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Differentiating collectors from hoarders
WE PROBABLY know of someone from the family or an acquaintance who is into collecting something, from little things like stamps, coins, key holders, and pens to expensive stuffs like antiques, watches, bikes, and cars. We can have an ample collection of anything, and as long as we know how to manage them, I don’t think it will become a problem. Oh, yeah, the adventurous and those with death wishes collect women.
The sporting world is not spared from this hobby. We see or hear of people with extensive collections of sporting memorabilia. One subculture is shoe collecting, and when we say shoes, it is mostly athletic footwear, going by its generic name “sneakers.” Why “sneakers”? Because of their rubber soles, this kind of footwear allows the wearer to walk silently, being able to “sneak” around unnoticed.
Extreme sneaker collectors are called “sneakerheads,” and it is not uncommon for them to own at least 300 pairs of shoe models of different variations. Per se, collecting is a great hobby, and as long as that hobby does not contradict the norms of society, there’s nothing wrong with it. It becomes contradictory when it negatively affects the collector’s life.
For starters, these shoes are expensive, and with the ease of online purchases, huge credit card debts get accumulated, resulting in financial problems. Because of this, relationships could be ruined, especially if the spouse or parent is not in favor of finances going to different variations of a pair costing at least P7,000, of which you already have two.
The culture has a heavy impact on teens and young adults because of peer pressure. With this age group, after the usual pleasantries, they typically zero in on the shoes. With the succeeding recognition and admiration, the wearer gets a certain kind of high. And with social media overwhelming our lives, “likes” dropping down in IG and FB posts fuel the need to acquire some more, regardless of function. Yes, even the tito and tita types drop their glances on the thing covering your feet. I must admit I do glance at someone’s foot to check on their footwear, be it male or female.
Athletes, entertainers and celebrities are looked upon and idolized by the people, and what they wear is almost considered fashion gospel. We become – or blindly think to be –hip and with the “in” crowd clad in the fashion of the stars.
Let’s all lay the blame on Michael Jordan for this sneaker craze. Sometime in 1985, Nike manufactured a somewhat clunky and chunky shoe with the colors of the Chicago Bulls. Together with MJ’s aerial acrobatics, the shoe also flew off the shelves. It even became sought-after when then NBA head honcho David Stern banned the shoe for violating league color schemes. Taking the cue, Nike then made everything red, black and white, and sales further skyrocketed.
But this shoe obsession has become so bad that teens harm themselves just to get a pair of some newly released sneaker. Just recently, a 17-year old boy was shot on a basketball court somewhere in Washington, DC and was found dead a block away with his shoes missing. The footwear of interest is this year’s all-red Air Jordan 11, the “Win Like ’96” edition, hovering somewhere between P12,000 and P15,000 in the Philippines. Nike releases annually a new version of AJ11s, and with each launch, violence and theft were not far behind.
You can have 150 pairs yet be able to manage it or maybe just 15 pairs but seeing it becoming a problem. Here comes the separation between the collector and hoarder.
Collectors devote spaces or, in extreme cases, entire rooms for their accumulated sneakers. These types even have climate-controlled areas to keep their collections in pristine condition. They may or may not use them and, depending on demand, could sell these at a heftier price. They find satisfaction in their hobbies and are happy to share it with other hobbyists. Collectors have set timetables that their hobby does not interfere with their daily routines.
Hoarders, on the other hand, do accumulate things but they just dump them, stack them and often not take good care of it. Often, the orange and blue Nike and Adidas boxes are stacked above each other that there is a clear danger of them toppling over someone and cause them injuries. They seldom let go, and there are instances that, because of neglect, these pricey footwear get damaged.
We live in a tropical country, and unless your athletic shoes are stored in an air-conditioned room, the synthetic leather cracks and the soles break if they stay unused for a long time. It’s nice to have several pairs, but can we really use them all regularly?/PN
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