Hoarding Isn’t Hoarding If It’s Themed: 45 Quirky Collections That Have Sparked Joy
If there is any activity that all people enjoy, it is maintaining a collection. You name it, we horde it: coins, fossils, stamps, sports memorabilia, old art, etc. Some people would consider it a hobby. Others construct halls or designate specific spaces in their residences to display their interest in gathering stuff they are fascinated with.
However, there is another group of people that take on the task of locating the most unique and esoteric objects from all over the world. These people gather the most bizarre items and have amassed incredible collections of the items they are infatuated with and posted images of their finds online for all to see. We searched the internet to compile a list of collections that are occasionally amusing, occasionally slightly spooky, but always fascinating.
A very feathery Christmas
Before we dive into this, we have to share the interesting backstory behind this particular collection. So, for the past 10 years, parents of OP have been getting them these feathered bird pens for Christmas. It became a bit of a tradition.
Almost all of us can attest to the fact of having a unique tradition centering around a holiday, like Christmas, is special and meaningful. It’s one of the aspects of forming close societal bonds, that connection. Remembering each year shows that the bond is important.
What a taste!
Oh wow! Look at the lineup of concert tickets! The poster shared that this belongs to their father. Whoever you are, your dad has some really good taste when it comes to music. We’d bet that you grew up hearing these jams at home all the time.
Okay, we have Spandau Ballet, Sting, Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Meat Loaf, Elton John, The Ramones, Iggy Pop, and the one and only, Jethro Tull. Must have been amazing to see all these greats in their prime. What a collection this is!
Lucky
Ancient Irish mystics had the view that carrying a three-leaf clover, aka shamrock, would allow them to see approaching bad spirits and give them a window of opportunity to flee. These Celtic charms were sometimes in the shape of four-leaf clovers.
They were thought to provide mystical refuge and ward against terrible fortune. Four-leaf clovers were not the same as shamrocks, nor shamrocks are the traditional Irish emblem commemorating St. Patrick’s Day. Well, what do you know? How lucky can this particular person be?
The Force is strong with this one
Okay, to say that we are jealous of this collection doesn’t even begin to cover it. We wish wholeheartedly we had a collection like this. The urge to just barge into a LEGO store and to just splurge intensifies when we look at this.
Okay, we see Boba Fett’s Slave 1, Anakin’s pod racer, an X-Wing, Mando’s Razor Crest, An Imperial TIE Fighter, the beloved Millennium Falcon, a Y-Wing, a Lamba Class Imperial Shuttle as well as the iconic AT-AT walker and an AT-ST walker.
Satisfaction
This is so pleasing to look at! Just look at the arrangement on these shelves. To sort all these books based on the color gradient is no small feat. And whoever is the mastermind behind this, has done a stellar job.
It actually makes it easier to locate a book, come to think of it. If you wanted to find an old penguin paperback, it’s bound to be in the orange section. If it’s a hardbound Macmillan, most probably in the red section.
Glassware from the Emerald City
Exposing the glassware in the darkness to a UV light source (e.g., a black light) is possibly the most accurate approach to determine whether or not it contains uranium. Uranium is present if the glassware emits a vibrant green color, as shown here.
This collection looks enchanting! This green luminescence illustrates why a piece of glassware that appears yellow when lit by incandescent bulbs could seem greenish when viewed outside. There are some exclusions. Some uranium-containing glassware does not glow under a UV lamp.
Nintendo FTW!
Now, this is a veritable treasure trove, right here. That cabinet looks straight out of the ’80s and must have cost this person a pretty penny. Look how neatly all of the gaming consoles are arranged. Amazing work and commitment to their passion, for sure.
We love the small touches we see here. Look at that Vaporeon on the top of this cupboard. And look at that pristine iPod classic on the bottom level. Whoever this person is, they sure know how to display their collection.
Pencil sharpeners
Are we to believe that the carousel horses can also be pencil sharpeners? If we didn’t have the context for this, we’d think that they were music “boxes.” But, nope, this eclectic collection is a table full of pencil sharpeners.
We have some Smurfs, what seems like a wagon from the Oregon trail, several mallard ducks, a telephone from the early 1900s, an old-timey cash register, cuckoo clocks, one big crayon, Garfield as well as a small television set. What a collection!
