A break point could mean one of several things to different people. Merriam-Webster Dictionary seems crystal-clear on this, so we’ll borrow these three possibilities for the break point between a collection and a hoard:
- The point at which a person gives way under stress.
- A point at which a situation becomes critical.
- The point at which something loses force or validity.
On the basis of this, we could say a collection becomes a hoard when the owner can no longer cope. They have lost their ability (or interest) to control the expansion of their collection.
Are 230 Vehicles a Collection or a Hoard?
We decided to test the following Mayo Clinic definition against the recently discovered Ad Palmen classic car assortment:
- Hoarding disorder is an ongoing difficulty throwing things away.
- Or parting with possessions because you believe you need to preserve them.
- You may experience distress at the thought of getting rid of the items.
- You gradually keep or gather a huge number of items, regardless of their actual value.
From this we can deduce three conditions that must be present, to justify tagging a collection as a hoard. When all three present, we could argue it has passed the break point between a collection and a hoard:
- A sense of duty not to discard things.
- Emotional resistance to getting rid of them.
- Market value is not the criteria for keeping them.
There is also a well-acknowledged distinction between a neatly-arranged collection proudly shown-off, and a disorganized mass of objects.
Possible Hoarding Break Point – The Palmen Barnfind Collection
Ad Palmen – now aged 82 – began collecting cars that took his fancy 40 years ago. The Dordrecht businessman must have had disposable income, because he ended up with 230 classic cars in warehouses and an abandoned church.
From videos it is clear he arranged these in neat rows, but with no attempt to classify them. However, this does not necessarily mean he intended to display them with pride. This could also have been the easiest way to store them in the least floor space.
Alas, age eventually took its toll on the Dordrecht businessman’s health. We can imagine the dust gathering on shiny surfaces, as he lost the energy to keep routines up. Certainly, hoarding correlates strongly with older age, and neglect with the physical environment at home.
The classic cars must be going through an auto-valet process as the auctioneers prepare them for sale on May 19, 2023. What we don’t know is whether the transition from a collection to a hoard was voluntary, and what caused the final break point.
What Caused the Dam Wall to Crack for this Collection?
Hoards are quite often discovered by accident, and by relatives after a health trauma or other physical event. However, in the case of the Ad Palmen hoard – for it clearly was a matter of keeping for keeping’s sake- the precipitating event was a fire in one of the warehouses according to CNN News.
Let’s review the situation at this stage against these criteria we mentioned earlier:
- Hoarding disorder is an ongoing difficulty throwing away
- Or parting with possessions because you believe that you need to save them.
- You may experience distress at the thought of getting rid of the items.
- You gradually keep or gather a huge number of items, regardless of their actual value.
The first two of these criteria appear to apply to the Ad Palmen collection. From the images it is clear he has moved into ‘collecting for collecting’s sake’, where almost any old car will do. We weren’t there in person, but we can imagine a reticence to get rid of even a single one of those shades of former glory.
CNN advises Ad Palman’s cars were a ‘closely-guarded secret until the warehouse fire broke out. Prior to that, Rob Report confirms a neighbour regularly asked to ‘take a peek around, but this was always politely refused. Could this be a key to a break point between a collection and this hoard?
Literature has always held that a collector proudly displays their items, and enjoys showing them off. Whereas a typical hoarder keeps their trove a secret. This distinction inclines us to believe that the Ad Palmen cars were a hoard, brought on in the end with his decline into the secret world of dementia.
On the positive side we are glad to report the cars have stood the test of time in un-restored condition. “It is unlikely that anyone will ever see a collection of this caliber and condition again in their lifetime,” the auctioneers said in a statement.
Avery Associates assists with clearing homes and storage areas, assessing the value of contents, and disposing of these according to the value we find. Call 0800 567 7769 for more advice.
