Hi all,

I just wanted to share some things with you all. I've always been enthralled by lighting, but within the last year (since joining this site) I feel like the hobby has begun affecting me for the worse. I check my emails much too frequently and peruse the gallery when I'm supposed to be studying, doing schoolwork, etc. Within the last year, I feel like this hobby has become less of a hobby and more of a "job" or even something to similar to an addiction. I've never really "hoarded" anything, but now my brain goes nutso every time I see a non-LED light bulb. I used to leave stuff at the ReStore that I didn't need, but now I subconsciously grab it all. And all for what? A lot of it just waits on a shelf, in its packaging, never to be used. Sure, I use some around the house, but I feel like it's gotten to a point where I need to stop.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been debating on disabling my account (so I can't log in, but keep my photos up), delete eBay, and purge my inbox. I just don't know how to actually go forth with this idea; I feel like I have a dependency on all of this... stuff and that I'm doing this to avoid / cope with other problems that life has thrown my way. I'm open to your thoughts on this; I need to change my habits and my ways in order to become the person I want to be, whether it be in school, piano, swimming, etc., I need to "relearn" how to focus on the tough stuff and not immediately dive into a forum in which I feel comfortable.

Whoa, just slow down on your hobby and concentrate on your school work for now.  It will still be there when you are ready

It's funny Robert, cause I finished my sophomore year just earlier today.  Why didn't I post this months ago?

But thank you for the kind words, Robert.

You are welcome, Maxim

I found it more enjoyable when i thought i was the only person in the world that collected lamps before talking to other collectors and joining sites and finding 100s of others. Ive met some great friends here but the novelty has been worn off for me for a few years. I still like to participate in the groups and forums but its not to the scale i once did

You can disable email notifications for everything somewhere in your  profile if necessary.

I'm in the same boat. I've been collecting for almost eight years now which is hard to believe. I used to do what you do, pick up anything that is vintage or caught my eye and always check emails for LG. And nowadays I don't feel like I want all of it anymore (of course I want to keep a few things).

Nowadays I pick up lamps that I actually can use or childhood lights I've been truly looking for and make room for those. And I pass up almost 95% of things I see at the ReStores/thrift stores and also going to those places less and less. I've also began donating fixtures/lamps that I no longer really want. Though that has been a real slow process.

As for the gallery, I've been using it less and less now. Since I've basically posted everything I've needed to and don't feel like posting stuff other than things I see in the wild (that I try to not make redundant). I've been trying to limit my time on here as well and focus more on myself, friends, family, and work. I manage to not check LG whenever I go out with friends or family most of time. And I plan to use LG even less and limit it to after a long day of work.

I basically spent all of my money on lights and other stuff I don't need and after having no money for some time, I realized how much I have and that I don't need it all and to get every single thing I see. I felt the thought to delete LG (which has happened on a few occasions) though not really eBay since I don't really see the need for it all too much when I can just find stuff locally, especially nowadays lol. But I will keep LG since I do like being on here, I just have not not fall for the vicious comment-email cycle and limit my time here, and eBay is fine too, just limit it to a certain rare part/lamp I've been really looking for.

Those are my thoughts and how I've dealt/planning to deal with them. I can't really give you solid advice since I'm in the same boat but I hope this helps somehow.

It really does. Thank you, Gerard. 

At that point in my life, I'm trying to thin down my collection due to my age and I'm slowing down.  All I can do is enjoy what I can do now.

I think the urge buy or "Gotta Catch 'Em All" is not that uncommon story within the lighting community. I used to have that too years ago. Then I started to think what am I gonna do with all this stuff sitting on my shelf. Nowadays I'm way more picky about what I buy, thinking always is it really something I'm going to need or want. So instead of quantity I try to focus on quality. Sometimes I still slip like few days ago I bought a box of unused miscellaneous compact fluorescent lamps for few euros. There was few gems in it but rest are types I'm probably never going to need so will probably donate those away.

I guess this happens to a lot of us, when you start out collecting and have nothing and plenty of space to fill it's easy to grab anything and everything but as you go on you do have to become more picky and only really pick up the stuff that is worth something to you and really takes your interest, or you think you'll actually use in regular service.

As for using the forum etc. you could disable all notifications and just not log in, the site and your gallery will still be here for you should you decide to take the interest up again

One way to put this under control is to reason some use for the items you are collecting. For example, "I am getting this nice ceramic MH lamp and this pretty small electronic ballast to make a cool uplighter for my room". Or "I am collecting this cobrahead and I plan to fit it in my garden on a nice short pole somewhere". Or at least "I am better getting a few of these violet gallium filled MH lamps, because they look cool, are pretty uncommon and there certainly will be no more". And stop hoarding ordinary items like plain incandescent lamps, used T8 fluorescents, yellowed worn CFLs and other pretty banal junk 'just because'...

 

I haven’t been acquiring as much lighting stuff lately, but I have other things I collect as well, so that with lighting gets overwhelming sometimes.

I don’t acquire the really big stuff like streetlights because they’re nearly impossible to get around here. But I think a smaller issue is I’ll pick up light bulbs if they’re on clearance for a good price, and sometimes light fixtures I like if they’re on clearance. As well as vintage floor and table lamps at thrift stores and light fixtures too.

So I’m generally acquiring lighting stuff maybe once a month, or every two or three months.

 I too have had to back down on the collecting !! I was buying almost anything MV I found . Now I make it a point to ONLY buy things that either aren't common or something I've been looking for !  Good example , I was buying ANY 700w MV lamp I found . Now , I've passed on several as I already have multiples of the same lamp . I am going to buy a Philips 700w on eBay as I don't have one . I will only buy ONE tho .

 Like any collection , it can get quickly out of control if left unchecked . You'll just need to practice self control in places of temptation like ReStore ,eBay . Trust me , been there , done that !!

What keeps me from going nuts and just collecting all the lights I can is the fact that the ReStores have almost no lamps (and I live very far away from them), and I have other interests that I want to spend my money on.

I also don't just buy every lamp that I see. I buy the ones that I think are cool/rare or that I have a use for.

I used to buy as many as I could get my hands on, but after a while I ran out of space. Now I only grab things that are truly rare, or if I have a fixture that uses that type of bulb and don't have many replacements on hand.