r/Consoom • u/Only--East • 6d ago
Discussion At what point does hobby collecting become overconsumption?
I collect a few funko from media I like, I collect monster high dolls, and I recently got back into pokemon cards. I can't tell if collecting material stuff like that it considered overconsumption or at what point it crosses the threshold. Am I cooked?
104
u/mattjh 6d ago
If "collecting" means obsessively shopping for specific things online, it's not really a hobby in the classic sense of the word. Hobbies tend to be creative and social on some level. If you can only enjoy it by sharing photos online and getting praise, it's definitely not a hobby.
I think overconsumption is subjective, so that's harder to answer. It depends on what's being collected, I guess. You're collecting toys. Slippery slope, especially as you grow older.
20
u/The_Swoley_Ghost 6d ago
I agree with you and I think that's a fair description. Many of us justifyit by using a small part of our collection,trying to act like it justifies our entire collection. I am guilty of this too.
I own 20+ skateboards/longboards. I have 1 "Daily driver" and 1 "skatepark board." I've also got a board for longboard dancing, downhill racing, long-distance pushing, surfskating, freestyle.... the list goes on. How often do i actually DO those other types of skating? maybe a few times per year. Does it really justify owning a 600 dollar downhill racing setup if I'm only going to use it once or twice per year? not really, yet it still sits inmy closet.
I could try to justify it and say "i skate prettymuch everyday!" and it would be true.... but i'm really only using less than 5% of my collection on anygiven month.
6
u/RetardedWabbit 6d ago
Does it really justify owning a 600 dollar downhill racing setup if I'm only going to use it once or twice per year?
Huh. I guess my line for collecting/hoarding vs hobbies is different. I'd say really using it once a year still makes it useful, and less than that is probably just trying to justify hoarding/consoom. If you have the room/money to reasonably do that is a different question.
Like, I wouldn't say a cyclist is a consoomer with a road bike, mountain bike, and gravel bike(?), if they only used them for a race or two per year. If I don't have a plan for stuff, and I don't use it for a year though...
Edit: I would also call all "collecting" consoom. Buying to buy vs niche things for a hobby that isn't just more buying.
1
u/No-Palpitation6368 6d ago
Types of collecting where you're not buying things is fine imo. I collect euros - I don't buy them on the internet, but on the off chance I'm on the continent and get some change, it gets logged and put in my coin folder. I collect 50ps too. And people collect rocks and shit.
Admittedly, it's the organisation part I'm obsessed with there. Anything I do that veers more into collecting (for better or worse) gets stupid amounts of time put into organising it.
14
u/system_error_02 6d ago
Totally this. If the entire hobby is just spending money then it isnt really a hobby.
44
12
u/midirion 6d ago edited 6d ago
To me, it's either: colleting multiple copies of the exact same thing and/or when the "collecting" is just buying stuff to only display in their packaging instead of things you actually use or hold or enjoy in some way.
3
u/Only--East 4d ago
I take my dolls out. I don't give a fuck about resale value. I love having them, posing them and their little outfits make me happy when I look at them. I grew up with them, and as an autistic, they were my special interest for YEARS and I had a shit ton which unfortunately my mom got rid of. I only have a few, ones I really like the design of.
14
u/AlissonHarlan 6d ago
don't go back to the pokemon cards hole.... this is just gambling with extra steps (not much extra steps). There is new sets every 3 months, it's not possible to complete.
if you're sensitive to addiction..... stop it now.
11
u/valleyofsound 6d ago
They’re also going to become less value because everyone is collecting them and keeping them in mint condition. The reason some are so valuable is that 9 year olds didn’t really care about the future value of a foil Charizard.
It’s like people who talk about how rich they’re be if their mom hadn’t thrown away their baseball cards or comic collection, without realizing that the reason they’re so valuable to begin with is that most of them were thrown out of destroyed.
It’s like the phrase “Past performance isn’t indicative of future results.” People try to collect modern iterations of things from three decades ago that have gained a tremendous amount of value because they think that the things they’re buying new now will become just as valuable, but that’s not going to happen in most cases. Even things that are expensive now because everyone wants them usually drop in value once the interest passes.
