When does collecting stop?

[Peter Bleed]

               This community regularly addresses how one begins collecting Japanese swords - - where and how to get swords, who to trust, and the etiquette to follow.  But now I feel myself on the other side of these discussions. I am wondering how one STOPS collecting swords.

              My hobby involved 1) searching for “Japanese swords” (a broadly define category). That activity, led to 2) research.  There was also a surprising amount of 3) social involvement – even friendships.  And, of course, I have to mention that 4) I have a bunch of “swords.”

               I loved all four of those steps, but the reality of life is that all those activities have changed. “Swords” are not to be discovered as they once were, so I rarely have research questions to investigate. My social horizons are much smaller than they once were. And golly, a lot of my old friends are also old - - or dead. Of course, I still have some “swords” but by themselves, do they make me a “collector?”

               When and how does a fellow stop collecting?

Peter

[O koumori]

Peter,

Perhaps once one stops acquiring swords?

 

I think that the retention of the existing collection wouldn't necessarily mean that you'd still be a 'collector.'

 

That said, I doubt that the social involvement or research aspects of the hobby (disorder?) actually ever go away.

[Rich S]

Possibly at death?  Haven't tried that yet though.

[Franco]

Hello Peter,

 

13 minutes ago, Peter Bleed said:

I am wondering how one STOPS collecting swords.

 

By letting go. By learning to be satisfied, content. By not surrendering to desire. Look, appreciate, without possessing. Find without accumulating. So hard to do! Taming the unruly mind that is. 

 

 

[Mark S.]

When nothing new that you pick up impresses you enough to give you a feeling of enjoyment.  Sometimes we pick up things we can't afford... but we still 'collect' knowledge.  The collecting stops when the enjoyment stops.    

[NewB]

Or when your wife serves you the divorce papers ..

 

🤷‍♂️🤪😜😁

 

J.

 

 

[waljamada]

I'd say when your interest dies.  When you stop learning about it.  If you're not collecting the item anymore and then even stop collecting thoughts/knowledge then that is when it truly ends.  The last interested thought you have of nihonto is the last breath.

[Alex A]

When you realize that you dont actually need to acquire any more swords.

 

A big awakening, sometimes caused by issues out of your control, job loss, house purchase, divorce etc etc etc. Some have owned all they feel they need to own and no point putting any more money into acquiring more swords.

 

For a lot of folk, that interest never goes away though.

 

Just a few points.

 

[Nihonto Chicken]

I had gotten most of the basic texts up to Nagayama's Connoisseur's Book and was considering "getting serious", which for me meant purchasing Fujishiro’s two volume set of Nihon Toko Jiten as well as Harry AFU Watson's translations.  Waiting for good deals at the time would have run about $800 total for the four books.  This is where I ran out of gas, both due to intellectual lethargy and being downsized into (very!) early retirement that severely limited discretionary spending.  And so I shook my accumulation lust and became content with my existing motley low end collection.

 

I appreciate the good stuff vicariously such as by visiting this site.  I am now more concerned with eventually offloading my swords as opposed to acquiring more.  Such is the nihonto wheel of life, I guess.  It's been fun and rewarding, no regrets.     

[Ken-Hawaii]

It's interesting, Peter, that my wife & I have agreed to start selling off items that no longer interest us, which includes a large art collection, Sterling silverware, & the like. But neither of us are interested in selling our sword collection.

 

Of course, that may be because we're both still active martial artists, & after 30+ years, we're still learning the correct ways to use a sword.

[Bruce Pennington]

Great question, Peter, I've enjoyed reading everyone's story!

 

Mine was simple as my goal in collecting was specific - I set out to collect a fair representation of the major WWII sword types: Army officer & NCO, Navy, and the pre-war kyugunto and Type 32s.  In the process, I got 1 kaigunto with a Koto era blade, and 1 RJT gendaito, so I wound up with a sample of traditionally made blades, too.  So, my "hunger" was satiated.  I got hooked on collecting data on blade stamps, after that, which has run it's course, mostly.

 

So now, it's mostly the social enjoyment of hanging out with all you guys, occasionally finding something new for the files, or helping a new guy.

[Franco]

At what point does the owner still own their collection?

 

At what point does the collection begin to own the owner?

[Paz]

This is a great question Peter. 

 

As someone who is probably one of the youngest collectors here, in my 30s. Its just begun. 

 

But. 

 

I've sold my collection of replica Chinese made katanas which were for martial arts. And I started collecting those when I was in my early 20s. And that ended when I satisfied my desire for the high end blade of that category. Eventually these swords just sat on shelves and were seldom viewed ,maybe once a year. 

 

I always wanted the real thing, and when I got one my interest boomed. The part I enjoyed is research and books, I got two blades from the era I wanted. And view them twice weekly. For me it's finding out the mystery of who owned the blade and what it's seen.

 

For me it will end when I buy at least one more or two. Or maybe it already has. As unfortunately money, and accessibility prevent me from taking this hobby any further. 

 

What I realized is important,  is community. As within the community you can buy and sell, learn. I only recently had the honor of viewing a great blade from a member of this community for example. 

 

 

Regards 

 

 

[Vermithrax16]

It will vary I imagine. I know some folks with 100-300 swords. Never ends for them.

 

I am about at end for my sword collection. I know what I like most and when I complete a set I have in mind, that will be it as far as purchasing. I still love to study and learn, so that never ends.

 

Fittings on the other hand........

[Bazza]

Jeremiah wrote:

> I know some folks with 100-300 swords. Never ends for them.

 

I call these folk "Estates-in-Waiting"!!

 

BaZZa.

[oneshot onekill]

I think "collecting" stops when you've amassed all of the knowledge available about that which you are collecting and it becomes sort of "Ho-Hum". That said, in the case of Nihonto and all that goes along, you can NEVER amass all of the knowledge available in a lifetime... And THAT is exactly what attracted me to Nihonto in the first place.

 

[Alex A]

If im being honest, if i was extremely wealthy, there would not be an end.

 

Even now, not in buying mode but still look around the same old sites.

 

Occasionally, maybe once or twice a year i see something that i really like, something that you seldom see for sale. The last one was a late Edo Tanto, lovely blade by a good smith, but it was the inscription that was rare!

 

Nearly, but had an holiday pay for so had to be sensible.

 

For anyone keen, there is no getting away from the odd temptation now and again.

 

Saying that though, something would have had to go 

 

Maybe thats the right way to go about it, if not a lottery winner.

[william m]

Oh dear . Well from my experience. it stops when you have a baby! My swords now live in the loft and the Japanese ones in a locked cuboard.