Treasured possessions

It's an addiction, it's a hobby. Clutter? He's a friend.
Most collectors or hobby enthusiasts know no limits, as was exemplified by a Dubai-based collector who made news by buying a Harry Potter book for $19,000 (Dh69,792).

Psychiatrists may have a reason.

“People who collect are driven by monetary value, interest or fascination. This could be an addiction of sorts,'' said Shujaat A. Nathani, a consultant psychiatrist at Wellness Medical Centre, Dubai.

Nathani, a British expatriate, recalled a case where a patient stored dead mice in a refrigerator to feed her hobby — a huge collection of snakes. “She had snakes of all colours and sizes. They were all over the house — in the kitchen, on the dining table, in her bed and bathroom,'' Nathani said.

While this may be an extreme example, Unwind spoke to nine collectors to find out more about their hobbies and why a box full of wires is appealing or a discarded telephone card the next best thing.

Calling all cards

If she hadn't moved house, Bhama Jothi Alex would have had 10,000 telephone cards in her collection today. However, the 43-year-old Indian expatriate is hopeful she will soon make up for the loss.

“I have been collecting for the past 10 years and have 4,176 cards now. Before most got lost, I had a collection from seven countries. Now it's only from Oman and the UAE,'' she said.

The Dubai resident said: “I have never paid for any of the cards, as they are used.''

Two pounds, none the richer

He bought his first vinyl record for £2 (Dh10) in 1970. Today, the seven-inch single and a rare collection of 6,000 records could make Dean Saunders richer by £40,000 (Dh216,477).

“My 40-year-old collection includes the first 50 publications of Pink Floyd's The Amazing Pudding, shaped picture discs and CDs,'' said the British expatriate.

Saunders's tryst with vinyl began in a military boarding school, when he “heard Black Sabbath's Iron Man blasting out of a room''.

Trips to New York, Berlin and the UK have helped Saunders build his vinyl empire. But how does he keep count? “I write on stickers on every album's plastic sleeve about its bank, label and condition,'' he said.

‘Stamp'ede

There is money in old stamps. One thousand nine hundred stamps later, Noreen Punzalan, a 38-year-old Filipino expatriate, still believes in her teacher's philosophy.

“I have been collecting stamps since 1982. When I was fascinated by the places, faces and the history of countries reflected on each stamp, I started collecting more,'' Punzalan said.

Friends were asked to save used stamps. Punzalan's grandmother gave up her collection from the 1970s.
She said: “I don't collect for fun. One day, I hope to earn good money from the stamps. It might change the lives of my children.''

A book's best friend

Light, easy to carry and affordable — qualities Nicole Hanna was drawn towards when she started collecting magnets and bookmarks. “I began collecting in 1999, on my first trip to Athens,'' said the 36-year-old Lebanese expatriate from Sharjah.

The most Hanna has paid for a magnet was C$30 (Dh86) at a museum in Canada. She said it is one of her favourites from a collection of 83. She said: “I love my collection. However, I cherish the handmade bookmark given by my
sister.''

Mad about movies

As a 16-year-old, he would skip lunch to save money for DVDs. Eight years on, Victor Philip Ortiz has a collection of 1,000.

“I bought my first DVD in 2000. I didn't even have a DVD player. Earlier, I would buy a DVD every couple of months. But I could afford my hobby only after I got a job,'' said the 24-year-old Filipino expatriate.

A resident of Dubai, working as an editor for a computer magazine, Ortiz said the hobby stemmed from a love for movies — an interest he keeps alive through his DVD blog.

“People call me a movie freak. I am the kind of guy who would line up at the theatre on the first day, first show,'' he said.

Wired and wireless

His collection is “useless'' — a jumble of wires, used USB cables, Bluetooth devices and more. But ask Roshan Verghese, a 36-year-old electrical engineer, to throw it away and he might show you the door.

“I can't remember when I began hoarding stuff. I am a gadget freak,'' said the Indian expatriate from Ras Al Khaimah.

The hobby has roots in India, where Verghese has a cupboard filled with electronic devices and wires. His Dubai home has a similar story, too.

“I have my first computer and game consoles from the 1980s. Here, my collection is limited to wired and wireless headphones, USB devices, satellite receivers, adaptors and more,'' Verghese said.

He added: “My wife has reserved special boxes which read: ‘stupid electronic stuff'.''

‘Cap'tain Matthew

He got his first baseball cap at a Rolling Stones concert in July 1982. Later, he lost the cap. He found his second cap on a motorway, in the UK. It got stolen.

So, Matthew G. Hargreaves decided to take the higher road on things, which earned him 90 caps.

“My collecting philosophy is that I can't buy any caps. They have to be earned, given to me or found — I have found quite a few floating out at sea or washed up on beaches,'' said the 56-year-old English expatriate. Matthew describes himself as a “fun-loving giant who loves caps''.

He said: “At one of the Powerboat races the victory team was throwing caps into the crowd — I felt lucky when I caught one. Collecting caps acts as a reminder for all these occasions. And it costs nothing.''

His favourite cap he said was a Moscow Lokomotiv FC. “It reminds me of my visit to Moscow for my step-daughter's wedding in 2006,'' he added.

Man and machine

Lawrence Fernandes may soon be homeless. But while the 37-year-old Indian expatriate looks for a new home, he is sure of a few things he will not leave behind — his 200-plus motorbike models.

“I have had a passion for motorbikes ever since I was a child and have been collecting for eight years. Each time I spot a new bike model, I add it to my collection,'' said Fernandes, a resident of Ajman.

The maximum he has paid for his two-wheeled hobby is Dh300. When he is not shopping for bikes, Fernandes spends most of his time sketching bike designs. He said: “I design a new bike each time a concept comes to mind. One day, I hope to bring my creative designs to life.''

Bankable

His friends love borrowing DVDs from him. Fittingly, the maximum he has paid was for a DVD collection of F.R.I.E.N.D.S With a collection of 300 DVDs, Raza Rizvi does not want to stop.

“I love having good movies at home — I can watch them anytime, without having to worry if the rental store would have them or not,'' said the 28-year-old Indian expatriate in Dubai.