I’m not sure what the psychology is behind why human beings love to collect things – coins, books, rocks, figurines, records, what have you – but there must be some reason that so many people lovingly gather certain things to display in their homes.

Sometimes those collections go beyond the average, too, and that’s when they really become interesting, if you ask me.

Here are the really different collections kept by 17 different people.

17. Ok I have questions about this one.

Like…why? And how?

Over the past 15 years my dad collected 1,785 bowling balls and built a giant Bowling Ball Pyramid
byu/buildingsonfire inpics

16. Alphabets made from beach stones.

This is one of several alphabets assembled by Belgian type designer Clotilde Olyff from stones collected at the beach.

15. I can see hanging onto these for a rainy day.

Or for the inevitable apocalypse.

Collection of reference seeds found in my Grandad’s attic
byu/HungryBanana07 inmildlyinteresting

14. These extremely cool “punched” state quarters.

I mean, if you thought they were cool before…

A year ago, I started staying in and peircing state quarters, instead of going out and getting in trouble. Here is my collection so far.
byu/OfeyDofey inpics

13. This is super cool.

I would love to see all of the birds that came!

12. The crows never forget.

So, better friend than foe.

Inspired by an old reddit post. I started feeding bar nuts to these crows that are regural to the patio of a bar I work at. My collection of gifts finally started after 3 months.
byu/saroj7878 inpics

11. This looks like something out of a horror movie.

I don’t like it.

The product of 15 years collecting shedded antlers from the woods.
byu/Baker359 inpics

10. That’s something worth keeping.

It would make you smile every single day!

9. For what purpose?

Just to fill a barrel?

Since the late 80s, my office has been collecting used staples that were removed from documents that needed to be microfilmed/scanned. Here is that collection.
byu/clowns_will_eat_me inpics

8. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.

These are seriouslycool!

My grandfather’s pencil sharpener collection i inherited
byu/mattygraddy inmildlyinteresting

7. Happy Birthday!

Also, that’s a LOT of tires.

Our tire sticker ball turned 6 today
by inDamnthatsinteresting

6. I bet it’s not really about the rocks.

It’s about finding the rocks.

Perfectly round rocks found on the beach. Bonus: egg rock, triangle, and taco rock.
byu/lbm216 ininterestingasfuck

5. Those belong in a museum.

Not everyone is so lucky to live where these can be found.

Some of my favorite arrowheads. Amazing little pieces of history collected on our private property in southern Arizona.
byu/JediWithAnM4 ininterestingasfuck

4. He’s even color-coded them.

How endearingly dorky.

This is my Periodic Table of Elements with actual elements!
byu/electricfoxyboy inmildlyinteresting

3. Just picking it up here and there.

That’s a lot of walks on the beach.

2 years of collecting sea glass.
byu/BlueDingoMagic inmildlyinteresting

2. He must really like apples.

I can respect that, but maybe they disappeared for a reason!

This man’s collection of lost apples varieties.
byu/bukithd inmildlyinteresting

1. He’s accomplished more than I have in my whole life!

This kid is going places.

I’m 14 and here is a picture of me and my chess medals
byu/NXHQA inMadeMeSmile

I guess I collect books, but not really on purpose. I would like to collect dogs but I don’t have enough land. Or money.

What do you collect? Tell us in the comments!