Shark tooth collection
Sharks are able to continually replace their teeth. Over the course of a lifetime, they drop at least 30,000 teeth and each one can regenerate in a matter of days or months. Over the course of its lifetime, a shark can replace its missing teeth, 50 times.
Studies have identified distinct regions of stem cells inside the epithelial cells inside the sharks’ mouths, which are in charge of their ongoing tooth replacement. It’s sad that this person couldn’t come across a megalodon tooth. That would have been really awesome!
What a collection of Pyrex
Glassware developed by Corning Glass Works called Pyrex was initially transparent. However, colorful and decorative bowls, as well as casserole dishes, started appearing in the middle of the 1940s and are now sought after by many enthusiasts. Primary colors and subdued earth tones also had their day.
Different pastel shades of green, pink, blue, and other colors also grew more prevalent. Timeframes of common patterns and colors over the years can be found in the Pyrex Pattern Library at the Corning Museum of Glass and the Pyrex Pattern Reference from Pyrex Passion.
Raise a glass to the glass collection
We’ve heard of people collecting shot glasses from all the places they visit, but this cabinet doesn’t seem to contain such a collection. Looking closer, we can see that not only that they are regular glasses, but there are duplicate glasses. We wonder if there’s a reason for this…
Oddities aside, we also have to compliment the collector on the cabinet. The OP said that they found it at the Salvation Army. What a perfect fit to display your collection in. They have a good eye for aesthetics, indeed.
What a collection of Fountain Pens
Did you know that many fountain pen nibs have a vent opening, which allows air to flow again into the pens to replenish the ink which is used while writing. It also prevents the fracture that comes running into the base of the nib from extending.
It’s somewhat like a slit that divides the tines. The gold alloy in which the slit ends is under a lot of tension whenever the pen is used. More nibs would split if the vent hole didn’t exist. Now that’s why fountain pen nibs have a hole.
Bentley’s Mice
Before addressing the lineup displaying the collection of toy mice we see here, we will address the cat in the room. His name is and anyone who has even mediocre eyesight has to admit that he is one gorgeous cat.
If you look closer, you can see that Bentley’s favorite colors are blue and grey. Is it because they more closely resemble real mice? Or do cats have favorite colors, just like us humans? Either way, it’s funny to see a cat hoarding.
Collection of Art Deco and commemorative cameras
Art Deco pieces are frequently simple, streamlined, symmetrical, geometric, and aesthetically attractive. This approach contrasts with early avant-garde art, which pushed audiences to find beauty and purpose in frequently blatantly anti-traditional motifs and shapes. This explains the box nature of the camera.
It took close to two decades for the OP to collect all these Art Deco cameras as well as the commemorative pieces. Most of these pieces were produced soemtime in the 1930s through the 1950s. It’s like looking back in time. Amazing.
Cookie cutter extravaganza
At first glance, it’s hard to understand what these are. Don’t worry; we won’t leave you hanging. This is a collection of OP’s grandmother’s 544 unique cookie cutters. To amass the display you see here took her over five decades!
Now that sounds really cool! And just look at the collection here! Their grandmother can bake cookies for any occasion. We have Star Trek, Star Wars, Dino-shaped cutters, Christmas-themed cutters, animal-themed ones, heart-shaped ones (that’s a staple for Valentine’s Day), and dragons!
Sentimental times
What an interesting selection of cellphones this person has. Commercial value aside, we know for sure that the emotional value placed on each and every one of these is very high, to be sure. After all, most of us are sentimental creatures.
Because of that trait, most of us can’t forget our very first phone. Just coming across that dinosaur of technology just evokes so many memories. Plus they had a certain flair to them that the modern ones seem to lack.
Batmen, assemble!
This person, whoever they are, had a dream and they made sure that they achieved it. Just look at this collection of LEGO Batman Minifigures. If we are right, there’s nearly every figure starting from 2006 all in one case.
We can see the Easter Bunny Batman (5th row, 3rd left), Batzarro (6th row, 9th left), Tiger Tuxedo Batman (6th row, 1st right), Dollar Bill Tuxedo Batman (4th row, 1st left), Clan of the Cave Batman (5th row, 1st right) among many other iterations.
Roll for initiative
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but this one only needs three: Dungeons & Dragons! Or, to be more precise, tabletop role-playing games. Dice hoarding is very much a thing, and if you’ve played with someone with such a collection, you know how precious these dice are.
