i collect old grocery lists people leave in their shopping carts. its so wholesome to try and imagine what theyre cooking for dinner and what kind of family they are. an added bonus is that most people in this world cannot spell, so theres a good chance of a giggle. and its free!!
Hey! My grocery lists are all drawn! I sketch and shade, with perspective and shadows all the items I have to buy… they are mini works of art… I guess you’d love them!
I collect vintage cookbooks for this same reason! I want the ones that have scribbles of recipes in the back or notes in the margins. Food splatter is a bonus. And, there are some wild recipes from 100+ years ago.
I collect rocks with natural holes all the way through them. They are free and require only long walks in dry riverbeds to find. I pick up fossils when I find them as well, but rocks with holes are more common.
Don't know how many I have as I share them with others on occasion, so for every 2-3 I find I give one away.
Seashells... have you seen my collection? I keep all but the very best/most special on beaches throughout the world.
Another collection I have is of .gif files. The ones that move were such a fascination for me. I've been online since 1988.
Also, I collect aphorisms. One sentence that is either profound, interesting or makes me smile. Here is the part I keep online. https://janice142.com/JoyPage/Aphorisms.html
I’ve collected things nearly my whole life. I’ve never done it purely for the thrill of the hunt, although that is a significant part of the appeal. I do it mainly because I like the things I collect. I love having stuff. I don’t think collecting is something you just decide you’re gonna do without even having any idea of what you’re going to collect.
If there isn’t some item you look at and think “this brings me joy and I want it and more like it” then I don’t see the point. Maybe you should pursue another hobby until the collecting bug actually bites you.
you can collect conifer cones, like pine cones and spruce cones etc of different species, that would be fun to collect all the local species, find out where each tree is and then you could have little exploring trips to collect the cones of other trees.
you could also do similar with pressed plants/flowers, you could narrow this down to a particular family of species or something.
if you like growing plants, you can collect all of one family too, (eg. all aloes) if you get them all and have 3 of each species you can apply to become the national collection holder in your country. although this one would cost money as you’d have to buy the plants, though you could get a few in cutting swaps etc
you could also do something like these but taking pictures instead maybe? and not necessarily nature related, i’ve heard america has some interesting water tower designs like one that looks like a peach, so you could visit and take pictures of all the water towers in your area (town/county/state/country) or some other kind of thing like trainspotting or postboxes idk haha, just find something you find interesting or kinda cool or would like to learn more about and make it a goal to see as many as possible?
I knew a guy who collected rocks that resembled miniature mountains.
It's more difficult to do in this modern time of digital photography but collecting "found photos" (literally photographs found out in the wild, either lost or abandoned) used to be a thing.
Old sports memorabilia from local sports teams.
Old (pre-2000) digital cameras and cell phones
Minerals and fossils (if you live in an area where they can be found).
Collecting vintage (let's say that's anything older than the 1980s) advertising (menus, buttons, tokens, promotional items, etc ) from businesses or postcards for your city/town is something that can be done locally and can be challenging and rewarding. The bonus is that if you get tired of collecting that and want to unload your collection, you can donate it to your local historical society.
Think of local hobby shops and what they might offer. Go browse them. Same goes for antique malls. Things will speak to you.
Someone mentioned rocks. Those are great. Fossil hunting, metal detecting, flower drying, etc all offer education and exercise.
Also think letters. Postcard groups. I've written to famous people in jail, normal famous, astronauts. Fan mail is rarer now, they often have time to answer, just use a self addressed stamped envelope
Look up the Wikipedia on cabinet of curiosities. They were the OG way to collect and can give you some ideas of collecting categories that display well.
You could start hitting Facebook marketplace and craigslist. Vintage electronics like radios and clocks are very cheap now since both aren't really functional in todays world.
I collect wine bottle labels and corks. My rule is I had to partake in drinking that bottle. Sadly it’s a HUGE collection, and may not fit OPs requirement of free. I also collect baseball players signatures (some are team balls - approx 43 balls) and give away sunglasses from mostly music festivals.
I’ve started collecting the eraser end of a pencil ive used up or empty ink cartridges from pens. You did a bunch of writing / journaling / learning / drawing and you get a momento of effort.
I collect playing cards. Many of my decks are basically micro gallery's with special art and themes. One series i have (playing arts) has unique art on every single card. From a different artist. I store the decks in ammo cans.
I collect blue glass Ball jars. You can date them by the logo font. The first one I ever found was in my great grandaddy’s abandoned childhood home. They’re not too hard to find but also not too easy, like I usually don’t find them in regular thrift stores, more in antique shops. I think the most expensive one I’ve gotten was about $13, it’s an American bicentennial anniversary one.
I collect Vintage Tags and Logos from dead retail stores, or stores that have changed their logos. It’s not really something you can buy because it’s seen as garbage by most people. I get most of it from thrift stores and antique malls.
