NOS88

Today one of my sons pointed out that my father collects fishing gear and I collect cycling gear. My initial reaction was, "No, I'm not at all like that." But, he's right. I have cycling gear I haven't used in years; I've got more bikes than I NEED. I've backups for my backups. All just like my father does with his fishing equipment. He’s got salt water fishing reels, spinning reels, bait casting reels, reels for any situation you can imagine. I’ve got road bikes that can be raced, touring, cross, commuting, single track, and one I only ride in the rain. Heck, he's 85 years old and looking at a pickup truck to haul his boat trailer. I'm dreaming of the bike I'll ride in my 70s. Yeah, I’m just like my father. So, it got me wondering how many other 50+ers have a lineage of collecting that may be part of who you are today?

Dudelsack 

Interesting thought.

I'm not a collector. I'm a hoarder. I'm afraid if I get rid of any of my bikes or spare parts, they will become collectors items that would fetch a fortune on eBay.

GeorgeBMac

No, I'm the son of depression era parents: if it wasn't helpful (even if it was to only have fun) they didn't buy it. Everything had a purpose and, living in a small house (by today's standards) there was not a lot of room for both people as well as collectibles. So, when it's useful life was over it got pitched...

everything in the house served some purpose.

I'm the opposite: I hate to throw anything out. I installed a towel rack the other day and had to shorten the tube -- now I'm wondering what to do with the little piece of tube I cut off. I hate to throw it out! It might be useful for something someday!

-=(8)=-

Bikes, guitars, motorcycles and cats . . . been that way since the 70's.
I bought another bike last weekend, too. A BMX bike.
What the h*!! does a 54 year old man need with a BMX bike

NOS88

It's interesting how differently people responded. My father's father was a blacksmith. They never earned more than $400 a year. I think that's part of the reason my father started collecting when he could. He wanted things that were his and didn't have to be shared.

reidplum

Then there's the aspect of experiencing "product obsolescense" of your favorite whatever. After this many decades, I now know that if there's a saddle, cassette, jersey that I really like, I probably won't be able to replace it when it wears out. And I plan on being active long enough to need more than one replacement. And no, the latest "New! Improved!" model doesn't ring my bell. Thus the backups of backups.

Reid

a77impala

I am a hoarder also, I have bike parts I will never use stashed everywhere. From used chains to 27 inch wheels, frames, etc.
I grew up poor, father was a sharecropper, I didn't know we were poor at the time. That's probably why I can't seem to get rid of anything.

Dudelsack 

Dude, that's wicked sick. Let me know if you head out to Sawyer. I'll film it with my GoPro. It will go viral.

sail

My parents were collectors of antiques, clocks, guns, ducks, owls, they had a lot of cool stuff. That was what they did. The want to accumulate things is how the depression effected them, to the point they wouldn't use things as they might be damaged. I had to dispose of it all and was saddened at first to see how little it brought compared to purchased price, however on reflection the enjoyment they got from the search was worth the price of admission to them.

As a result I don't collect much, spend less on stuff and more on doing stuff and don't worry if I put a ding in something.

jdon

Nope. If I no longer have a use for for it, I no longer have it.

qcpmsame 

This is my background, exactly. We had nothing extra in our home, my mom was a stay at home homemaker in the truest sense, until 1969. My dad was from a worse than poor family in the depression and went through WWII, in the Navy. Everything was a budget based item, no frills and when it was done, it was done. We lived in a concrete block house, 3 BR, 1 & 1 1/2 bath, no garage, strictly ticky-tack suburb. One small B&W television and one radio, 2 sedan cars with nothing beyond the very base model, always used and white. No carpeting or a dishwasher, 1 room window AC, Ward and June would have thought of us as that underprivileged family.

Bicycles were something I had to pay for, as was my motocross racing and dirt bikes. If I wanted it, I had to pay for it, after I paid for clothing and school incidentals. No gripes here, I appreciate what I have now and take care of things. Probably why I do not have a herd of bicycles or anything else. Oh, I collect slide rules, if that tells you anything.

Bill

stapfam

Neither of my parents were into collecting stuff--they were into doing things like taking me and my sister out to athletics meetings-Soccer matches and the occasional trip to the theatre. If it wasn't needed- wanted or being used- it got passed on to someone else. I found this out when I came out of the Marines to find my bike- trainset and most of my clothes had been sold.

But I am of a different generation. My parents struggled to keep a roof over our heads and we went without a lot. Can't say that I have ever struggled and have had plenty of interests over the years that were invested in--till the next hobby came along.

But bikes and I have finally admitted I have enough. The shed is now overflowing with them and have had to look at what I need and require- purely on the storage side of things. I need the 3 road bikes and the 3 MTB's. The tandem is not used much but cost a fortune to build up and is great fun whenever it is taken out for a thrashing. Now as to whether I should still have the Dawes Galaxy that needs renovation- or the Full suspension MTB that has only got 200 miles on it from new is another matter----But the beater I bought last year for local trips and the two womens bikes that were passed onto me that are too good to dump are another matter altogether.

mprelaw

I have managed to collect both. I could stock a small bait and tackle shop with the stuff in my basement and shed. I'm getting to the same point with cycling gear.

Retro Grouch 

My youngest son has the gene. He currently has a picture on Facebook of the Intense mountain bike that he is lusting after.