I almost (I say almost) had a bins collection, when I reached the odd number of 3: a 7x42 Zeiss Victory FL, a 10x42 Leica Ultravid and a 8x32 Zeiss Victory FL, but I quickly sold the Leica and smaller Zeiss and it felt like a relief.
At the moment, I still have that 7x42 FL and a 8x25 Zeiss Victory pocket that is always in the car (so I always have a pair when I'm on the road).
Back in 2008 when I bought that 7x42 FL, I told myself I would renew that first pair every 10 years. But 10 years later, in 2018, it turned out there wasn't much I wished for in newer models, and the 7x42 FL was still going strong. So that's when I bought the pocket which really felt complimentary to me, to have a smaller, lighter pair for family walks, in the car, butterflying, cycling,... (I use that pocket now more often than the full-size bins!).
I'm relieved I didn't become a collector, and I got rid of that 10x42 Ultravid and 8x32 FL, because going by how good my 7x42 FL looks after 15 years of use with close to 5000 bird species seen around the world, I would never have been able to use the Ultravid and smaller FL to the full. I hope they are now in the hands of some who use them for what they are (imho) made: long days in the field, getting sweaty, feeling the rain, getting cleaned with the inside of a T-shirt, enhancing the views on beautiful birds.
I could have become a collector, as I (and I'm sure many here are) strive for a better (or just different) view. We all know that perfection doesn't exist in binocular views, but still, many people search for it, or at least for improvement. And it's also just fun to look through different binoculars as the viewing experience is different. For some, it's about how things are made and what is the story behind specific bins or brands. I can fully understand all of that.
But on too many occasions, I see people stocking up on stuff they don't use, especially people who buy things brand new, just as an addition to the collection. They just want the insurance, that they won't miss out on this or that model (they are e.g. terrified if it ever gets out of production, they can't collect it anymore). So those bins aren't used, but the collectors can't part from it. And they try to find arguments for themselves that they still use them on that one sunny sunday in February to look at a deer far away from they porch, or they claim that the bins haven's lost value, so they comfort themselves that they can 'enjoy' them by looking at them gathering dust in the cupboard, consoling themselves that they don't hurt them financially. Some collectors constantly buy and sell (and buy again) binoculars, not because the bins aren't great, but because their eyes aren't good anymore, and they search for that one model with ample correction for their near-sightedness, eye relief, rolling ball, astigmatism,... I see the same happening with people buying bikes and having pain in the back, or long legs and short arms: they never find the bike / frame that fits them perfectly, so they always go looking for that one bike that maybe gives them the ride they dream about (with no pain). Same for my mum, who has a huge collection of shoes because she has a deformed toe, and no shoes seem to fit, but she keeps trying and buying. I totally understand the driving force, but it can get tricky when you're only buying, and not selling anymore. It can easily lead to compulsive hoarding (which is a disease, so those who suffer, I wish them good health again, and it's something that has to be taken serious:
Compulsive hoarding - Wikipedia ).
So the thing is, those that are striving for perfection can easily fall into that trap and accumulate collections that are hardly ever / never used, and the collectors never get past the fact that they once bought all of that stuff to enhance the experience (of life). Once the collection becomes too big, it becomes a burden and a distraction of the experience. I say it once again, imho, it's all about the experience, and the item (in this case bins, but it could be cameras, cars, bikes, running shoes,...) enables you to enjoy the experience more, but it's still just a tool, and the experience is what matters, not the tool. I really like good bins and as a bike racer, I like to have top notch stuff on my racing bike (deep carbon wheels, Dura ace drive groupset, Assos clothes, etc.). This all enhances the experience. But the best part of bike racing, and my best races, are not necessarily the ones in which I was on my best bike, but the one where my legs felt the best. Same goes for birdwatching. The best birds aren't remembered because they were seen through this or that pair of bins. They are remembered because the bird was so freaking beautiful or behaved extraordinary. The bins aren't remembered. They are secondary. And you can only use one pair at a time, so what's the use of that big collection when all you're after is good times in the field and you only need one pairs for that. Ofcourse, imho, they must be top notch in order not to hamper the experience (and thus enhance the experience), but be it a Leica, Zeiss, Swarovski or even Vortex, Bushnell, or whatever, it's about the observation, and most of the tiny details discussed here in great detail (*) don't matter (too much) if you have eyeball to eyeball views of a N-American warbler, a wader in breeding plumage, a hummer, a Bird-of-paradise or your garden Blue tit or Chickadee that's doing crazy stuff.
That's what it's all about, for me, and the more you focus on the stuff, the less you enjoy the experience. I actually a bit sad about those that have big collections of anything but don't seem to use some of their items to the full. It's a waste of stuff just laying around (and thus a waste of space), and I believe that the more stuff one accumulates, the less one is able to fully enjoy the non-material side of life, and that's what really matters most for me...
ps: As usual, all of the above has to be read with 'my opinion' before every sentence. You may disagree and feel different, that's fine. If you have a great bins collection and are super happy with it (whether or not it's collecting dust), that's all very fine: I might even be very interested, if I would ever be in your neighbourhood, to see your collection as I love binoculars. I'm just saying what I personally feel about collecting, and why I'm not a fan of collecting stuff for the sake of it, especially collecting new stuf that is sometimes not even taken out of the box.
(*) I greatly appreciate and enjoy reading those discussions and learning. I always like to learn about stuff, and this forum, of which I am a member since 2007 and have contributed financially as well, is a great place to learn about optics.
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