yeah, with this sort of thing live for the moment and not too far ahead

This is one of those "what is the meaning of life ?" questions, essentially.
Well, I'm not sure what to answer. Is there an answer, at all ? Or many, actually ?

But maybe it's not so much important what we accomplished, but how we lived.
If you inspire others, make them think or simply bring joy into the world, no matter on what scale, then it wasn't a waste of time and efforts.

Nothing is supposed to last forever. Everything that humans have ever built will eventually be destroyed.

Instead of worrying about what happens to our 'stuff' in the long run, I just worry about whether or not it brings me enjoyment in my day-to-day life. Monetary value is irrelevant. It's sentimental enjoyment that matters (imho).

Life - is a process. It looks like a trip and it is actually a trip. Just enjoy the ride. This is actually the meaning of life.

Regarding collecting, like many other things during your life it have to bring feelings of joy and satisfaction. And why to care about what happens to your collection after you're gone forever? Enjoy it here and now instead!

My grandfather was a great collector. Stamps, coins, die cast pencil sharpeners in shapes of cars, planes, etc.
My grandmother collected souvenir teaspoons from places they visited (which I forgot about till just now, thanks for that memory)

Both have now died. One of the daughters took the spoons, I actually kept the sharpeners as finding the new one in the collection was a game we played when I came to visit as a child.
None of the family were into stamp of coin collecting so were sold off, alot was only worth face value so was simply used as a normal coin/stamp.

When you die you have no way of knowing what possession's will have special sentimental value to loved ones but it gives something for them to remember you with but ultimately just like any hobby it's about doing something that makes you happy .

The things I collect, I collect because it brings me joy to hunt for them, to look at them, to touch them, and to be able to say that I own them. However, apart from a couple of laptops and due to spatial and monetary constraints, my collection is mostly limited to books now...

From old hardware perspective - to benchmark and document things which were not done by reviewers back when it was new and shiny.

For retro hardware, I don’t collect anything for collecting’s sake. I buy something, because I find it interesting and I everything I buy is inteded for use. I like repairing and restoring stuff and I’m fascinated and interested about the engineering and history of these things, both people behind them as well as how something has been perhaps influential (or failure) from technological perspective.

I find modern hardware mostly just boring. They are so complex that they are mostly just black boxes and also very difficult if not impossible to repair or modify. Very few tech products or companies nowadays personalize to one or just few people, because most manufacturers are huge corporations and designing modern equipment requires a small army of engineers. Vintage hardware feels somehow cozy. The crude simplicity of DOS, for example, where you are faced with big limitations, but nothing is hidden from you under the GUI and registry, feels extremely natural. Even after a long time between since I moved away from DOS and got my first DOS retro computer many years ago, it felt immediately familiar and like I was back home.

In today’s age of hyperconsumerism where people are buying new electronics constantly, I enjoy that I can show to people that you can still learn useful skills and most of all, have countless of hours fun with decades old tech.

I don’t have time to worry what happens to my stuff when I die and why should I? In all its simplicity, dead people don’t care. I get enjoyment out of them during my one-time visit in this world and that’s it. That’s what hobbies are for.

twiz11 wrote on 2023-03-05, 13:58:

I collect shot glasses and small things that fit in a small cabinet. I collect them because they have practical use in addition to looking fabulous. They are made of thick glass and don't shatter if they hit the ground from my height. But is collecting pointless to the point that most of it will be thrown away when I die? I get stuff on the road to prove I was there, and to prove I existed there, maybe to get a selfie. I used to collect old games but The box art, games are preserved digitally through the internet archive so my efforts are fruitless in trying to save all ancient games when they will be in a landfill when I die. My aunt said when she dies most of the stuff she has will just be thrown out, and that's sad because I look through my collection in order to determine how much its worth and its worth null. To save stuff that has no worth means I am a hoarder.

but the stuff does have value if you think it has a value to you here and now

collecting is for now and however many 'nows' we get, we are not there afterwards. 10 seconds after or 10 billion years after has the same (lack of) meaning.

even thinking about 'afterwards' is really thinking in the present about an unknown future.

if you have enjoyed these things then it cannot be undone, so enjoy them and allow that fact to be placed rightfully in the universe!

Because they’re cool and I like using them. It’s just important not to consoom to excess like with any other good thing.

For me, perhaps because it runs in the family.

My paternal grandfather collected horses. My father collected 4WDs. I have to settle with retro PC games and retro hardware. Perhaps collecting things is part of our OCD. However, I don't go as far as collecting vintage audio gears despite my love for them.

No, I'm not collecting these, just enjoying the one I have.

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman wrote on 2023-03-27, 14:30:

For me, perhaps because it runs in the family. […]
Show full quote

For me, perhaps because it runs in the family.

My paternal grandfather collected horses. My father collected 4WDs. I have to settle with retro PC games and retro hardware. Perhaps collecting things is part of our OCD. However, I don't go as far as collecting vintage audio gears despite my love for them.

No, I'm not collecting these, just enjoying the one I have.

looks interesting!

there are collectors for these things and enthusiasts for repair and maintenance, youtube is great for that. Also for radio, tv, vhs and even kitchen and utility goods - and i can understand it. Its the appreciation of the thing - what it represents in your life, how it maybe symbolises something about human ingenuity, the joy of learning something deeply where most people never do

gerry wrote on 2023-03-27, 15:18:

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman wrote on 2023-03-27, 14:30:

For me, perhaps because it runs in the family. […]
Show full quote

For me, perhaps because it runs in the family.

My paternal grandfather collected horses. My father collected 4WDs. I have to settle with retro PC games and retro hardware. Perhaps collecting things is part of our OCD. However, I don't go as far as collecting vintage audio gears despite my love for them.

No, I'm not collecting these, just enjoying the one I have.

looks interesting!

there are collectors for these things and enthusiasts for repair and maintenance, youtube is great for that. Also for radio, tv, vhs and even kitchen and utility goods - and i can understand it. Its the appreciation of the thing - what it represents in your life, how it maybe symbolises something about human ingenuity, the joy of learning something deeply where most people never do

Indeed. The other forums I join besides Vogons is Audiokarma, where you can find plenty of vintage audio hoarders. But I'm already running out of space collecting retro PC games and retro computer hardware, so collecting vintage audio gears is out of the questions.

In the past someone may accuse me of collecting vintage loudspeakers with titanium dome tweeters. It started with a pair of JBL 120Tis, then I hunted for a single JBL 4410, then a pair of JBL LX44s, and finally a pair of Celestion 5s. But it was not collecting; they're for my family's home theater setup.