Losing the Desire to Collect!

[beetlehorn]

Perhaps it's a waste of time for me to open this topic, but I feel somehow compelled to bring it up. As of late I have experienced a gradual loss of interest in entomology. I have collected off and on ever since I can remember. I really got back "into it" about six years ago. I even made a special collecting trip across country this past August (Arizona), to collect Dynastes granti and whatever else I encountered. Although I was excited at making the trip, I just couldn't find the kind of enthusiasm I once had. I wonder if anyone else has experienced this. I hope it isn't an ongoing thing, because I truly enjoyed this hobby. Tom

[Deleted]

Oh boy------hope this is not more than a bump in the road. Speaking as one of your collecting buddies, the mere thought of you not being with me in the field gives me the "willies". I know how much you've been in love with the hobby and I know how much you have influenced me with my desire to do it. If I had a wand to magically cure you of this lull, I'd surely use it. If I can do anything to assist you in being what I've known you as(super collector, rearer, builder and friend), please let me know.

In the worst case scenario, you may grow out of the hobby. I am hoping that such thinking is just a phase you're in at the moment. Hopefully when that 70mm L. elaphus or even a C. sappho again comes your way, the engine will again be ignited. I guess all of us have had moments/periods of non-ento times, but almost certainly you'll emerge from it.

One helpful facet of recharging the collecting batteries is Spring:) May your spring come early and with lots of bugs as in the past.

Tom, call me if you need to.

[timoinsects]

for thouse still go on collection.
i think is because there's been a lot collection in the hands already,which has already costed a lot time,$$,energy on the hobby. so it would be hard to give up.

guess if one have few (very small quantity) or all common species. it would be much easier for him to give up this hobby? i think the answer is yes.

anyway i love my hobby,it companied with me for my past years,i won't feel alone,either boring(have nothing to do). however i should adjust the ways of collection. be more selective on species. and reduce the collection to get rid of the 'burden' sometimes i felt it was more or less a burden.

select one or two insect families,and collet them as principal maybe a good choice,you won't feel you will spend too $/time on it than collect too extensive families/genus

in future,i would like to collect some in a very selective way(on species,if the specimen,birds for ex. were delicatelly made,need only a few pcs,not too many as insects, otherwise i can't hold,eat space year and year ):
Crab taxidermy
birds taxidermy
deep-sea fish in jar,so far by now,i haven't found any commercial websites by search that ever offer them on sale. maybe one day.another joy will be born.
other natural collection,need few only,for room decoration or display.

sometimes i felt tired

[africaone]

may the desire changed with the time. it is not the same following years and experience. Desire is not the same following personality. For some it is the first catching, other the series, other just the finding, etc, ... may be you changed the kind of desire ?
may be also what changed is not the desire but just the level of exitation relied to experience

[what]

A few ways to approach this issue... You could find a new area in which to specialize. You could find a new hobby for awhile before coming back to this one (everyone needs a break from things now and then). You could search for an entomological curiosity in literature that you did not know of previously (a personal favorite). You could simply be down due to weather conditions where you live at the present, perhaps a change of venue temporarily if you can afford it. You might also just be slightly depressed, most people have this happen at some point in their lives I imagine, if this feeling extends beyond this hobby alone perhaps consult your doctor.

Hopefully you find a way to reinvigorate your interest in entomology!

[saturniidave]

This happens to me a lot. As some of you know my other passion is collecting seashells and I find I fluctuate between one and the other. I will be mad on the shells for a while then I will go on to the insects. I only wish it was insects in the Summer and shells in the Winter but it hardly ever works out that way!
But over all I devote about equal time to each hobby, both of which have been with me for over 40 years.

[Deleted]

Tom, I would guess if we are honest, most of us feel this way to a lesser or greater degree at times, if I were you I would just take a step back for a while and see how you feel after a break, I dont fall out of love with entomology to any great extent but I do go through periods where my collection causes me stress as I pick holes in my spreading defects, arrangment of material etc, I just have to remind myself what a good collection it is and how lucky I am to have them.

[timoinsects]

i agree for one thing, sometimes need some period break,just being happilly to do other things without thoughts of insects,when you miss insects then again come back.
i may break it for a period of time too,maybe several months for example,also in future,then look back to see any new sp. which unavailable before now available.or if the very high price sp. the price has been reduced.

