

Or as it's known in the industry, chum. (T-shirts, stickers, buttons, pens, signs, etc).

[Broken_Hero]

70. A few things,

mostly superhero toys/memorabilia, comic books, and magic the gathering cards(I collect/play).

[murielm99]

71. Vintage coffee mugs

I collected the old, heavy types from diners. I have stopped doing that, because I have so many, and I can only display so many at a time. I have quite a few in storage.

At the time I started buying them, they were cheap. Now, they have become valuable. I'm not sure I could afford them any more, even if space were not an issue.

[oneshooter]

72. Firearms and related equipment dating from 1750 to Korea.

been collecting for 40+ years. All firearms operational, and stored in fireproof steel safes, bolted to wall and floor. I have 2 rooms dedicated to original packs, uniforms, canteens,bayonets, meat cans and other equipment.

[raven mad]

94. I'd love o se some pictures!

My mom was a state rifle (.22) champ in 1934 back east. We all learned from her; never collected but old firearms are fascinating!

[TeeYiYi]

74. Pencils...

Vintage mechanical pencils, regular #2 and colored pencils, fountain pens, quill pens... Also, paper. It's a curse. :/

TYY

[Packerowner740]

75. Coins, stamps, football cards

[UTUSN]

76. Bells. Because of Navy. n/t

[raven mad]

95. Then you'd love one mom left me.

It is said (no provenance) to be made of canon metal from the Maine!

[UTUSN]

96. First, WELCOME to DU, although I'm not an official spokesperson

Last edited Fri Jan 17, 2014, 10:49 AM - Edit history (1)

And you'll soon find that I am fairly erratic in the quality of my posting, so let it just slide over!1 (The "1" after the exclamation point is just a DU-ism, when a poster was so excited that the pressing of the key resulted in "!1" - so it's a reference about OVER-enthusiasm or something.)

Next, so I'll be expecting to receive your heirloom any time now?!1 (I'm KIDDING!1)

As for my collecting, it's both erratic and specific, and also it's not of any "gourmet" style. That is, I like METAL little hand bells, that have some kind of figurine or animal or whatever totem handle, that mostly are about 3" high total, although I have about a half dozen that are 7" high, plus a gate bell of the gate bell size (rooster), plus ONE "ranch" bell outside that is one of those humongous, black iron things.

Yours sounds connoisseur quality, most of mine are not but interesting in the aggregate. I have a total of about fifty little bells, don't even have a count. I have found them at flea markets and second hand junk stores, and a very few from eBay, almost all of them under $7. One of them was 50 CENTS, a Harley Davidson eagle promotional thing. Otherwise I'm looking at a rooster, a dolphin, teddy bear, 2 carnival horses, an antlered deer, a Revolutionary soldier, my own Navy LONE SAILOR (that I mounted the figurine itself onto a scrap bell), the Seattle Space Needle, and on and on.

I've learned a couple of things about collecting in general and about bells. Collecting can mean COLLECTING DUST, plus with these metal bells, POLISHING. I don't do dusting and polishing except every few years, so there's THAT.

And as for bells, they're cute to look at, but RINGING, generally NOT. I tried ringing JOKINGLY for a barmaid and soon got thoroughly CHEWED OUT. In fact, she pretty much threatened to jump over the counter and THROTTLE ME if I kept ringing that danged bell!1 As for the gigantic ranch bell, when I rung rang it once, a neighbor dude came TEARING around from the front of his house in a TOTAL FREAK OUT PANIC. Not to complain, just that the bell's ringing to him meant some kind of emergency. And ringing the gate bell is uncomfortable to my visitors, except the Jehovah's Witnesses, who seem to enjoy it. So my bells don't get rung much, not to mention DUSTED or POLISHED.

[raven mad]

97. Thanks for the welcome - and the giggle fit!

My father-in-law (I loved him; he's been gone 5 years now, and is greatly missed) was USN in WWII. He left my husband a silver tea set from a ship he served on in the South Pacific. It was given to him as a "bribe" from a captain who needed a ride to shore on my father-in-law's ship-too-shore transport (and knew they'd just made a beer run)!

The bell I have is only about 6" tall; if I knew how to post photos, I'd dig it out and send one!

[UTUSN]

101. Gosh, I luerve (another DU-ism) those WW2 types/ although I'll tell you THIS story

Last edited Fri Jan 17, 2014, 11:00 AM - Edit history (2)

You know us Vietnam vets are conflicted. So at a flea market I had my ballcap with "U.S.Navy Veitname Vietam" whatever and this old man had his cap that said "U.S.Navy WW2" whatever.

