Is your collection meaningful or a burden?

Most of us have collected one thing or another during our lives.  Our collection grows, sometimes out of control, once we tell someone about our collection.  We receive pieces to add to our as gifts than we may have intended to collect.

What do you collect?

I was a collector, until I outgrew my collections.  I started out collecting soap from hotels when my dad traveled for business.  He was very frugal and convinced me, rather easily, that the hotel soap he presented to me upon his return, was actually a great souvenir! My collection grew until it filled  a large box that resided under my bed.  When my sister did a semester abroad, she brought home soap from other countries.  I was thrilled!  This collection brought me joy, believe it or not.  Friends had to look at it and smell the soap when they visited.  Weird, huh!

During one period of my life, I was an avid figure skater.  Because of this skating obsession, my mom began giving me skating ornaments.  This was a wonderful collection because I had something to put on my tree when I married.  I looked forward to trimming the tree with my skaters.  I have since out grown this obsession and given most of the skaters away to charity.

So what is the point of my sharing my collection’s story?

I would like you to think about your current collections.  Do they continue to bring you joy?  Are they a burden because you feel guilty when they no longer bring you pleasure?  Do you continue to receive pieces for you collection as gifts and you have run out of space?  Does your collection require space you no longer want to devote to the collection?  Think about it.

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, it may be time to part ways with your collection.

What is the worst thing that would happen if you donated or sold your collection?