How Would YOU Define the differnce between Collecting and Accumulating?

To me collecting implies a sense of purpose.

[FormerFoodie]

In my eyes, collecting is noble and done with purpose.

In my disapproving critics' eyes, I'm accumulating too many instruments.

[N+1]

I think I'm neither collecting nor accumulating. I feel as if I'm exploring. For the first time in my life, a few years ago it became possible to discover what it was like to own a really good guitar. I learned that there wasn't one road to travel, but several, and it was possible for me to explore, if not all those roads, then at least a few of them. Each guitar has been bought because it offered a new route, new sights, sounds, and experiences.

At some future stage I may dispose of one or two, but not many, because the exploration continues. It's true, of course, that there's a row of half a dozen guitar cases leaning against the wall, and if we're talking lowest common denominators, they could be described as either a collection or an accumulation of guitars. But in practice it's much more like a set of windows, looking out onto different views; or a series of cinemas, each with a different movie showing.

[Bax Burgess]

Without hands on accumulating, can one educate oneself beyond second, third, fourthhand opinions? Collecting suggests, to me, that knowledge precedes the accumulation.

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by N+1

I think I'm neither collecting nor accumulating. I feel as if I'm exploring.

That's the best face I can put on my accumulation too. I enjoy listening to what different guitars can do, I enjoy what they feel like to play, and particularly with electric solid body guitars, the differences in appearance.

Each added guitar adds a new experience and a bit more to my knowledge bank. If I wanted a highfalutin' name for my actions it'd be "guitar researcher" or something like that.

A collector (as a term) would imply an aim and organization, and my aims are so diffuse as to not really be aims as we usually use that term.

[sdelsolray]

The words "collect" and "accumulate" are synonyms.

[JoeCharter]

Originally Posted by stormin1155

I would go along with the theme that several have already mentioned...

Collecting: Method to the madness
Accumulating: Just madness

I think this is most accurate so far.

I also think collecting implies that one would appreciate/enjoy each of the items in the collection.

A collector is an accumulator -- but an accumulator is not necessarily a collector.

[taylorgtr]

Collecting is what I call it.

Accumulating is what my ex would call it.

[tippy5]

I bet one of our esteemed moderators could shed light on this forum. How many of us go to the Guitar Emporium more than any other section? How many of us go to the emporium more than a couple times a day?

In lieu of of not perjuring myself I recently succumbed after a year of no acoustic aquisions to 3 in the last 3 months. I now have to pare down from 9 to 6 again. With different flavors for different genres as my criteria of accumulation.

Now let's go see who's selling a Froggy for $3500.

[devellis]

I agree with others who have said that "collecting" implies a sense of purpose. To me, a collection of objects is a set that was acquired with some pattern or goal in mind, related to the objects themselves. So, if someone had all birth-year guitars, there would b a purposeful pattern to how they were collected. Someone else might want one of each variant of a model, like every type of D-28 ever produced (which would be quite a collection). Another pattern might be every model of guitar that a certain celebrity played at various career stages.

To me, having guitars that suit a musical purpose is different. The point isn't primarily to achieve a collection that fulfills some a priori criterion but to have instruments that work for the owner.

Now, of course, it's possible to fabricate some sort of category that will embrace just about any set of guitars imaginable (remember the $10,000 Pyramid?). But I think a true collection is based on some intentional similarity that the things collected share, with the intent of eventually having a "complete set" of some sort. If there's no definable end point, when the category would be exhausted, I have a hard time thinking of something as a "collection" in the more formal sense of the word. Hmmm. Maybe birth-year guitars wouldn't be a "collection" after all.

I think I'm in the "accumulation" category. There's really no rhyme or reason to what I have. Most are very well suited to the style of music I play. But there are a few that don't fit that description terribly well. They might be things I just acquired because the opportunity presented itself and I was attracted to them when it did. A good example is a Weymann Mandolute that I bought quite a long time ago. It wasn't expensive. I'm not that fond of how it sounds. But they're kind of different and interesting looking, with their violin-style, edge-slightly-hanging-over-the-sides top and back design. They represent an experiment in mandolin design that never really took the world by storm. But it's in very good shape, only cost a few hundred bucks when I bought it back in the 1980s, is a completely serviceable instrument, and I wouldn't get much for it if I sold it. So I've hung onto it. I think it definitely fits the "accumulation" category.

More recently, I've gone after instruments that do fit with what I play and that offer something functional that I don't have. I have 2 or 3 OM-sized guitars, for example, but each has its own tone and personality. I also think I'm pretty much through accumulating guitars. I know, we all fall for that misconception from time to time. And I can't guarantee that I'll never get another. But I really have more than I need and they cover a lot of bases. I'd have to be pretty convinced that something was quite different before I bought another guitar. As I recall, the last two instruments I've bought were an Alvarez baritone last hear (inexpensive and definitely different) and a guitar banjo back in 2015 (not quite as inexpensive but every bit as different).

[tadol]

I started by exploring, realized that without some selling, it would just be accumulating, so then it became collecting. Now, I have a collection, and I find I’m back at exploring -

[Paleolith54]

A strategy.

[mickthemiller]

I've never kidded myself that I'm a collector, I'm a sick individual, an addict.

[Reidclifford]

I see collecting as... Enjoying Martin guitars and collecting them. A dreadnought, 000, vintage 00, vintage dreadnought, ceo7, maybe if most of them have mahogany appointments try to find a nice rosewood, etc. A nice collection, depending on tastes changing/different phases... picking up different guitars to fit the style. Collecting them, and keeping them around for different situations. I currently have two martins, by no means a collection. But I plan on buying more over the years, depending on what I’m into. I’m more of a small
Body guy, and at the time I bought my ceo7, that was the best 00 I could find for the price, that fit my needs and taste. When I bought my hd28vs, I was on a big Sturgill Simpson, Jason isbell, Neil young kick. Saw it on the wall for a good price, and now I have a dreadnought for that side of things. Now I’ve got my
Eyes open for a vintage 00-17.

Accumulating would be more along the lines of getting a good deal on something low end, then finding something a little better, and then even better than the last one... and just hanging on to all these decent guitars you’ve bought over the years, but only really playing the newest/best one.

[Yendoggy]

Originally Posted by eljay

Collecting = not played

Accumulating = played

Bingo agreed