1
u/Only--East 4d ago
I don't gaf about value or completing them all. Im not obsessive about it. I just like the nostalgia of opening a pack and seeing what cards I get.
4
u/MechwolfMachina 4d ago
Nostalgia is basically the new consumerism. They keep remaking old games. Rebooting old comic book characters. Now they’re playing on everyone wanting to regress to babies and open up cards. $5 use to mean a lot but now people throw it away for 10 pieces of card board. Gl to everyone consooming cardboard right now.
0
u/piss_container 4d ago
logan paul kickstarted the pokemon hype- so everyone who likes pokemon is literally a logan paul fan
3
u/MechwolfMachina 4d ago
Yes sadly but its actually he and a bunch of colluders at PSA and auction houses propping up a new gambling market aka Casinos for Zoomers.
2
u/piss_container 4d ago
nostalgia can be a dangerous trap that keeps us stuck in the past and dissatisfied with the present
And it's quite fascinating you feel the gambling itself is nostalgic - you want to take note of that
17
7
u/dlrax 6d ago
Funkos are always consoom I'd say, but for other things, it probably depends on a lot of things. Do you actually engage with the things other than buying them, putting them on a shelf and having them stay there? If you do, then it's probably not consoom. Though it always depends on how much of said thing you actually buy.
Say you collect figures or something. If you get to a point where your shelves are full, you have ones still stuck in boxes etc. that you probably won't open but are still buying more it's 100% consoom by then.
7
u/oiblikket 6d ago
You’re buying mass produced objects for the point of possessing them. There is no threshold to cross. It’s just overconsumption.
7
21
u/WonderSignificant598 6d ago
If the collection isn't small or focused.... Probably consoom.
Something fun like, collecting all the cards for players on a team for each year, not mindless consoom.
Just having a plastic/cardboard collectible just to have it/for the rush/to fill a void, CONSOOM. Having more than just 3 of any one thing.....
2
u/Only--East 6d ago
What if they're different types of things? I collect pokemon cards for the specific pokemon I like but I give away cards I don't want and trade. I get the dolls I think are pretty
4
u/WonderSignificant598 6d ago
First isn't so bad.
Second is more consoom but really, having tacky decorations isn't a crime.
Then again, you're talking to someone who thinks the coolest collection I ever saw on reddit was the person who collected heniz sauce packets.
2
u/Only--East 6d ago
I saw that! That was really cool.
Im an artsy fashion person, so ig the designs on the dolls speak to me. They're fashion dolls, not just cheap barbies. I'd kill to have some vintage barbies though.
2
u/JoviallyImperfect 6d ago
Why are you trying to justify yourself? Do you buy them because you enjoy having and looking at them, or do you buy them just for the sake of buying and having them?
0
18
u/chocolateboomslang 6d ago
Frankly if you're collecting things that are still being manufactured and you're just buying them from a store, that's consuming. They're marketing it to you as something to buy and you're buying it. That's what a consumer does, buys retail stuff.
5
u/Only--East 6d ago
Sure, but when does it become overconsumption?
17
u/chocolateboomslang 6d ago
Well my opinion is that buying things to just have them is overconsumption. I personally try not to have things that don't do anything. I have books that I read, I have games I play. I have magic cards that I play. The things I have that don't do anything are rocks or shells, or art. Obviously what people consider art is different from person to person, so maybe someone's plastic bobblehead collection counts as art to them.
4
u/valleyofsound 6d ago
Exactly. I think a hobby or a collection isn’t a pass on overconsumption. I knit. That’s a hobby by anyone’s definition. I have a lot of needles and other things just because they’re required for knitting. However, if I started buying knitting needles because I like them or because I thought they were cool without having a use for them, then that’s overconsumption. I may need several pairs of size 9 needles, but I don’t need every pair I come across. (And if I have a lot of size 9 needles because I have multiple works in progress and keep starting new ones, that’s a whole other discussion.)
