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David
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 101
Location: Bucharest
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 Posted: Mar 20, 2021 17:33 Post subject: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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Hello,
During the last year, because of the pandemic and the indoor lifestile, I've started buying many more minerals online. Before 2020 I rarely did that, choosing instead to focus on mineral shows or buying directly from people I know. I do prefer to see and touch a rock before the purchase. No chance for that in 2020 and 2021 so far.
So I had to adjust and look for different mineral sources online. And I've found many. But now for every rock that I buy I find 20 others that I would like to have. If I would buy all of them I would become bankrupt fast.
So where is the fine line, when does this passion for mineral collecting become an addiction in your opinion? And how do you keep it in check?
Many thanks! |
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Don Lum
Joined: 03 Sep 2012
Posts: 2900
Location: Arkansas
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| Posted: Mar 20, 2021 17:52 Post subject: Re: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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You don't. It is a disease for which there is no cure.
;-)
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Don Lum
Joined: 03 Sep 2012
Posts: 2900
Location: Arkansas
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| Posted: Mar 20, 2021 17:53 Post subject: Re: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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Welcome to The Forum.
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David
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 101
Location: Bucharest
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| Posted: Mar 20, 2021 18:10 Post subject: Re: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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I don't want it cured, I just want to keep it in check :)
Thank you Don! I am not new to this forum, I just don't post that much. I've been on FMF since 2011 :) |
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bob kerr
Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 638
Location: Monroeville PA
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| Posted: Mar 21, 2021 07:50 Post subject: Re: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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Not sure addiction is the right word - how about hoarder!! It may possibly be the case that for many of us, the line between collecting and hoarding is so thin as to be non-existent!
And the next challenge becomes de-accessing them!! Like getting rid of children - you can't.
bob |
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David
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 101
Location: Bucharest
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| Posted: Mar 21, 2021 08:41 Post subject: Re: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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Hello, Bob!
Yes, hoarder would be a good description :)
I can totally relate to that, especially now, that I've run out of cabinet space :)) |
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Peter Lemkin
Joined: 18 Nov 2016
Posts: 403
Location: Prague
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| Posted: Mar 21, 2021 10:03 Post subject: Re: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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| I freely admit it is the only vice or as you put it 'addiction' which I have never tried to cure myself of. At times it has hurt me financially or with space or the movers wanting to quit with 'what the f*** do you have in all these boxes? Rocks?', etc. My only regret is I don't have more minerals and more display cases and more money to get more and more time to dig up more.......... i.e., there is no cure after it goes for a year or more. One must learn to give in to it. It is no more harmful than my other addidtions - good books of the real kind; music, art, history, science [granted only the rocks and books take up a lot of space and are heavy to move]. I blame that on gravity. Mark me down as a happy and well-adjusted addict. |
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James Catmur
Site Admin
Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 1463
Location: Cambridge
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| Posted: Mar 21, 2021 10:16 Post subject: Re: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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I think it is some form of hoarding that I inherited.
My grandfather's collection of printed ephemera reached about 1.3 million items and is now world-famous (in that field). It was my mother who encouraged me to collect - first fossils, then later minerals. My wife then let me continue to collect as she saw it as a passion.
After her (my wide's) early death I stopped buying but did not stop collecting if I have the opportunity. |
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Susan Robinson
Joined: 05 Aug 2010
Posts: 163
Location: Hancock, MI
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| Posted: Mar 21, 2021 10:20 Post subject: Re: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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I'd like to pose the question: Is the "quest" for minerals (whether self-collected or purchased) more of a passion than actually getting more specimens? Do deer hunters find more pleasure in searching for a deer to kill than after it is shot?
Personally, I know that entering a mineral show or going collecting and the anticipation of finding the mineral specimen "you can't live without" is more fun. You bring your minerals home and show them to other collectors, and eventually the "high" wears off. So, it's off to the field or show to collect more . . .
Susan Robinson (a nearly-reformed mineral "addict")
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LeadMineGal
Joined: 18 Dec 2012
Posts: 31
Location: Westhampton, MA
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| Posted: Mar 21, 2021 10:44 Post subject: Re: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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| bob kerr wrote: | Not sure addiction is the right word - how about hoarder!! It may possibly be the case that for many of us, the line between collecting and hoarding is so thin as to be non-existent!
bob |
The line between a collector & a hoarder is that the collector takes pride in his/her collection and enjoys showing it off The collection is maintained in an organized manner and does not impede the use of active living areas of the home.
When the collection becomes too large, the motivation to organize it becomes overwhelming and the hoard begins to take over the living space and cause shame & embarrassment.
