The Minimalist Collector

Minimalism and collecting. Is this even possible?

I think about this concept. A lot. Because it's part of what I do for a living. I am a vintage clothing reseller, and I have an online shop on Etsy, where I sell vintage. I've been doing this for years, and it's pretty much an integral part of my life now. I'm in search of "stuff," very specific vintage stuff, mind you, when I source items for my shop, because that's what I need, and that's what sells.

And the things I'm looking for are a bit rarer than the average reseller who sells modern clothing. So, it's easy to get into a collector mindset when the items I'm looking for are more unusual. I want to get the rare, special, and valuable things as do all vintage dealers and collectors.  But this often means my "Maybe I should just hold onto this" turns into, "Look at my new collection!"

Yet, it's all just "stuff," at the end of the day. 

Which is precisely why my minimalist mind shoots daggers at the collecting side of my brain during my shopping. But I also want to have a full, diverse, interesting life. Collections create joy, if you will. It's why people collect, after all. It's a way to say, "I find this important, so I want to treasure hunt for this for as long as possible." There's a happiness aspect of it that's addictive. A huge amount of dopamine is released when a treasure hunter finds something that they're looking for.

And while I sell vintage, I also love, wear, and collect it. It will always be a part of my life, from what I wear to the vintage kitchenware I eat out of, and to my furniture and decor. 

But I'm a minimalist, too. So, how does this work? How can it work? 

It works for several reasons, but I'm going to warn you from the start. It requires saying "no" a lot and saying "yes" selectively. I said it was possible, but it wouldn't be easy. Here's what I do as both a collector and a minimalist.

Fewer Better Collections: This is one of the hardest things I had to do when confronted with the reality that I had too much stuff. Collections of toys, dinnerware, belts, books, mugs... You name it, I probably had a variation of some collection of it. That's what happens when you start collecting as a teenager! And don't get me wrong... so much joy has come of it. But ten years ago, I realized continuing my collections wasn't sustainable. Meaning, who would move all of this when I retired? What will I do with it if I move? Store it just to collect dust? I knew something (a lot, actually) had to change when I became a minimalist and I got rid of most of the collections, except a choice few. Those few still bring me great joy, and I'm okay with having a small space dedicated to those few collections, rather than an overflowing house of half-hearted collections.

Make It Usable: Have a utilitarian collection? You might want to hold on to it. That's the measure I used to decide what to keep and what to give away (or sell). I collect vintage Pyrex, but I also use it every day. Can I use all of it at once? No, of course not. But I absolutely rotate through the pieces, using what I can, as often as I can. Another thing I love to collect is vintage mugs. I know that's a big no-no in the minimalist world, and I've downsized that to as few as I can, but I still have a good half dozen mugs I adore and enjoy my coffee out of every morning. They bring me joy, too. Here's the takeaway: both collections are usable. If you have a usable collection, maybe it's a keeper. Is it a dust collector? Perhaps that's one you might want to eliminate.

Be Ready to Give it Away: How do you know if you have a collection or if a collection has you? Very simply, ask yourself this: How easy would it be for me to give it away if someone asked for a part of it? Over the years, this has been an exercise I try to live out. If someone loves a mug I have, I can easily give it away (I'll find another). If someone loves a pattern of my Pyrex, then maybe it needs to be theirs, not mine? Out of my abundance, I can give. And no doubt, it always gets replaced by more. There's a reason God talks a lot about giving in the Bible. It brings joy to others, it brings joy to ourselves, and it keeps our hearts off of "stuff" and onto more important things. And the bonus is that when you give, you will receive back. It never fails because that's God's law: Give, and it will be given to you (Luke 6:38).

I will always be fighting the urge to keep and collect. It's in me forever, and I'm surrounded by things I love because I've made it my work. But that doesn't mean I need to collect everything. There's a time and place for everything, and for me, when I became a minimalist, I knew I'd have to pare down the collections and let others enjoy my accumulated excess.

I do believe you can be both a minimalist and a collector, but you have to be an intentional collector to allow both sides to coexist peacefully.