So, I've been a collector of dolls and have quite a few in my collection. I believe I have close to 100 different dolls in it. I did downsize a tiny bit by giving my old American Girl dolls to my cousin's daughter, who is very into that brand of play doll and who I know will treasure them. They were some of the very first dolls to come out, and have long since been retired aka Kirsten and Felicity.

Anyways, I've read that many collectors often have much larger collections than I, and they don't necessarily collect dolls. It could be plush toys, or Mickey Mouse paraphernalia. These collections span many rooms in their homes and are far vaster than my doll collection.

Yet, there are some that find the act of collecting an unhealthy obsession, perhaps classifying said obsession as a "hoarding" situation. What differentiates a hoarder from a collector, I wonder? Is it that the collector has their collection on shelves and neatly displayed? Well, some collectors don't. They just have their collections in boxes stacked in storage units.

Well, then, is it when the items in question are so numerous that they begin to overwhelm the living space to the point of being unnavigable? But then, they'd still be considered a collection, right? Not a hoarding situation?

What IS the difference then? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this subject.