What is it that makes us collect things? From comic books and art pieces to stuffed animals, clothes, and dolls of all kinds. There are people who find collecting things irresistible and sometimes they even turn into hoarders. Other than that, it is quite natural for people to collect things. After all, we are surrounded by them, so why not get more? Psychoanalysts believe there might be a few reasons for this: unloved children seek comfort in the things they love; existential anxieties make people collect things so that they leave at least something behind them after they die; collection may be a form of attracting mates by signaling the ability to accumulate resources. Whether it is for sheer pleasure or out of loneliness, people create some truly unique collections that may even seem weird sometimes. Here are 12 insane collections from around the world.
Simpsons memorabilia
Glyn Stott is among those super-fans that simply can’t stop when it comes to their favorite show. Here he is posing with his enormous collection of Simpsons memorabilia that seems to have everything in it. He even tried to watch all 150 hours of the show consecutively to break the world record!
Stones
Why would anyone need so many stones? Luigi Lineri is among the few people that know the answer. He’s 79 years old and all his stones come from the Adige River near Verona in Italy. He collects special stones that have gained recognizable shapes – human heads, animals, pop culture symbols, and other interesting forms. He has thousands of stones in his collection and he isn’t planning on stopping!
Police hats
Now that’s a hobby that requires some serious dedication. Christian Duckett from Camberley, Surrey, is a proud owner of more than 500 police hats of all shapes and sizes. He has travelled 20,000 miles in his pursuit of police hats and it took him 20 years to create his collection. Think he’s finished now? Not a chance! Christian loves his hats and wants to hunt them all down.
Star Wars memorabilia
If you want to make cool friends all over the world – just become a collector! James Burns, 44, confessed that he has met an awful lot of amazing people across the globe while looking for the items for his collection. It’s a wonderful community and he wouldn’t have met all those people otherwise!
Tin boxes
Are you a proud owner of an old-looking tin box? Don’t throw it away just yet because it may be just the one Yvette Darden from Belgium is looking for! This 75-year-old woman started collecting tin boxes 22 years ago when she received a decorated 50s chocolate box from her aunt. Now she has 56,800 tin boxes in her collection!
Vacuum cleaners
Don’t think vacuum cleaners are cool? Wait till you see Jack Copp’s collection! As surprising as it may sound, Jack actually had a phobia of vacuum cleaners, but he successfully overcame it and even fell in love with the machines. He now owns a collection of 120 vacuum cleaners, his oldest item being a 1923 Hoover, Model 541.
UK singles
Keith Sivyer’s relatives had no idea he was a passionate collector. After his death, they found his home packed with vinyl – his younger brother had to unload 8,000 12-inch singles and 27,000 seven-inch vinyl singles from the house. Keith Sivyer spent all his life collecting every top 40 single ever released!
Royal memorabilia
Many people are obsessed with the Royal Family, but not as much as Margaret Tyler, who has been collecting royal memorabilia since she was a little girl. This 68-year-old woman is quite hospitable and even allows guests to stay at her home for a reasonable price of £75 per night. You’ll get to sleep in a truly Queen-sized bed and explore the premises of this unbelievable home that is packed with all kinds of cool things related to the Royal Family.
Barbie dolls
Jian Yang’s Barbie doll collection is nothing short of amazing. The 37-year-old collector is truly living in a ‘Barbie world’ with more than 6,000 dolls packed in three large rooms in wall-to-wall cabinets. The display features Barbies of different styles – some resemble celebs like Audrey Hepburn or Barbara Streisand, while others look like characters from famous TV shows like Dynasty and Mad Men. His obsession with Barbies started when he was just 13 and hasn’t stopped ever since.
Film projectors
78-year-old Dimitris Pistiolas has an incredible hobby that got him into the Guinness Book of Records. He’s a proud owner of 937 vintage film projectors from all over the world. He turned his home into a museum and sacrificed all he had to fulfil this dream of his. Dimitris started collecting film projectors when he was just 15 years old and hasn’t stopped searching since then.
Superman memorabilia
Herbert Chavez might be the most devoted (and slightly insane) fan Super Man has ever had. Not only has he turned his whole house in Calamba Laguna into a Super Man shrine, but he has also changed his appearance to look more like the Man of Steel. That’s right, he went under the knife for Super Man! No matter what we think about it, Herbert Chavez definitely looks handsome and is quite happy with himself. That’s all that matters!
Brainteasers
Who doesn’t like a little bit of brainteasing now and then, right? But when it comes to puzzles, Laurie Brokenshire just can’t help himself – he needs to have them all! His collection of brainteasers became so huge that he had to build a special extension to hold it in the back of his house. It’s more than 10,000 pieces and still growing!