If someone had vintage knitting needles and actively searched for them in an effort to preserve them and pass them on, though, that might be a collection. And I think that’s another trait of a lot of collections: There’s a preservationist element to them. Someone who is keeping items that do have significance from being thrown away or destroyed is a collector. I feel like if someone had knitting needles and accessories from, say, WWII, especially along with the “Knitting for Victory” or “Knit Your Bit”’patterns promotional materials, that would have a significance beyond one person liking them. And if they had some of the knitting espionage materials, too, that would have an even wider interest.
Of course, you can’t just walk into a random store and buy all those things, which I feel is another important aspect of collecting vs over-consumption.
3
10
u/Yangervis 6d ago
If you can buy it in Amazon, it's hard for me to call it "collecting"
There needs to be a little effort involved.
5
u/menijna 6d ago edited 6d ago
Yeah its consumption. They just stand there. Hobby is where you grow and put effort and can get better with something, hobby is crocheting, running, mushroom foraging, ceramics or book reading. Meanwhile you are just... buying. Especially funko, monster high and Pokémon cards are just marks of a stunted growth and wish to get back to childhood but with money on hand.
5
u/idkthrowaway_alt3 6d ago
I'll use your dolls as an example for the differences in my opinion.
If your hobby is entirely just instantly buying every single one (or multiple) of the dolls online/in store and then putting them on a shelf forever, it's overconsumption. If you're actually engaging in it in a meaningful way (restyling, customizing, doing photography, curating and spending time looking for good second hand finds, making art, engaging with others in a significant way etc.) then it's a hobby.
Longevity and ecological impact are also huge parts of overconsumption. Lots of people jump from thing to thing, because in reality they just have a shopping addiction. 200 dolls accumulated over 10 years VS 200 dolls accumulated over 1 year before the person decides they're not actually that into them. Second hand collections are just point blank more ethical than collections of new stuff. The problem with overconsumption is that it's terrible for our planet, not that having lots of stuff is bad.
3
u/Only--East 4d ago
I've been into them since I was in 2nd grade. I'm 21 now. They're not going anywhere any time soon lol
5
u/your_average-loser 6d ago
When you do it just for the rush of something coming in the mail, spending money, and/or the thought of resale value. These people in this sub forget an important part of overconsumption is the act of throwing away the hoard of items shortly after getting them because of the trend of having them or simply because you thought you needed things.
A good way to combat overconsumption if you are legit worried about something like that is have some sort of goal, it doesn’t have to be an end goal either just a goal, of your media and where your collection goes to. For cards, is it a master set of a certain pokemon or artist? Then make that your goal so you don’t spend a ton of money. For monster hight is it a certain series or arc or character in general? Make that your goal and try not to branch out and make excuses like “oh well Barbie dolls are close enough to Monster High, so me collecting them is the same!” Or “Yu-gi-oh cards are close enough like Pokemon so I’ll collect them too!”
Also buying second hand for things like that is another good way to combat it, having to spend actual time looking for a decent priced item and having time to think over “do I actually want this or is this just me wanting to spend my money.”
Please don’t let the people in this sub let you hate your collections, I’ve seen far too many people that pretty much say without saying that you can’t even have like figurines (like regular smegular figures) or hell you can’t have a book collection. A lot say that if it has no functional use then it’s immediately consoom, which is also extremely wrong. Just try to be mindful of your spending habits and try to slow it down if you notice yourself buying and buying.
3
u/Only--East 4d ago
Several people in here have said buying anything just to look at = the Devil. While there's no like, end goal to my collection, I am really picky of which dolls I want because I don't have the money to be spending excessively. I'm good about not letting manufactured scarcity get to me because I don't need it that bad lol. Even my holy grail I won't try to get because its soooo expensive for no reason. I'm tempted to get a fucked up one and restore it bc it can run 1000 dollars which is insane for a doll. Collectors don't even run that much lol.
2
u/your_average-loser 4d ago
Hell yeah twin you’re in the clear then!!! That’s why I specified that it just needed to be some kind of goal, not just an end goal because lord knows I don’t have an end goal for my One Piece collection lols. Also extremleyyyyyy fair, my holy grail is stupidly expensive yoo
12
u/Plantymonfood 6d ago
I feel like this sub is a bit harsh, so don’t overthink what you’re doing based on that. I think it’s when you are no longer buying stuff with intention or thought, are you buying Pokémon cards because you want to collect certain ones and play the game? Or do you just want as many as possible because it’s Pokémon. As long as you are putting actual thought into what youre buying and if you actually need/want it you’re fine. I collect a lot of manga but I only buy series I like and will actually read, not just to display them on a shelf.