No matter how many sets they have, a dice hoarder will almost never lend a set. After all, they can’t risk losing a set, or worse, just one from the set! Though, we do see one die missing — the d100.
Horror Hall of Fame
Now, this is every horror movie fan’s dream! Just look at the collection this guy has. It’s not just the most popular horror movies but some obscure cult classics only true horror aficionados would recognize. This person must not scare easily.
We have a Yautja from the Predator universe, Freddie Krueger, Rudy the Killer Clown, Judd from Pet Cemetery, Dr. Phibes, and of course the extraterrestrial creature from the movie, the Thing as well as a zombie from the Night of the Living Dead.
Vintage pigement collection
A pigment is a substance that changes color as visible light reflects on it. A solid pigment has a good color tone that is attained by contact with consistent, medium to high temperatures. The oldest known pigments were inorganic compounds, discovered in cave art.
These included hydrated yellow ochre, naturally occurring iron oxides, and charcoal. This is proof that pigments have been employed since prehistoric times. Look at how this person sorted their collection with these tiny, cute glass vials, like the kind you find in a fantasy novel.
Gotta catch ’em all
One word perfectly summarizes how we feel when we see this Pokémon plushie collection — obsessed! What an astounding collection this is. We’re sure that this person has all the 150 original Pokémon in there. We can’t even count all of the plushies in that single cabinet.
We can see some of the classics, all beautifully arranged by color, like Jigglypuff, Polywhirl, Magikarp, Psyduck, Raichu, Caterpie, Koffing, Bayleaf, and of course the all-time fan favorite, Pickachu! We just want to collect and hug them all. Talk about having an eyecatching collection!
Mineral collection
One way to classify minerals is based on their color. Due to their makeup, idiochromatic minerals are “automatically colored.” The mineral’s hue is a dependable and expected feature (e,g,. malachite). Allochromatic minerals have “different colors” because of minute contaminants in their makeup or structural flaws.
This makes the hue in an allochromatic mineral, changeable and an unpredictably occurring characteristic (e.g., rose quartz). Due to trickery in light diffraction, pseudo chromic minerals are “falsely colored.” In these circumstances, color is changeable yet distinct to the mineral (e.g., precious opal).
Superball extravaganza
A toy bouncy ball called a Super Ball or Superball was created in 1964 by chemist Norman Stingley based on a form of synthetic rubber. It is a very elastic ball manufactured using Zectron, which also includes zinc oxide, hydrated silica, stearic acid, and polybutadiene.
This results in one super bouncy ball which was a huge hit among the kids back in the day. And, as much as kids loved them, adults hated them. We can’t even fathom how many people were hit in the face as a result of a wayward bounce.
In a galaxy, far, far away
Holy smokes! Now, this collection is ought to be worth some money! Judging by the make, we are somewhat certain that these figures are from the early ’80s. They are not in mint box condition, but that doesn’t matter with a collection like this. It’s still awesome!
We seem to have all the heavy hitters here. Chewie, Han, Luke, Princess Leia, Ben Kenobi, Darth Vader, R2D2, C3PO, a Tusken raider, and even a Jawa! Whoa, he even has Bossk, Lando, and Boba Fett also. What a collection.
Jack-O’-Lanterns!
Candle-lit pumpkins sporting spooky expressions are a surefire indication that Halloween is approaching. Large turnips, as well as potatoes, were used as the first canvases in Ireland, where the tradition of creating jack-o’-lanterns began. Fun fact: there’s a folk character named Stingy Jack?
It’s in an Irish folktale from which the word “jack-o’-lantern” originates. The custom was brought to America by Irish immigrants and it quickly established itself as a staple of the holiday. This person sure loves his Halloween-related paraphernalia. At least they won’t have a hard time finding decorations next October.
Phat stack of cash
So now we know how a fat stack of one dollar bills (approximately 1600) looks. What drove this person to collect all the one dollar bills they have received over the years, nobody knows. Quite impressive, though, when you look at it.
If all of these bills were fresh off the mint, those wouldn’t be this thick; maybe because of all the dirt, moisture, and other outside elements which get accumulated in a dollar note. After all, they are arguably the most commonly used bill notes.
Cereal vanity plates
This person has really singled out the one thing that sort of defines each of the 50 states. That’s no easy feat. They were able to put this masterpiece together with the help of cereal boxes. That’s right, these were accumulated from cereal box prizes back in 1988!
