“ Collector” or “Completist” What’s your style?

As a collector, I have often thought about why I collect a particular item, and exactly how driven I was to complete a collection. Was this some sort of compulsive need to organize and find an addition for the collection or simply for the joy of the hunt?

The first time I heard the word “completist” was while watching a rerun of “American Pickers.” In episode 14 of the 14th season, Mike and Frank drove to a particularly neat suburban neighborhood home to visit a compulsively neat home. They were wondering where the typical abundance of dusty and vintage items were hidden. The owner indicated that the collection was in the basement — a place his loving wife had not visited in more than 20 years.