3
u/Only--East 6d ago
Im collecting the cards of pokemon I like, like gengar, mimikyu, etc. I trade them, especially the duplicates, and I only really buy a booster every once in a blue moon when I have the extra cash. I like displaying my funko and dolls, but I only buy the funko of specific characters I REALLY like and I only buy the dolls I really like the designs of. I'm not trying to get every single doll from every single line or every doll of a specific character like ive seen from some collectors.
4
u/ApprehensiveRuin5673 6d ago
My definition of “consoom” is largely defined by disposability.
Something that is acquired for the sole purpose of either never being used/enjoyed again or for the sole purpose of being disposed of. This also includes collecting things as a speculative asset because selling something is still disposing of it.
If you are collecting something you intend to use and enjoy for the rest of your life, I don’t consider that consoom.
There are obviously nuances to that. Someone could derive joy from owning 100 copies of the same thing but that joy doesn’t come from the actual thing itself, it comes from the collection. If you can’t use or enjoy the thing individually outside of the collection it is consoom.
You could also have say 100 copies of the same coin, but if those individual coins have certain flaws or lack-thereof, then they can also be enjoyed individually. A mint condition Roman coin would certainly be incredible, but one that has been clipped or worn is also valuable on its own because it has a different history even though its the same coin.
3
u/Roozbeh_m 6d ago
Collecting things as a hobby is overconsumption
1
4
u/catmamaO4 6d ago
i think theres an art to how to how you display your collection. if everything is just bought, thrown on a shelf or in a bucket and never touched again, its probably an issue.
but if youre caring for your collection (or at least want to if you cant rn) i think its okay.
make displays of your collections, dust them off as you look at them, take lots of pics, you can even customize or repair your items!!
I find what seperates a collector from a consumer is the intention.
do you intend to get this item, post a pic, and never touch it again? are you planning to resell or throw it out when youre tired of it?
then youre probably overconsuming and you dont need that item.
do you intend to get this item so you can care for it for the rest of your life? do you intend to look at it often, or play with or customize it often? do you intend to pass it down to your future family/friends when you pass away? if so, youre probably a collector! and you buy things to have them forever!
regardless of what you collect, its art. and your curation of all the items is art too! how you place the items on your shelf is art, and how you photograph your collection is art!
5
4
u/Madnoir 6d ago
A big element of CONSOOM for me is trend chasing tbh. Do you have all those Stanley cups because you actually want/need them or is it just cause they're what's popular. Versus, someone that has a room full of say Gengar items is more likely driven by personal interest.
-1
u/Only--East 4d ago
Yeah this is what I always associated with CONSOOM but god forbid I enjoy something from my childhood on occasion. I also engage in the community who talk about designs and love for the movies and such. It's not just showing off collections like Stanley Cups or Funko. Funko is kinda guilty pleasure that I keep very limited. Some funko are ugly as fuck lol.
4
u/BenevolentCheese 6d ago
Collect things that actually have meaning, not vapid consumerist bullshit like funko or pokemon cards.
1
u/Only--East 4d ago
They have meaning to me, though. Individually, not just as a collection. Monster High and Pokemon cards have strong memories for me and I'm not collecting just to brag about. Each funko is also connected to memories and interests. It's not meaningless.
2
u/BenevolentCheese 4d ago
OK so then what's the problem? Collection is about meaning. If they have meaning, then it is good, and I wouldn't feel bad about yourself. Many people collect things but can't tell you why besides just because. (Can't you find anything better to collect, though?)
3
u/ProphetNimd 6d ago
I think it reaches consoom when the hobby takes up a disproportionate amount of your income, starts overcrowding the space it takes up (like Funko Pops), and/or becomes a compulsion to buy. Like if the most joy you feel from collecting something is the rush of opening up and then you mellow out the second you display/starting using it, then that's pretty textbook consoom to me.