They might be cliche and stereotypes, but we can’t argue with some of the plates. Flamingo for Florida, Tubular for California, and Super-Sno for Utah all check out. Given that they came from cereal boxes, we bet that these aren’t full-sized…which means that there are likely drivers out there with these creative plates.
Fender
Probably one of the best guitar manufacturers in the world is Fender. They have a wide range of guitars available for different players at various price ranges. Even their entry-level guitars are of outstanding quality and make terrific beginner instruments. Plus look at these gorgeous pastel colors!
The Eric Johnson Signature Stratocaster as well as the Fender American Original 60s Stratocaster cost more than $1500. The legacy of the brand includes vintage models, luxury materials used in certain guitars, plus premium tonewood are the main causes of its exorbitant price.
Puzzle master
The standard Rubik’s cube all know and love has 20 movable parts. But this person has more than just one type of “cube.” We see a megamix cube, which is shaped like a dodecahedron and includes 50 total moveable parts. Due to its shape, the megaminx was formerly known as the magic dodecahedron.
We also see a pyraminx. Four axial components, six edge pieces, and four trivial tips make up the pyraminx. This has trivial tips or corners, so named because they can be bent without affecting the other parts and are therefore easy to arrange in a manner that solves the puzzle.
Smile!
Cool! That’s a Kodak Tourist on the second shelf, fourth from left. In 1948, the initial Tourist television series debuted. It was succeeded by the Tourist II series, which debuted in May 1951 and sports a revised viewfinder with a top cover.
Plus look at the RB67 in the top left corner! The camera’s viewfinder, chassis, film back, back adapter, and lens make up the system. The camera body is entirely mechanical and fairly basic. And you don’t need to worry about replacing batteries — you don’t need them! What a machine and what a collection.
Cute or creepy?
Work of art featuring deer has appeared across history. Feral and reserved, yet fearless and unbridled, rushing through the trees; stately as adults, joyful as fawns; strong yet exquisitely elegant. Why else would deer statues and memorabilia be so popular?
A beautiful example is the allure of the helpless deer and watchful fawns which drove this collector to collect all these deer-related memorabilia and collectibles. Quite the impressive and unique collection; it must have taken ages to get these overflowing shelves.
Jealous, much?
In a previous iteration of a LEGO collection, we met a person who managed to collect dozens of Batmen. Nearly all iterations of the LEGO Batman Minifigures, that is. Here we have a Star Wars fan showing his Minifigure collection, in a compartment his wife gifted him.
We see some old and new favorites here. Right off the bat, there’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Tusken Raiders, Kylo Ren, Rey and Maz Kanata from The Force Awakens, Jango Fett, and some clone troopers from Attack of the Clones.
Light her up!
Marcel Bich established the Bic company in 1945. In France, he along with his business partner Edouard Buffard started producing pencils and pens. With the acquisition of the Connecticut-based Waterman Pen Company in 1958, the flourishing business expanded into American soil.
Ever since, Bic has released new items like fuel cells, Wite-Out, a Bic phone, shaving razors, and sketching pencils. They are well known for their lighters which happen to be one of the most stolen items in the world. Smokers can unanimously relate to that fact.
Do you know what they say about Sharks with big teeth?
Would you look at the size of that Megalodon tooth! Contrary to popular belief, Megalodons are only discovered from a few dispersed remains and thousands of preserved teeth, thus experts disagree over how big it actually was. Teeth aren’t much to go on for determining creature size.
Paleontologists have estimated the length of adults, ranging from 40 to 100 feet from head to tail, based primarily on tooth size and comparison to contemporary great white sharks. They are estimated to weigh somewhere around 50 to 75 tons. That’s about 5 African bull elephants!
The ol’ yellow square
What an impressive collection of National Geographic magazines we have here. Apparently, the OP’s uncle has collected every single monthly publication of the world-famous magazine since 1972. That is quite an impressive feat. All the knowledge stored in these pages; it’s priceless.
Just imagine all the historic things that have happened since 1972. The Berlin wall fell in 1989. The Soviet Republic dissolved in 1991. The world’s first cloned animal, Dolly the Sheep, was born in 1996. The dawn of the new millennium in 2000. Those are only a few of the notable events that transpired.
Popcorn buckets
Well of all the ways one could showcase that they’re an MCU and DCEU fan, this takes the cake. We can’t lie when we say that The Batman popcorn cup takes our attention right away, even though it’s tucked in a corner.
