Collectors vs. Non-Collectors

A recent reader-written article in the Washington Post about a collector and his wife, who is definitely not a collector, made me think about this common point of contention. The author writes about his wife reaction, "my God, not another" look every time you add a little something to your collection? Is "What do you want that for?" often spoken in not-so-endearing terms. Or, "How much did that cost? You don't have any more room." You love to collect, but your spouse or significant other does not. You want to accumulate as many of items you are passionate about. By doing so; however, will this cause friction and the loss of passion between you and your loved one? What is an avid collector to do? The non-collectors call it junk, trash, cluttter. Whereas, we see a museum-quality display. Some non-collector tolerate collections...to a point. I've heard stories from collectors who hide their newly-found items, thereby avoiding any conflict. In the past, I've written about collecting and the psychology of collecting. Do you have a collector / collectionless story to share? Let us know via the 'Comments' link below.