OT: Do You Have a "Collector" Gene?

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by bmattioli

The disease OCD is often mistakenly used when describing a collecting habit. It is a terrible disease and very controlling to those that have it.. Somedays are worse then others.. Anyone who suffers understands..

That's true. It is a misuse of the term. I would say that the more accurate assessment is that a larger % of collectors than in the general populace are on the spectrum...what used to be called "Aspergers Syndrome". Aspies tend to have certain traits that favor collecting as opposed to neurotypicals (NTs): tunnel vision focus on specific subjects (like cards or Star Trek), encyclopedic knowledge of arcana related to the subject (like T206 variations), relatively poor social skills, atypical and muted emotions, and strong tendencies towards organizing things. It favors solitary pursuits and development of deep and narrow expertise, but feelings, forget that. Or as my wife often says exasperatedly about me and my daughter: "living with you two is like living with a pair of Vulcans". Of course she is correct; she's also highly illogical, as are most NTs.