Is it only autists that have collections

Maybe, I don't collect things because I've spent so many years owning as much as I can fit in the back of my car.

Maybe it's because I believe it's all cargo and I'm not attached to it in a spiritual sense.

Maybe its because I've had so many other peoples collections foisted on me thst I've had to live with and move. The whole top above the cab space of a Luton Van filled with my ex's computer magazine collection, did it for me.

Collections are probably only fun if it’s something you’re interested in. But it’s not a bad thing to not collect, they can get expensive and take up space, etc

I just really don't understand the whole collecting thing and I've tried, I've tried collecting African Violets, but that was more to try and get along with my then husbands family who kept giving them to me. My then father in law kept trying to get me to collect stamps and coins too, which I didn't he collected toby jugs too, which I would quite happily use as target practice, horrible things.

My Mum has a collection of owls, she does like owls, but people keep giving them to her as presents, I don't think she's gone out and bought a single one. Like me, she's a woman of simple needs and tastes and xmas and birthday become a bit of a trial to find something she likes. She's said no more ornaments, but people still keep buying them.

Cheers Deb.

I've thought about starting another collection when I'm browsing Ebay but I've managed to restrain myself so far.

 I collect CD's , Vinyl, Books and DVD/Bluray

Nice.

I had a large collection of vinyl but sold it all 'for a song', unfortunatelly.

I know you love music as you are a frequent poster on the music thread.

I hope you continue to enjoy for many years to come.

I was just remembering that thread and then you posted it.  I collect CD's , Vinyl, Books and DVD/Bluray

My Dad collected coins, whenever he was a boy. He had old pre-decimal UK coins, from the Victorian era onwards. Plus coins from the US, Canada and Australia.

I have a collection of coins, and silver items, somewhere in this house; brought them over from my old home. One of them was an Armenian Silver Coin depicting Noah's Ark.

I heard that it's currently a buyer's market.

I'm currently listening to an LP, I got during lockdown, which my Artist friend recommended me. 'Way out Weather' by Steve Gunn. (2014 album) Alt-Country Soundscapes; cross between Beck and The Verve.

I am reminded of the opening line in one of David Sedaris' books.

Regarding his partner's Owl collection:

"There comes a time in every man's life that he must do something about the owls."

Me too. We ran around stealing them, from shops, from other people, it was like crack cocaine to us, even NT's got caught up in it. But not as hard as autists of course.

When I was in elementary school, almost every boy (me included) collected Pokémon cards. It’s unlikely that they were all autistic. 

Nope. Jeffrey Dhamer had a collection. But i don't think he was autistic.

My step dad, who is NT has collection of watches, he used to collect other stuff too in the past. As for me - I used to collect my own works. I had a big collection of my own tram line schemes, with whole infrastructure and timetables, then I drew house plans, there were also little paper dolls (around 10 cm tall) - these were my collections from childhood and adolescence. I used to dir hours and do these things. There were also whole notebooks filled with all sorts of data that I myself created I don’t understand for what other than for some sort of pleasure although I often was tired of doing it (EAN codes and names of products, names, telephone numbers and addresses, passport photos - portraits that I drew) etc. I come from poor family so I had no possibility to collect stuff that you can buy. But I also had a collection of stones found in the street or park. Ah and collections of photos of trams - forms cards, newspapers etc. I loved to also find some information about them and write which model, year of production and any other data that I could find. 

As I am loitering with intent, I thought I'd link to this thread, as a companion piece:

https://community.autism.org.uk/f/adults-on-the-autistic-spectrum/30518/show-your-collection/361249#361249

Great question! My mum collected these mini statue things. She was totally NT. I think I inherited all my specialness that we all share from my dad, as I can't locate anyone else like me on my mum's sprawling side of the family.

Back to the question (how easily we digress!)

I have friends who collect records. Which is the same as mine once upon a time. They've been known to sell some, which I can't bring myself to do.

My NT wife doesn't collect a thing.