by Jordan Miller

Created on: July 10, 2008

Pack Rats are around us, whether we like it or not. They tend to take everything, stash it away somewhere, and team together to make movies about casino heists and - wait a second, that's the Rat Pack. Fairly similar in thought, but not the same thing.

Pack Rats are usually family members, as the family is the only entity allowed to criticize this hoarding behavior. These people keep every single little item as an important memento in their garage, basement, cellar, outdoor pool, front yard, wherever these items are kept. But, this does not mean that every person who collects things is a Pack Rat. This misconception must be stopped.

If the person keeps plenty of the same type of item (Teddy Bears, Bottle Caps, Coins), they are collectors. If the person has a ragtag assortment of items that have no conceivable correlation, they might be a Pack Rat.

If the item was previously owned by a seller, the person is a collector. If the item used to be another family member's like a son or daughter, the person might be a Pack Rat.

If every item is neatly organized by size, name, type, or any other categorical system, the person is a collector. If the items are in plastic bags, shelved sloppily, or idly lying in a pile, the person might be a Pack Rat.

If the person says "Don't touch that" when one is viewing the items, the person is a collector. If the person says "Now what is that?", they might be a Pack Rat.

If the items are in pristine condition or well kept, the person is a collector. If the items are noticeably dusty or rusty, the person might be a Pack Rat.

In the are the items are stored, if one can move around freely and easily, the person is a collector. If one has to search for a place to step on every move, the person in question might be a Pack Rat.

If the person can sell the items on their property, they are collectors. If it takes the neighbor's yard or more to spread all the items out, the person might be a Pack Rat.

If the person doesn't want to sell the items because in a few years they might be worth even more, the person is a collector. If the person doesn't want to sell the items because it "means so much to them", they might be a Pack Rat.

So the next time there's a room filled to the brim with stuff the normal person wouldn't want, take a moment and think it over. After all, messing with a collector's item is a bad idea.

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