Hoarder vs. Prepper vs. Collector

What’s the difference between a hoarder, a prepper, or a collector?

Two could be defined as storing things in excess, on the off chance that one would need these items; the third, well, the logic and justification of collecting specific items escapes me this morning.

A prepper collects and stores items that could be used in dire emergencies; don’t hoarders do the same thing? Who’s to say that you wouldn’t need hundreds of bread ties? Or newspapers? Or books? Perhaps it’s the types of things that are collected? Emergency rations versus used tea bags? And at what point is a hoarder or prepper considered a collector? I don’t know, perhaps it’s the types of items one collects, or perhaps it’s the method of organization of the chaos?

So, if a hoarder were to organize their chaos by a rational person’s standards, would they then be considered a prepper, or does it now classify as a collection? Are they (all three) saving and stashing because of the volatility of today’s society, or simply because they cannot bring themselves to throw something away, and in that case, could they be considered the ultimate recycler? And finally, what would be considered ‘normal’?

Something to think about today as I reflect about other peoples’ collections and sort through my own.