The drive to add more to the collection supersedes the original intent. |
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David
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 101
Location: Bucharest
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| Posted: Mar 21, 2021 11:29 Post subject: Re: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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| Peter Lemkin wrote: | | I freely admit it is the only vice or as you put it 'addiction' which I have never tried to cure myself of. At times it has hurt me financially or with space or the movers wanting to quit with 'what the f*** do you have in all these boxes? Rocks?', etc. My only regret is I don't have more minerals and more display cases and more money to get more and more time to dig up more.......... i.e., there is no cure after it goes for a year or more. One must learn to give in to it. It is no more harmful than my other addidtions - good books of the real kind; music, art, history, science [granted only the rocks and books take up a lot of space and are heavy to move]. I blame that on gravity. Mark me down as a happy and well-adjusted addict. |
Hello Peter,
It was a pleasure to read your message! You have so many passions, it seams you are addicted to life :)
I know what you mean, it is always funny when couriers bring some of the heavier rocks, I can tell by the look on their faces that they wonder: What on Earth do you have in here, rocks? Well yes, you've guessed :)
I don't have regrets regarding mineral collecting, it has brought me much joy, new friends and a sense of beauty in my life. Of course there are also many frustrations. You always need more money for the killer piece or the next trip, more display space. But then I think to myself, if I had the resources to buy all the minerals that I want, would that really make me happier? I do enjoy searching for minerals, prioritizing, calculating my moves. But, in order to keep my passion/addiction in check I do set thresholds, to remain on the safe side. |
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David
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 101
Location: Bucharest
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| Posted: Mar 21, 2021 11:45 Post subject: Re: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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| Susan Robinson wrote: | I'd like to pose the question: Is the "quest" for minerals (whether self-collected or purchased) more of a passion than actually getting more specimens? Do deer hunters find more pleasure in searching for a deer to kill than after it is shot?
Personally, I know that entering a mineral show or going collecting and the anticipation of finding the mineral specimen "you can't live without" is more fun. You bring your minerals home and show them to other collectors, and eventually the "high" wears off. So, it's off to the field or show to collect more . . .
Susan Robinson (a nearly-reformed mineral "addict") |
That is an interesting question, thanks! I don't know about deer hunting, but I think I do enjoy just as much to search for minerals, buy them or colect them, if possible.
Maybe you can bring back the "high" by studying and taking pictures of the purchased minerals for instance. |
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Peter Lemkin
Joined: 18 Nov 2016
Posts: 403
Location: Prague
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| Posted: Mar 21, 2021 12:10 Post subject: Re: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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| Susan Robinson wrote: | I'd like to pose the question: Is the "quest" for minerals (whether self-collected or purchased) more of a passion than actually getting more specimens? Do deer hunters find more pleasure in searching for a deer to kill than after it is shot?
Personally, I know that entering a mineral show or going collecting and the anticipation of finding the mineral specimen "you can't live without" is more fun. You bring your minerals home and show them to other collectors, and eventually the "high" wears off. So, it's off to the field or show to collect more . . .
Susan Robinson (a nearly-reformed mineral "addict") |
From observation over time [I'm 70 and started my collection aged 5], there is a spectrum and 'collectors of minerals' each fall somewhere on that spectrum. Some only care for self-collected minerals. Others only buy at shows or give money to others to build a collection for them. In the middle are many who do both go to shows and buy as well as self-collect. I'm in the middle [I go to shows, but also self-collect]. I will state, however, that I treasure and get more endorphins from a middle-grade self collected crystal than one I purchased that is of much higher grade. When looking at them, I remember the day, the work, the planning, the digging, the moment it saw light for the first time in a few million years, etc. Having a world class collection only by collecting is very difficult!!! - although a few lucky, smart, and hard-working people have done so. Having a world class collection if one has good mineral taste and enough money is much easier, but in some way feels to me like not the 'real thing'. I prize my self-collected XX more than those I bought, but love them all!!! BUT, I need both for my own addiction and collection. Everyone is different and the ratio of self-collected to purchased varies from 0% to 100%. My self-collected probably make up ~30% of my collection by volume. I blame myself sometimes for not doing more self-collecting. I rarely blame myself [very long ;-) ] for not spending more on the minerals I saw at the last show I lusted for....... |
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Tobi
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 4235
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Mar 22, 2021 09:05 Post subject: Re: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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Many wise words and interesting personal stories in this topic, I think as an answer to the original question this hits the mark:
| LeadMineGal wrote: | | bob kerr wrote: | | Not sure addiction is the right word - how about hoarder!! It may possibly be the case that for many of us, the line between collecting and hoarding is so thin as to be non-existent! bob |
The line between a collector & a hoarder is that the collector takes pride in his/her collection and enjoys showing it off The collection is maintained in an organized manner and does not impede the use of active living areas of the home. When the collection becomes too large, the motivation to organize it becomes overwhelming and the hoard begins to take over the living space and cause shame & embarrassment. The drive to add more to the collection supersedes the original intent. |
That's a good definition of what makes the difference between "passion for minerals" (= organized collecting with certain goals and priorities) and the "addiction" of hoarding (= just wanting more and more and more rocks). But as Bob said, the line between these two extremes is thin ;-)
I know many other collectors who are rather hoarders or let's say both collectors and hoarders. I consider myself definitely an organized collector, there are only two showcases in the living room with ~120 specimens on display, all specimens in boxes (~ 60-80 pieces) are for sale and also stored at the bottom of the showcases. No garage filled with flats, no bathroom with stacked boxes, no "why is everything filled with your stupid rocks???" discussions with my wife ;-) |
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Philippe Durand
Joined: 10 May 2016
Posts: 653
Location: Normandie
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| Posted: Mar 22, 2021 12:31 Post subject: Re: When does the passion for minerals become an addiction? |
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A way to stay an ordered collector is money management.
If you fix every month or year a budget for rocks, technically, you fix the number of rocks that you can buy; Or you are very wealthy and you can be a hoarder with high priced specimens :)
If you self collect, you keep rocks and rocks, in crates, boxes, shelves...
I remember having in my parents garage, hundreds of ugly quartz, calcite, chunks of pegmatite with poor schorl needles, ....
I was very close to be a hoarder :)
Once I discarded all this stuff, and become a collector :)
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