There are some solid Infinity War and Endgame ones on the second shelf. The Logan one brings out especially fond memories and something we can’t seem to find is Deadpool-related merch. Those Doctor Strange ones are also top-notch designs. What a way to get the full movie experience.
Arthur Weasley’s manifestation
One thing pops up in our minds when we see this. Arthur Weasley would have been ecstatic to come across such a collection. He could have actually found out the function of a rubber duck. How happy that man would be!
Call this person unconventional, but this is still an impressive collection. After all, they’re no ordinary ducks. We can see Spider-Man, superheroes, some Halloween-themed ducks, Santa, and even some duck royalty lined up in the back. If James Veitch used these in his duck prank, we bet his roommates wouldn’t have been so mad.
Things that make you go “hmm”
You might mock your parents or your close friends for holding onto an old pair of spectacles. But when you yourself start doing the same thing, only then do you start to realize that it’s an unconscious action. Considering how expensive prescription glasses can be, it’s no surprise.
Plus, it has given you a clear sight for an untold number of days so it’s natural to form a bond over an inanimate thing such as spectacles. Look at this person right here, he’s been holding onto his pairs since 1964!
What a collection of iPods
So now we know where our old iPods went. It’s with this person right here. Holy macaroni that’s a huge collection right there. They might not be worth much now though. Still, we have to appreciate the variety. We can see Classic, Mini, Nano, Shuffle, and Touch models!
The design, vintage, quality, and storage capabilities all affect your iPod’s worth. On the low end of the scale are iPods that have significant visual degradation, and on the upper end exist iPods that are in fantastic shape and frequently have big storage capacity.
Salt and Pepper shaker collection
For ages, individuals of all social groups and situations have used salt and pepper dispensers, often on their dinner tables and in their kitchens. In addition to being storage units for the salt and pepper being used to season meals, they have recently become very sought-after antiques.
This is mostly due to their striking features, intriguing designs, and unusual forms. While special edition items and other special editions can sell for as much as $500 to $1,000, ordinary vintage salt and pepper shakers can range in price from $10 to $100.
Gamer Museum
This is no mere collection! This is a full museum right here! It’s really hard to take your eyes off the overall presentation. Just look at the PlayStation shelf. We can see PlayStations 1 to 3, along with their controllers!
And no gamer collection would be complete without a section dedicated to all things GameBoy! We see Pokemon Red and Blue, Metroid, Tetris, Super Mario, Warioland and so much more. In mint condition, no less. It’s like we died and went to gamer heaven.
Top brass
Unlike gold and silver, brass is a metal alloy. Solid brass is made of 33 percent zinc and 67 percent copper. It may be a metallic combo, but polished brass’ finish is inherently glossy. Furthermore, this metal takes in much more light than what it reflects.
The antique finish makes brass look aged with use. It is also darker than natural brass. Antique brass makes it simpler to mix and match pieces with several other finishes and styles, which is one of its best decorative features.
Puzzle in itself
The majority of scholars attribute the invention of the first “jigsaw” puzzle to John Spilsbury, an engraver in England, even though other people have made similar claims. Around 1760, Spilsbury attached a map of the world to a piece of hardwood.
Then he carved out land borders with a handsaw. He advertised his creations as “Dissected Maps” and offered these as a geography teaching aid. We’re pleased that it caught on like a wildfire because now we have a pastime and a hobby, just like this girl has. What a collection!
Grab a coke! Just not these!
This well-liked beverage didn’t traditionally exist in a figure-8-shaped bottle or with a small height. The Coca-Cola container evolved over the years, and the tale is pretty fascinating — from the initial models to the normal and limited-edition containers, like the ones you see in this cabinet.
They are not as uncommon as you might anticipate because the company developed so very many containers. A unique 130-year-old Coca-Cola bottle went for a pitiful $5 at a flea market but a tweaked root glass design fetched a staggering $240,000 since its price is so erratic.
Figurehead collection
What you’re seeing here is a collection of figureheads in a museum. Now we know the collections should be personal in nature but this is quite interesting! The ship figurehead is an intricately carved wooden decoration found on the front of ships.
It was prominent during the sixteenth and twentieth centuries. Up to their obsolescence due to advancements in vessel-building and design, ship figureheads were the centerpiece of historical ship design and construction. These ornaments, however, can indeed be viewed as essential artifacts from nautical history.