All Ahoard! 5 Reasons to Consider Collecting Things as a Hobby

26 February 2019

The average American home holds over 300,000 items. Thank goodness our home size tripled within the last 50 years.

While we may have the space to keep everything, it doesn’t mean most of it’s worth keeping. However, some items are not only worth keeping, but they’re also worth collecting.

There’s a huge difference between hoarding and collecting. Hoarding is a serious problem often associated with mental and physical health risks. Meanwhile, collecting things is considered a hobby with lots of positive side effects.

5 Reasons to Consider Collecting Things as a Hobby

If you’ve ever considered starting your own cool collections, you’re not alone. Keep reading to learn five reasons why getting involved with popular collections is the perfect hobby for you.

1. Collecting Things Improves Your Social Life:

3% of American adults suffer from a general anxiety disorder. That’s 6.8 million of us who are stressed out. And that’s not even including those with social anxiety.

And the more we isolate ourselves, the worse the anxiety, especially social anxiety gets. That’s why popular collectibles are such a great idea.

You aren’t the only person out there looking for fun things to collect. There are tons of others exactly like you who want to talk about their collections with others who share their passions.

Since you already have something in common, it’s easier to strike up conversations with others. You’ll probably find you have a lot more in common with other collectors enabling you to make lifelong friendships.

Works of Art Start Conversations:

Also, collectibles are often considered works of art. They’re not for storing away where no one can see them.

Instead, collections are made to be displayed proudly so everyone can admire them. And it’s a great way to start conversations with other people.

Make sure you find the proper place and way to store your collectibles so they stay safe but can also easily be viewed. There’s no point in collecting items that gather dust in your basement.

2. Collectible Items are Worth Money:

While some popular collections such as Hummels lose their value over time, many of them increase in value. And some collectible items end up being worth some serious money such as Star Wars memorabilia.

If you’re looking to make an investment in something you can enjoy for a long time, collectibles are the way to go.

Some of the more popular collectible items are things like stamps, games, and comic books. It’s an exciting hobby to watch your collectibles increase in value year after year.

Know the Value of Your Collection:

Some people collect for the fun of collecting. Others do it as a way to make money such as collecting and selling scrap metals.

Some collectibles fluctuate in price on an almost daily basis. Others grow in value over time.

Look for collectibles that still have their original boxes.

An easy way to keep track of the value of an item is to join a collecting club. But do additional online research before you decide to sell so you avoid being ripped off.

For some ideas on best selling practices, click here to learn how to sell comics.

3. Enhances Your Historical Knowledge:

If you are someone who loves history, then consider collecting items. Collectible items are a great and fun way to learn about history or even a specific period of time in history.

Take coin collecting, for example. Coin collecting has been around as long as coins themselves.

Each era of coins provides a wealth of information. Each coin tells you what language the country where it originated spoke when the coin was created.

The coin also tells which metals the country of origin considered valuable, providing you with a lot of information about what people during that era held in high esteem.

4. Helps You Improve Your Organizational Skills:

If you take your collection hobby seriously, you’ll need to learn some organizational skills. Most hobby collections involve categorizing items.

Categorizing items helps you and others recognize certain characteristics of your collectibles. Categorizing also helps identify breaks in patterns.

This skill helps you recognize fakes when compared with real collectibles. And it can help you recognize when you’ve found something truly special.

Transfer Organizing Skills to the Rest of Your Life:

As you learn how to organize and categorize, you’ll realize how beneficial these skills are to everything else in your life. And they’re easily transferable skills.

Organizational thinking is a necessary skill in today’s world. Especially if you’re in certain professions such as teachers, doctors or stockbrokers.

You can use these skills to increase your productivity, reduce stress, and make smarter, healthier decisions in every area of your life.

5. Improves Your Health:

Collecting is a hobby. Research shows that those who engage in hobbies are more averse to problems such as low blood pressure, depression, and even memory issues.

Hobbies help people focus on something that brings them joy, which reduces their anxiety. And if you’re scouring flea markets for the latest find, you’ll get some exercise, too.

Hobbies create joy in your life and give you a sense of purpose.

How to Select Which Cool Collectibles to Focus on:

There are tons of cool collectibles you can choose from. Start by taking a look around your home.

You may have already started a collection without knowing it. If not, take a look at your friends and family’s collections, see if you like what they’re collecting. If so, ask them about it.

Do Your Research Before You Purchase Anything:

If not, take some time to do research on what’s worth collecting. Then select something you’re excited to learn more about.

If you already know what you want to collect, start doing research. Learn the lingo used by those already collecting. Find out where the best spots are for finding new items to collect.

Designate an Area to Keep Your Collectibles:

Make sure you have a safe spot in your home or office to keep your collectibles. Make sure they’re in a place where they’re not exposed to elements, kids/pets or bugs/vermin.

Don’t Go Overboard:

Collecting things is a great hobby, but don’t go overboard. Create a budget to ensure you don’t spend money you don’t have on a collectible item.

If you can’t wait to get that latest cool collectible, we can help you avoid financial disaster. Click here to learn how to make money without getting a second job.

