A Hobby to End all Hobbies

Everyone’s got to have a hobby, or so they say. It’s usually a phrase doled out to someone with either too much time on their hands, or someone engaging in some practice so unorthodox or unexpected that it defies explanation beyond this simple stock phrase. And for many, hobbies are simply ‘out of reach’, either due to work commitments or other stressors on their time or purses. But they don’t need to be.

I’ve gone through dozens of hobbies over the years, from the piano to football, theatre to dance, but only one has remained steadfast through it all. The oldest, simplest & most versatile hobby of them all – collecting. The art of finding an item, acquiring it, & doing not very much else with it, transcends all places, interests, budgets and times, accessible for young & old at any stage of life. It’s a hobby that is entirely down to how you wish to interpret it.

Throughout my life, I’ve collected a myriad of items, culminating in my current portfolio, consisting of seven individual collections, now numbering nearly 2000 individual items, or item-like units. From embroidered patches & enamel pin badges, to interesting coins & LEGO Star Wars figures, I have some of the more common collectors’ pursuits, as well as slightly more niche subjects too.

A lot of times, a collection is how you define it. Whilst some types of collections require the input of a certain level of financial capital to grow & build upon, others are more dependent on circumstance or luck, allowing anyone of any budget to begin their own. For example, I also collect celebrities, public figures who I have met, & definitively, have a photo with. I collect London Underground Tube Stations, selfies with the famous roundel at each station in an effort to complete the map. And even tiny bottles of alcohol, toiletries or other substances that are miniature versions of their regular counterparts.

The best collections help to invoke memories, of your own or of others. Each item in your collection should be able to tell a story, even a short, inconsequential or personal one, making that old shoebox a treasure trove of special moments that brought these seemingly meaningless trinkets into your life. For lots of collection types, it’s inherent in the items themselves, from the objects they portray to the words printed on them, but for others, it’s more semantic, which makes collecting a prime hobby for anyone. Look through your photos now, & you’ll find a budding collection in there somewhere (although your photo library technically counts in itself!).

If you’re not a collector yet, why not begin now? A hobby with absolutely no rules, requirements, skill level, time commitment or even financial input required, it can begin from the comfort of your bed. Simply a folder, a box, or a photo gallery is all you need to get going, & who knows, maybe you’ll end up with 2000 items of minimal practical use lying about too!

Written by, Sophie Layton (she/her)