So I went to shake hands and said "shipmate" whatever. And do you know what the ASSHOLE replied? He said, "No, WE were in the BIG war." And he refused to take my hand. AND I grabbed his hand and said, "GIVE me your f***ing hand you stoopid a-hole!1"


ON EDIT: Actually, I did NOT call him "you stoopid a-hole" - at least not orally - but DID say the rest.

[raven mad]

102. My ex (and he's a great guy) -

is a 3-tour 'Nam vet. I still know the call signs. My dad (also WW2 and Korea) NEVER dissed a veteran - ever. So this asshat you encountered was probably one before he ever went Navy! There's idiots everywhere; unfortunately, you encountered one. My father-in-law never had a bad word - unless it was a really tasteless pun - to say to anyone. My cousin, who was career Navy, gave his best friend's daughter a macaw that had the BEST cuss lines ever!

[Jamaal510]

77. Not as a hobby, but I have collected about 2 dozen hats and caps. nt

[IntravenousDemilo]

78. Yes, I collect anything as a hobby.

Some people would call it hoarding, though.

[LumosMaxima]

80. Neurotic quirks?

Only half-kidding.

[HipChick]

83. Bras,Boots and Shoes....

I think some would call it a fetish..

[Mopar151]

86. 2nd generation hoarder of car-related magazines, books, "automobilia"

And a nice, eceltic music collection, 500+ albums, Plus - Mrs. Mopar and I have a ponderous personal library, as well as her cookbook and cooking collections.

[geardaddy]

87. I used to collect pin on buttons

and beer cans as a kid.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

90. I'm a fountain pen nut...

Vintage especially. And of course, you gotta have ink. It's fun to try different inks. I haven't gone too crazy with papers yet, but you definitely must have fountain pen friendly paper. After nine or so years of collecting, I finally got a leather pouch that carries five pens and a small notepad. Lotta people like Moleskine, but I think the ink bleeds and feathers on it.

I even have a late 1880's Conklin Crescent fill with a verrrry flexy nib. That' s how they wrote Copperplate and Spencerian handwritting in the 19th century! So cool!!

And then there are nibs. I like flex nibs the best, and stub points.....it's just fun practicing the best handwriting you can. Finding the rhythm with that particular pen, nib and ink..... good clean geeky fun.

I've also got about 10 cool Tarot card decks, and a bunch of cookbooks. And some antique cookware. Copper pots and pans from a junk store that i got for peanuts! Ooooweeeeeeee did i ever hit junk shop gold on that.

Actually, now that I think about it, ive got a great collection,of vintage furniture nabbed from junk stores over the last thirty years! Even a working 1940's electric fan. Gorgeous vintage, heavy black cast iron---from a GARAGE sale!!! SCORE!!!!!

[Fearless]

92. Not so much collect as accumulate.

[NYC_SKP]

93. Fountain Pens, Maps and Globes, Antique tools, Eyewear, Watches.

And the odd book!

[AsahinaKimi]

98. I love collecting...

I have a ton of autographed photos by celebrities... but they are all packed away at this moment. My most and treasured items, were a complete collection of RAGE game playing cards, from White Wolf, Words of Darkness. I even had some very rare cards, that were difficult to find or get.. Unfortunately, I had them in storage in a storage place, and it came at time I was suddenly unemployed, and could not further pay rent on the place. The cards, and all my belongings were sold at auction to pay for the rented space. I never knew if the cards were given away, sold or thrown in the dumpster. I suspect the last..

[Art_from_Ark]

103. Ouch

That must have hurt.

My mom disposed of my Dr. Seuss book collection-- probably 15-20 books-- when I was "too old" for them, and got a grand total of $2 out of the deal. And to this day, I don't know what happened to my collection of baseball cards from the late '60s and early '70s, some of which undoubtedly would have been worth a few dollars today.

[libodem]

99. I've slowed down

But I have collected tea cups, mini tea cups, toy tea sets, dolls, old toys, doll houses and miniatures. Yee gads.

[img][/img]

[marzipanni]

100. Frogs and toads

Only one real one, a toad raised from a tadpole. (S)he escaped through the cat door one summer night.

The others in my small collection are wood, brass, glass, ceramic, plastic and rubber.

[Jenoch]

104. I collect homophones.

So far I have over two hundred. I have a rule that I cannot look them up until I think of them on my own or just run across them. You would be surprised where I find them lying around.

I also collect folding pocket knives, nothing expensive, mostly old American made and Swiss Army knives.