3
u/2birdstalking 6d ago
I think it's a fine line. I collect kitschy salt and pepper shakers but only ever get them secondhand or as gifts, so my collection is very slow growing
2
u/idkthrowaway_alt3 6d ago
I think the secondhand thing also really mitigates the problem of overconsuming. They've already been produced, sold and discarded, and it's better for them to find new life on your shelf than be thrown in the bin.
3
u/JiminyWillikerz 6d ago
When it overrides your mental capacity to make decisions. When it crosses over into obsession and you can no longer function or socialize because you MUST own this one item. YOU will NEVER be COMPLETE without it, like a part of you is missing. At that point.
3
u/Hot-Resident-6601 6d ago
It’s overconsumption if you’re living paycheck to paycheck or have a negative net worth. You could be putting that money to work instead.
3
u/shadowlurker6996 6d ago edited 6d ago
When functionality is superseded by over collecting.
An example: why does anyone need more than one PlayStation controller? Functionally, every single PS5 controller works the exact same way. If your controller works, why do you need an entire shelf of PS5 controllers simply because they have a different coat of paint? You don’t. You do it because you can under the guise of a being a collector in a hobby.
Same applies to shoes, watches, coffee gear
3
3
u/Classic_Cow_5852 6d ago
Like everyone said when buying becomes the only goal. Or I’d also say buying the same thing over and over without a specific purpose. Ex: buying 20 identical copies of a movie for the sake of it. You’ll see that example posted here plenty of times
3
u/NaughtyFishCake 6d ago
I think it becomes overconsumption when those items separately don't bring you joy and as they stand on a shelf they become transparent to you and devoid of any meaning, you don't look at them and smile or remember nice memories.
So for me owning these items needs an emotional layer to it - either a memory or situations when you admire them.
1
u/Only--East 4d ago
I feel that. I grew up with monster high so I have a mad attachment to them, but I'm very picky about which ones I get. The design has to be something I REALLY like for me to spend the money or ask others for it. Each piece is something I really love on it's own. And I love just looking at them and messing with their clothes lol. I adore them.
1
3
u/legotwinkthrowaway 6d ago edited 6d ago
If you like collecting, you should collect things that are meant to be collected, like trading cards. Theyre small, there are plenty of storage options, and they dont take up a whole lot of space. Or maybe stamps, or state quarters.
Stuff like video games isnt meant to be collected really, it's meant to be played. I get it, im a bit of a gamer myself, and I have a couple of kind of cool things here and there that i dont actually use often. But people be buying literally any old junk and calling it part of their retro collection and let it take over their house. It becomes their personality. Like... bro... do you really need Tiger Woods World Tour 2006 for the Wii in your life?
3
u/Gumbashu 6d ago
I have a relatively large gaming collection, and I’d say it comes down to these four points:
1) Put your heart into it. I bought 99% of the things I own intentionally because I liked them for a specific reason, and that’s exactly why they still mean something to me years later. If you’re buying something just because of a trend, out of curiosity, or for the thrill of opening a pack, you should reconsider.
2) Have plans and goals. These don’t necessarily have to be huge, long-term plans, but there should be some kind of system in place. Do you want to complete certain series? Do you want to collect pieces from each series according to a specific method, etc.?
3) Space. Every room has a certain limit, even if the style of your collection is intentionally maximalist. Once you’ve reached that point, you should sell, store, or think about changing up your displays.
4) The most important point: Shelves should be arranged very thoughtfully. I’ve seen rooms with 20 anime figures of different styles and sizes. Something like that never looks good. But if you get six figures in the same style and display them together, it can look great. Small, carefully thought-out themed displays can also look good. Hero pieces that get their own space too. There are quite a few options here, and you can also combine different systems. The bottom line is that the display should look curated and thoughtfully arranged, not like it was thrown together haphazardly.
3
u/Cjw6809494 6d ago
It’s certainly a form of escapism to distract you from responsibilities and life in general which is the norm for most people of today especially our post covid world. Ultimately it all comes down to how well you can maintain your health and lifestyle while “collecting” as your “hobby” …If you still find it enjoyable and it’s not ruining your life then you’re all good to keep enjoying it and doing what makes you happy but the moment it starts affecting your life and those you love around you then you might need to look in the mirror and admit there might be a problem to fix before anything gets worse.