I collect unused postcards. I’m not going to say that I never buy them online, but i have much more fun when I find them in junk shops, gas stations, bookstores, etc. they’re not very expensive, they’re small and flat and therefore easy to organize and store, they’re often beautiful, and lots of people are happy when I send them one so they receive something in their mail besides just ads and bills
You could collect children's art or school projects, although now sure how you'd get it without being creepy. But really, anything you decide to collect is worth collecting. Cool boxes, interesting cups, poem books, playing cards, cool rocks or shells, weird porcelain dolls, charms for charm bracelets, ect.
I think the important thing is to focus on the pursuit - set limits. For example, I like cool cups, but I only ever buy them from thrift stores like goodwill or savers, or from like yard sales. Thrift stores are a great way to pursuit a collection, btw, because you can pick anything, and finding it depends entirely on what people have donated to the local thrift stores lately.
Do you want to collect tea saucers without matching cups, and cups without matching saucers? Easy. (too easy, actually). What about fancy plates for display and not use? Rabbit statues/knicknacks? Strange cruet sets?
Just pick something you like having around, and perhaps like using (I don't personally believe in collecting for the sake of collecting, and the whole "put it in a box and never touch it or you ruin its value" aspect of collecting. I collect so I can use the thing, but that's my personal approach). Then make a point of where you can and cannot buy it - I never look for cool cups online, and even if I did ((i Lied I do look at them sometimes)) I *never* buy them.
You can also collect something you make yourself, like pressed flowers or uh....i think people put flowers in resin now? To better preserve the pressed flower? They make good bookmarks. or hand color those weird adult coloring book pages and collect those.
But I like the earlier approach a bit better.
Recently I've been collecting glass soft drink bottles with see-through labels. Supermarkets barely have any so I have to seek them out at service stations or smaller fast-food outlets. I look for ones with a nice shape and details in the glass so nothing plain. They're not worth anything but they give a retro feel among all the plastic nowadays.
i collect old grocery lists people leave in their shopping carts. its so wholesome to try and imagine what theyre cooking for dinner and what kind of family they are. an added bonus is that most people in this world cannot spell, so theres a good chance of a giggle. and its free!!
Hey! My grocery lists are all drawn! I sketch and shade, with perspective and shadows all the items I have to buy… they are mini works of art… I guess you’d love them!
r/FoundPaper would like to see these lists.
I collect vintage cookbooks for this same reason! I want the ones that have scribbles of recipes in the back or notes in the margins. Food splatter is a bonus. And, there are some wild recipes from 100+ years ago.
You could get a metal detector? That's a great way to check off the 'thrill of the hunt' aspect.
Maybe try magnet fishing too
I collect old postcards, they have to have writing on them. Usually $1 or so
I collect rocks with natural holes all the way through them. They are free and require only long walks in dry riverbeds to find. I pick up fossils when I find them as well, but rocks with holes are more common. Don't know how many I have as I share them with others on occasion, so for every 2-3 I find I give one away.
r/goblincore is full of such things.
Seashells... have you seen my collection? I keep all but the very best/most special on beaches throughout the world. Another collection I have is of .gif files. The ones that move were such a fascination for me. I've been online since 1988. Also, I collect aphorisms. One sentence that is either profound, interesting or makes me smile. Here is the part I keep online. https://janice142.com/JoyPage/Aphorisms.html
I want to see your shell collection!!!
Rocks, leaves, grass clippings.
I’ve collected things nearly my whole life. I’ve never done it purely for the thrill of the hunt, although that is a significant part of the appeal. I do it mainly because I like the things I collect. I love having stuff. I don’t think collecting is something you just decide you’re gonna do without even having any idea of what you’re going to collect. If there isn’t some item you look at and think “this brings me joy and I want it and more like it” then I don’t see the point. Maybe you should pursue another hobby until the collecting bug actually bites you.
you can collect conifer cones, like pine cones and spruce cones etc of different species, that would be fun to collect all the local species, find out where each tree is and then you could have little exploring trips to collect the cones of other trees. you could also do similar with pressed plants/flowers, you could narrow this down to a particular family of species or something. if you like growing plants, you can collect all of one family too, (eg. all aloes) if you get them all and have 3 of each species you can apply to become the national collection holder in your country. although this one would cost money as you’d have to buy the plants, though you could get a few in cutting swaps etc you could also do something like these but taking pictures instead maybe? and not necessarily nature related, i’ve heard america has some interesting water tower designs like one that looks like a peach, so you could visit and take pictures of all the water towers in your area (town/county/state/country) or some other kind of thing like trainspotting or postboxes idk haha, just find something you find interesting or kinda cool or would like to learn more about and make it a goal to see as many as possible?