[entoman]

I experienced something similar to this once, albeit in my case it was what started my collecting. I've always been fascinated by insects but at some point during my mid-teens I realized that I wasn't taking my passion as seriously as I should be. I figured I'd either have to shift my current interests into another area or reinvigorate my fascination with insects via collecting and studying (theretofore I had merely caught insects casually and picked up random trivia insects).
My advice would be to first determine why you feel less enthusiastic about insect collecting than you used to and then decide whether or not you can or want to make changes to alter your current perceptions.
Or you could just wait for the feeling to pass. It may very well be just a transient phase.

[jeanff]

Hey Tom!

The same has happened to me at the end of last fall. I had moved to a new place and moving the collection was a bitch. No damage as I was fairly careful, moving it at night and driving slowly on the bumpy roads, but it was a lot of work. It bummed me so much I ended up wanting to get rid of the thing by selling it.

I let that thought simmer for some time and then a few months later, I asked a bunch of friends gathered for an entomology evening whether one of them would be interested in buying me out. They reacted fairly strongly, reminding me of how they perceived me as one of the enthusiastic ones, how much time, effort and passion had gone to my collecting, how they had enjoyed being in the field with me and how awesome was my collection.

They convinced me to think it over and give it time. I guess I eventually calmed down and started to take more time to look at the drawers and rethink of all the memories associated with each individual specimen. Then, I started spreading beetles and Orthopteras in good numbers from the vast stock I have accumulated over the years, just taking pleasure in doing so.
I have a feeling that this uncertainty will arise again at some point, maybe out of doubt or boredom, but I will think it over, make sure it is not just a passing thing and maybe focus on something else for some time.

Then, if ever I was serious about selling it, I would lend it to a friend for an extended period of time and get an idea of how much I actually miss it. If I'm fine about it after a year or so, then I'd part from it for good. As with anything else, a rushed decision is seldom the most satisfying avenue...

[gradyleb]

I went through a similar phase like this, in fact I just crawled out of it about a month ago, I had brought my collection to a summer camp I was working at teaching entomology. I had kept it safe, but one day while me and my class were collecting specimans, a a couple of pesky birds got into the nature lodge and ate a large portion of my collection. I managed to collect a fair number of specimans after that to rebuild my collection, but a lot of the new specimans were taken apart by ants. The next year I didn't spend nearly as much time working on my collection as I usually did and so my collection just didn't grow. I invested in a better case to hold them in but by the time I got it most of my insects were damaged.

Reading the other posts I'd say we all go through these phases and they all tend to pass eventually. I plan on working on my collection quite a bit more over the summer, although I do plan on keeping more live specimans this season.

Grady

[anthony]

Maybe a winter thing. With the cold and grey depression can occur and thoughts turn inward. I hope spring brings a renewed interest for you in our hobby, there are wonders aplenty afield and I hope they inspire you to continue.

[joee30]

I've been kinda in and out of it myself, but I had a whole deployment to focus on the other things. I'm ready to go out and get some new bugs this spring and do some fishing as well. Cheer up Tom, this will be an interesting year and I'm still planning on getting some philotes sonorensis for you, along with some other beauties.

[panzerman]

I started collecting gold coins when I turned 12 years old, I guess my Dad got me started in that. Then,when I turned 22, I saw an ad from Complete Scientific(Jerry Schloemer) and got into insects. At present, I still rank the rare coins my favorite by far, but I also like coll. papilionidae, saturnidae, prepona, charaxes, polyura, cethosia. Other fav. pastimes are hunting, snowmobiling, weightlifting, fast cars, good German cooking, military history, taxidermy, fossils, hiking....
Unfortunately, I have too spend a lot of time working too afford the above

John

[joee30]

I budget for the bugs i want, but by far, I like to be out there catching them myself. Sadly, where i am at in my life relegates it only on time off and 4 day weekends. I cannot even travel outside the country except for on block leave. On a good note, the area i live in is a magnet for cool nocturnal insects. We have a dinning facility next to some wooded area, so all the bugs come to the lights in good numbers. I guess that is one of the biggest advantages of being in the military.