The Surprising Joy of Collecting
By Riëtte | Thrivve60 – Feel better • Live richer • Grow stronger
I’ll be honest—I used to roll my eyes at collectors. Trinkets, old tins, buttons, stamps… clutter, right? I’ve always been more of a “clear surfaces, clear mind” kind of person. But then one day, while unpacking boxes from my mom’s house, I found a small tin filled with random shells and stones. It was perfectly labelled, dated the place she collected it.. Suddenly, it hit me—this wasn’t clutter. It was time, held still.
That’s what collecting does. It keeps tiny pieces of life from slipping away unnoticed. After 50, when we’ve lived enough to know how quickly things change, that feels oddly comforting.
Collecting isn’t about buying stuff or filling shelves. It’s about meaning. The small, personal kind that tells your story. Maybe it’s a handful of feathers from morning walks, or a drawer of postcards from places you once promised to return to. It’s a way of saying, this mattered.
You could start with nature. Press a few leaves between the pages of an old book. Jot down the date, the smell of the air that day. Place them in a frame or on a “season shelf.” Each one becomes a tiny reminder to slow down—to notice.
Or history might pull you in. Old coins, matchboxes, black-and-white photos. You hold them and wonder who touched them before you did, what stories they carried. There’s something grounding about that—a whisper of where we’ve all come from.
If you’re more of a creative soul, you might collect art that speaks to you. Pottery from local makers. Vinyl records that played through your best years. Cameras with scratches and character. It’s not about perfection; it’s about connection.
The traveller’s kind of collecting is a totally different ball game; the mementoes are a map of your adventures, whether it is a train ticket from Paris, a shell from Paternoster. A coffee sleeve from that exclusive coffee shop at Blueberg Strand.
Pick a theme and start with a single object. Nothing fancy. Then write its story—where you found it, how you felt, why you kept it. That’s your first “collection.”
If you like, create a simple display—a tray, a corner, a wall shelf. Rotate things. Keep it light and fresh. The goal isn’t to fill space; it’s to fill your days with moments that feel alive again.
Maybe this week you’ll wander through a charity shop or local market. Let your curiosity lead. You might not plan to buy anything—and that’s fine. But something will call to you, quietly. Take that as your sign.
Collecting is not about stuff and clutter. It’s about the stories. It’s about noticing what still stirs joy. And if it brings a bit of connection—through memories, friends, or shared laughter—well, maybe that’s the best kind of treasure of all.
Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/ssckDmzAoAEhttps://youtu.be/ssckDmzAoAE
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