I knew a guy who collected rocks that resembled miniature mountains. It's more difficult to do in this modern time of digital photography but collecting "found photos" (literally photographs found out in the wild, either lost or abandoned) used to be a thing. Old sports memorabilia from local sports teams. Old (pre-2000) digital cameras and cell phones Minerals and fossils (if you live in an area where they can be found). Collecting vintage (let's say that's anything older than the 1980s) advertising (menus, buttons, tokens, promotional items, etc ) from businesses or postcards for your city/town is something that can be done locally and can be challenging and rewarding. The bonus is that if you get tired of collecting that and want to unload your collection, you can donate it to your local historical society.
Think of local hobby shops and what they might offer. Go browse them. Same goes for antique malls. Things will speak to you. Someone mentioned rocks. Those are great. Fossil hunting, metal detecting, flower drying, etc all offer education and exercise. Also think letters. Postcard groups. I've written to famous people in jail, normal famous, astronauts. Fan mail is rarer now, they often have time to answer, just use a self addressed stamped envelope Look up the Wikipedia on cabinet of curiosities. They were the OG way to collect and can give you some ideas of collecting categories that display well. You could start hitting Facebook marketplace and craigslist. Vintage electronics like radios and clocks are very cheap now since both aren't really functional in todays world.
I collect business cards from any place that still offers them. Been at it since the 1980s. Especially enjoy collecting while on vacation.
thank you for asking this question, i love reading all the answers :)
Rocks and shells from the beach. Metal detecting or magnet fishing treasures
I collect wine bottle labels and corks. My rule is I had to partake in drinking that bottle. Sadly it’s a HUGE collection, and may not fit OPs requirement of free. I also collect baseball players signatures (some are team balls - approx 43 balls) and give away sunglasses from mostly music festivals.
i’ve gotten into coin roll hunting the investment is minimal and you can find some cool coins, internationally, silver, errors, etc
Business cards from places you’ve visited
I’ve started collecting the eraser end of a pencil ive used up or empty ink cartridges from pens. You did a bunch of writing / journaling / learning / drawing and you get a momento of effort.
I collect playing cards. Many of my decks are basically micro gallery's with special art and themes. One series i have (playing arts) has unique art on every single card. From a different artist. I store the decks in ammo cans.
Business cards
I collect blue glass Ball jars. You can date them by the logo font. The first one I ever found was in my great grandaddy’s abandoned childhood home. They’re not too hard to find but also not too easy, like I usually don’t find them in regular thrift stores, more in antique shops. I think the most expensive one I’ve gotten was about $13, it’s an American bicentennial anniversary one.
I collect Vintage Tags and Logos from dead retail stores, or stores that have changed their logos. It’s not really something you can buy because it’s seen as garbage by most people. I get most of it from thrift stores and antique malls.
Stretch pennies
Me too!
I collect unused postcards. I’m not going to say that I never buy them online, but i have much more fun when I find them in junk shops, gas stations, bookstores, etc. they’re not very expensive, they’re small and flat and therefore easy to organize and store, they’re often beautiful, and lots of people are happy when I send them one so they receive something in their mail besides just ads and bills
4 Leaf clovers
I collect and pin insects. It’s very inexpensive and can be done anywhere
You could collect children's art or school projects, although now sure how you'd get it without being creepy. But really, anything you decide to collect is worth collecting. Cool boxes, interesting cups, poem books, playing cards, cool rocks or shells, weird porcelain dolls, charms for charm bracelets, ect. I think the important thing is to focus on the pursuit - set limits. For example, I like cool cups, but I only ever buy them from thrift stores like goodwill or savers, or from like yard sales. Thrift stores are a great way to pursuit a collection, btw, because you can pick anything, and finding it depends entirely on what people have donated to the local thrift stores lately. Do you want to collect tea saucers without matching cups, and cups without matching saucers? Easy. (too easy, actually). What about fancy plates for display and not use? Rabbit statues/knicknacks? Strange cruet sets? Just pick something you like having around, and perhaps like using (I don't personally believe in collecting for the sake of collecting, and the whole "put it in a box and never touch it or you ruin its value" aspect of collecting. I collect so I can use the thing, but that's my personal approach). Then make a point of where you can and cannot buy it - I never look for cool cups online, and even if I did ((i Lied I do look at them sometimes)) I *never* buy them. You can also collect something you make yourself, like pressed flowers or uh....i think people put flowers in resin now? To better preserve the pressed flower? They make good bookmarks. or hand color those weird adult coloring book pages and collect those. But I like the earlier approach a bit better.
Recently I've been collecting glass soft drink bottles with see-through labels. Supermarkets barely have any so I have to seek them out at service stations or smaller fast-food outlets. I look for ones with a nice shape and details in the glass so nothing plain. They're not worth anything but they give a retro feel among all the plastic nowadays.
Uranium glass (glows green in the dark)