Blog Every Day in May - Blog 12 - Collecting

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Apart from a random spell at primary school when I collected yogurt pots (?!) I've never really been much if a collector. I think it's possibly one of the few areas where I'm prone to peer pressure, I'm sure the yogurt pot incident was due to everyone else collecting something, I no doubt thought that I may at least collect something that was free and easy to find. I later collected stamps for a bit, firstly because everyone else did, but also prompted by my mother giving me her collection. I never did come across a Penny Black to make my collecting worthwhile, but do know even the most obscure country names.

When I was in my early 20s I collected McDonald's Happy Meal toys. I literally have no recollection why. I used to go to Toy Fairs and pick them up there. Amongst many others, I remember having the whole set of the 101 Dalmatians collection. That's a lot of plastic! Googling it, it seems they'd be worth a couple of hundred pounds now. Shame I left them in an ex's under stairs cupboard!

Nowadays I certainly don't live a minimalist lifestyle, but don't collect anything specific for the sake of it. I admire people who are more minimalist but like having 'stuff' around me, so I can't imagine that'll ever be me. I go through phases of decluttering, but normally when things have reached a critical point. At least when that happens I know either the local charity shop or the good people of eBay will be happy to take anything off my hands.