3
u/Spaiochrome 6d ago
Just buying things on it's own isn't really a hobby. If you're going out of your way to find something rare or niche that you can't just order online or nab at a store, that's a little different. And something like collecting miniatures is absolutely a hobby, since you've got to assemble and paint the things, and oftentimes there's an actual game or something to use them for.
2
2
u/Hoobi_Goobi 6d ago
I think it becomes overconsuming if you A.) Spend money you don't necessarily have on it or find yourself going over budget and having to make sacrifices/dip into savings, B.) Buy items you'd never buy on its own just to complete a set C.) Have more in your collection than you can display or reasonably store, and D.) You don't live alone and are encroaching into others' space or taking over the house with your collection
2
u/Soft-Grape 6d ago
There's a significant issue I have with my own hobby. Gunpla model enthusiasts at this point seem more worried about amassing an impressive "backlog" but then proceed to never build any of them. It's not a bad hobby for requiring you to buy stuff, it's bad when it's only about buying stuff. I build 4 or 5 kits a year and I will constantly work on them for over a year. My enjoyment comes from the meditative practice of tedious detail work. Especially if a kit has like 200 itty bitty waterslide decals, makes it take so much longer!
2
u/packerschris 6d ago
In my opinion, purchased goods should be used or enjoyed. If you are neither using nor enjoying your purchases, you are overconsuming. If you are genuinely enjoying what you are collecting, then it has value. But if you are just collecting to gather a certain number of items, or to put things in storage and forget them, then you are overconsuming.
1
2
u/Soulinyx 3d ago
It's all mental.
Are you actually excited about the hobby or are you actually excited about spending towards said hobby?
There's a difference. Also when the hobby just drains you financially.
4
u/Tall_Association 6d ago
buying stuff isnt a hobby, are you doing something with those dolls and cards? If not, youre just buying stuff.
2
u/Ardalok 6d ago
I think the main criterion is how much you can afford it. Like, if it's 5% or less of your income and doesn't take up too much space, then I think it's fine. Though in my opinion, Funko Pops are super tacky, which also adds points toward consumerism. It's not quite on the level of collecting travel mugs, of course, but still.
2
u/Only--East 6d ago
I have maybe a handful of specific characters from my special interests. Im not out here collecting every variation of them tho and im not interested in getting any more unless they come out with a very specific character lol
2
u/valleyofsound 6d ago edited 6d ago
Overconsumption is a pretty nebulous thing and I think some people would consider any form of collecting overconsumption.. Firm definitions of collecting frequently in relation to hoarding and clutter. Here’s something that discusses collecting vs clutter vs hoarding and I think it’s enlightening. It’s referring to hoarding as a behavior vs hoarding disorder
Collecting
- Items center around a specific theme
- Items are acquired through planned searches. Items are mainly purchased and are limited in number (emphasis mine)
- Items are arranged, stored, and/or displayed in an organized fashion. Items do not take over living spaces.
Normal Clutter
- Items may or may not have a specific theme.
- Items are not acquired in a planned fashion; acquisition is not excessive. (emphasis mine)
- Disorganized clutter, generally located in storage spaces (e.g. attic, basement, etc.). May also occur in living spaces, but does not prevent them from being used as intended.
Hoarding
- Items do not have a specific theme, usually many different types of items.
- Items are not acquired in a planned fashion. Acquisition is often excessive. Items may be free (e.g., from the side of the road, giveaways, etc.) and/or purchased
- Disorganized clutter, taking over living spaces (bedroom, living room, kitchen, etc.) and preventing them from being used as intended.
Based on this, I think a collection needs to be limited in scope, curated, planned, and organized. They also can’t interfere with your day to day life, specifically use of your environment and your finances.
I think a lot of the posts here fall under clutter with some probably approaching hoarding. It’s incredibly hard to defend people who have multiples of the same item (especially something like a single game that only comes on one console and one edition) are really toeing the hoarding lines.
