Accidental Collections

[bljones]

Today is Battery Day here at stately Jones manor, which got me contemplating the stupid number of flashlights I have. I realized that I never intended to have this many lights, it just sorta happened. Same thing with utility knives. I must have at least a dozen. A friend of mine has almost two dozen tape measures. Tape measures, for pete's sake! I probably have a half dozen shackles and at least two dozen mismatched shackel pins in my parts box.
What have you accidentally collected over the years?

[SlowButSteady]

Scientific calculators. I have at least a couple of dozen of them in my office. A couple of them are old enough to have red LED displays. But, the one I always bring to class/lab with me is my 25 y.o. HP15C; even though they go for $200-$300 on eBay, no student ever wants to borrow it because the art of "speaking Polish backwards" is completely lost on them.

[SailingWebGuy]

Rolls of electrical tape have been spontaneously generating around me. They're in my house, in my boat, in my shop. I did buy two packs of three a few months ago...but I really believe they're breeding. I actually had a creepy moment with one the other day while watching tv. It appeared on the light stand, next to the chair that I usually sit in. I reached over to sip my drink and it was there.. Lord of the Rings was on the tube and I pictured the tape saying in Smeagol's voice, "Master wants more tape?"

[SVPrairieRose]

Fenders, my god fenders everywhere!

[Minnewaska]

Magazines on everything I have any interest in. Usually multiple versions on each topic. There was a time that I kept back issues too.

They now go to the trash once read and I'll bet there are still a couple of dozen around.

[MarkCK]

If I ever move anywhere I don't know what to do with all my old sailing magazines. I have been keeping them for reason's unknown. Every other magazine goes in the recycling bin the minute I am done with it.

Fenders and Coolie Cups seems to have a "take a penny, leave a penny" mode to it. One minute I have twenty laying around and the next minute they are all gone, and then my supply magically replenishes itself. I do keep a keen eye on my two good fenders though.

[scottyt]

Flash lights are a good thing you can never have too many. I am a flashlight whore. well i guess you could have too many, but it would take a long time to collect 200 of em, for me at least another 3 or 4 years.

[Argyle38]

Hose clamps. I think I have 50 of them. I remove old ones that have some rust on them or are squeezing the rubber through the slots, replace with better quality, but I never throw away the old ones.

Tomorrow I'm planning on buying 2 or 3 more tomorrow before I go to the boat. There is no hope for me.

[PaulfromNWOnt]

9 Coleman lanterns, some vintage some newer, various fuels.
2 Coleman naptha tent heaters.
7 or so Coleman stoves, various types and fuels.
4 sets of golf clubs.
4 chainsaws.

I'm starting to feel like a hoarder here, so I'll stop before others think the same.

Suffice to say that I gather many things for many reasons, but they flow out of my life just as easily when someone asks if I have one, or wonders aloud where to find one.

[JordanH]

Computers, computer parts and their respective peripherals.
In the living room, I count 2 PC's, 4 laptops, 4 UPS devices, at least 4 plastic bins and a basket filled with various USB & HDMI cables, power packs and battery chargers... Now if you look in my 'office', you'll find multiple printers and bins of RAM, network cards and internal cables. Now if we're to look inside those old computer cases... yup, they're still functional so I can't bring myself to throw them out.

oh wait, I also have about 7 Pentax film cameras in various states of distress as well as the associated terrific lenses... this is sad, because I'm a digital Nikon guy.