Collection or Clutter? Give yourself a reality check on the real nature of your treasured collectibles

According to organizing guru Peter Walsh, people often think that labeling a group of objects a “collection” is a “get out of jail free” card — an excuse for a specific kind of clutter (an assemblage of similar objects that gather dust in your garage or hog precious closet space in your house). Those very same things might really be a collection if they were properly cared for and displayed. Here are Walsh’s six ways to tell if your bunch of stuff is a collection or just clutter.

It’s a collection if:
• It’s displayed in a way that makes you proud and shows that you value and honor it
• Looking at it brings you pleasure
• You enjoy showing it to others
• It is not an obsession that’s damaging your relationships
• It is not buried under other clutter
• It doesn’t get in the way of living the life you wish you had