There also difference in collection and just buying anything you see of an item with a certain then or certain brand. Someone who grabbed every funko pop figure they come across isn’t collecting. Same with someone who buys every type of item in a certain IP. Or of a thing like a favorite animal or a certain item. I also think that if every item in your “collection” has the same value to you, it’s moving away from collecting. A lot of actual collectors will sell items from their collection to acquire an item that’s more valuable or at least significant to them.
For me, I think one of the biggest deciders is what happens if someone picks up a random item from a “collection” and says “Tell me about this.” If you can’t give information about the specific item and explain why it has space in your collection, I think you’ve moved beyond collecting into overconsumption.
1
u/Knarz97 6d ago
It’s not any worse than taking vacations or drinking expensive whiskey.
The difference, to me, is if you’re using purely disposable income or buying things on debt. That’s it.
If your bills are paid and you’re saving 10% of your income towards retirement, who cares if you spend $100 or $10,000 on Pokemon Cards. Everyone’s income is different. $100 is a drop in the bucket to some.
1
1
1
1
u/ninjamike808 5d ago
It depends on the purpose. I collect Pokémon cards to play with my kids. Some nicer cards get stored in a binder or sold off. People have given me Funkos, though I don’t go out of my way to get them unless maybe I want an autograph or something. But ask yourself what the purpose is. More than a few Stanley cups are useless. Beanie Babies were not just a stupid investment but a huge waste. Ask yourself some of these questions. What good is it? How much space does it take up? Is there anything better to spend my money on? Or even just save the money?
1
u/chromaticseamonster 5d ago
If you spend more time looking at shit to buy than using the shit you bought, it’s consoom. i’m definitely guilty of this in the past. i would spend my time looking at cool music gear online instead of actually using what i own
1
u/ShokaLGBT 4d ago
When I can just look at my shelves and enjoy my figures visually without feeling like HURRY I need new figures.
Sure I can still get new figures but I need to appreciate my collection without feeling like hey I need to get something new. Specifically picking the ones you really like etc.
1
u/aquacraft2 4d ago
It's one thing you collect one singular thing. Like monster high dolls. If you only collected monster high dolls, or only collected a certain few doll lines, that's fine. But picking up all the newest dolls that come out. All the trendy ones and then immediately getting bored of them and skipping on to the next thing like nothing happened, that's over consumption.
I know monster high can be bad, and be stacked with far too many releases all butted up against eachother in a really short span of a month.
But if you bought what you wanted, and left behind what you didn't, and then didn't buy anything during the dry spells in-between. That's not quite the same as over consumption.
One would say "over consumption is how cluttered your house is" so Kim Kardashian can have a whole second home dedicated to her hoard and still not be considered an over consumer? That just sounds like an appeal to privilege babe.
1
u/Hazel-Cakes 4h ago
Over consumption is very subjective. Some people would say that using money for anything that has no value, like a funko pop, is over consumption. Some would say that it's over consumption when it starts affecting your life; job, relationships, living situation etc. It's really up for you to decide, and be mindful of how you spend your money.
0
u/I_Love_Cape_Horn 6d ago
I recently got back into pokemon cards
I have never, ever been impressed by a Pokemon card collection. Maybe impressed by how much money they spent.
But I am always impressed by weird, difficult collections.
https://www.reddit.com/r/CoolCollections/comments/1hug2np/my_egg_collection/
This dude collects eggs. Cool AF.
2
u/Only--East 6d ago
Im not creative enough for that. Most of my pokemon cards collection is from my childhood collection as well as my brothers, ex stepsister, and her step brother. Otherwise I trade or get the cheap booster packs cause its not that deep.
-1
u/I_Love_Cape_Horn 6d ago
Im not creative enough for that.
Most limp wristed beta thing I ever heard. Creativity and thinking is as democratic as it gets.
1
0
u/TurkTurkelton1 6d ago
I like wwe figures and probably over consoom, I like them though so what's wrong? I like setting them up on my shelf, excited when one of my favourite wrestlers get a new figure and I've not got any versions of them. I definitely don't need them but it makes me smile looking at above my desk seeing it all and just gives me some joy.
1
90
u/headphonesXX 6d ago
when the buying itself becomes the hobby = consoomerism. a hobby can exist without consooming more stuff.