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Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

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Sending Gifts in Lockdown – Let Someone Know They are Not Alone

When we eventually get to the point that we look back on this crazy period of our lives, we will do so remembering just how difficult the strains of lockdown measures were on every single one of us. Cut off from society and, with that, our friends and family that we hold so dear. Right now, we don’t know exactly how long this will go on for and it already feels as though we have been in this for the long haul. With no clear light at the tunnel thus far and our last meetings with friends and family but a distant memory, there is some solace that we can take in remembering that we can still let our loved ones know that they are not alone even when they are alone. While video calling technology has seen a massive uptake in recent months (and no doubt will continue to do so), online shopping capabilities make it easy to purchase and send gifts to those we so badly want to embrace. Whether it is your mum and dad, your grandparents, a partner you do not live with, or your best friend, surprising them with something thoughtful might just make their day. Wherever you are in the World It does not matter where you are in the world for you to send a gift to someone you care for. Almost all countries, at the time of writing, are under lockdown measures of some kind, meaning that the public is unable to exchange presents in person. That means that some have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions without those they would normally wish to celebrate with. Right now, living 10 minutes away is like living on the opposite side of the world, but even then, we have always been able to send parcels. With delivery services still operating, we must continue to make use of these as a means of staying connected. For example, a shop in Edinburgh that offers flower delivery is currently proving highly popular as friends and family wish to show they care and show that their loved ones remain in their thoughts. Even in the hardest of times, in the unfortunate event of passing in the family and loved ones are unable to gather to mourn their loss. Amazon Wish Lists Across social media, there is a trend of people sharing their Amazon Wish Lists and buying gifts for others who have shared theirs. This has largely started since lockdown measures were implemented as a means of sharing positivity and it has helped to bring people together in tough times. Even if you are not interested in sharing your list, you can still get involved by buying a gift for someone, even if you don’t know them. This may or may not sound like something you wish to get involved in, but the overriding message of the campaign is to be kind to one another, which is something we need right now. Personalized Gifts We are all missing someone. We are all counting down the days until we can hug someone and once again make memories together. In the meantime, personalized gifts go some way to filling the void that we are all experiencing. Grandparents, who may be shielding for longer than most of the population, will be missing their grandchildren greatly. While they cannot be reunited yet, a small token of love may just give them renewed strength during these tough times. Until we can meet again, it is essential to remind loved ones that they are just that. We are all suffering and cannot wait until the world returns to as close to normality as possible. Until then, sending small gestures to friends and family is the best that we can do, and do that we should. Read Also: Beautiful And Unique Anniversary Gifts For Your Beloved Wife Unique Christmas Gifting Ideas- Gifts For Everyone 5 Awesome Boyfriend Gifts for the Guy Who Has Everything 5 Exciting Father’s Day Gifts For The Tech-Obsessed Dad Unpredictable Valentine’s Day Gift to Surprise Your Lover

3 Tips For An Amazing Wedding Reception

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What to do if you encounter a black bear?

You can enjoy your adventure to the fullest only when you are confident about encountering dangerous animal comfortably while camping or hiking. Whenever you are camping or hiking in the wilderness, you are likely to encounter a bear. So, it’s very important to know how to deal with the situation keeping your head cool and calm because panicking might only make it worse. So, whenever it happens to face a bear, remain as composed as possible. Your action will depend on many things- the species of the bear, your surroundings, and your expertise. To deal a bear-encounter comfortably, follow these simple guidelines: Avoid bear altogether: Bears usually want to avoid human contact and hence, by avoiding them altogether, you can avert an unpleasant encounter. To be in the safe zone, avoid moving through bear-habituated area silently and alone. Try to travel in groups with lots of sounds- like talking or singing. And obviously, remain alert all the time. In encounter: If you bump into a bear surprisingly, remain calm and keep your bear spray ready. Try to figure out what type of bear it is. It will help you to deal with it accordingly. First, as a general rule of thumb, follow simple basics like if the bear is at a distance, give as much space as possible. If possible, turn around and leave the way you came. Or, simply walk away giving the bear a wide berth. But never try to approach it or take a photo. And if the bear is close to you, like in your campground or on the trail, compose yourself and evaluate the situation confidently. Back away slowly, but never try to run. Keep an eye on the bear, most probably, it will flee. Survive an attack: If your encounter turns into a stand-off, you need to determine, whether the bear is a black bear or brown one. One thing to keep in mind is that the only color is not the determining factor, as a black bear can be brown colored and vice versa. There are some physical characteristics that will tell you the species of the bear. Black bears are usually smaller and have smaller claws while brown ones are much bigger and have a distinctive lump behind their neck and their claws and paws are also bigger in size. Black bears are timid in nature, so if you can, try to escape. Or if you don’t see any option to escape, fight back. As the bear gets closer, strike on its nose and face with a rock, a stick or whatever you find. If you don’t get anything near you, use your fists. The bear will flee as it doesn’t tend to be aggressive. On the contrary, brown bears can be quite aggressive and large in size, it won’t be wise to fight back. Instead, you can lay down on the ground, acting as dead. Put your shoulder over the head and spread your legs so that it can’t turn you over. Leave your backpack on to protect your shoulder and back. Remain as still and motionless as possible. The bear will lose interest in you and walk away. Use bear spray: One of the best ways to deal with a bear is using a bear spray. This powerful pepper spray can stop a bear immediately and compel them to back off. But, using this spray needs some precaution and trial. Or else, you might end up exposing yourself to the chemicals. When you need to use the spray, don’t wait for it to come closer. Spray from a distance as it takes some time to show the effect. Don’t waste your time on aiming its eyes, nose, and face, just spray thoroughly or else, the bear may approach you while correcting the aim. However, to ensure exciting camping or hiking, get yourself educated on how to deal adverse situation. Bears are a generally calm natured animal but might get aggressive because of assuming you as a threat. Knowing how to deal with such adverse situation can go a long way towards handling it calmly and getting you home hale and hearty. Once you feel comfortable handling such a situation, your adventure-trips will be more exciting and enjoyable, see more on review night for more about outdoor adventure. Read Also : 7 Elk Hunting Tips To Follow

All Ahoard! 5 Reasons to Consider Collecting Things as a Hobby

5 Reasons to Consider Collecting Things as a Hobby