For some, collecting means enjoying a few items placed throughout your house for decoration.

At times, collecting can reach an unprecedented level.

On Wednesday, longtime teddy bear collector Ricky Lenart held a gathering for his Teddy Bear House Museum’s 1-year anniversary.

We walked around each room and Lenart shared stories of how he came across some of his favorite bears in his collection.

Personally, I prefer to collect sports and USA militia memorabilia, but Lenart and I have one thing in common—along with the rest of the collectors in the world—we collect for the thrill of the hunt.

Walking into a garage full of boxes of unknown

antiques for collectors is like a kid walking into a room full of pristine unwrapped presents.

Like myself, once you get nipped by the collecting bug, this change starts to happen.

We are not trying to collect them all, this isn’t Pokémon.

Collectors want to invest their time in something they know they won’t complete because if they did, there would be nothing to hunt.

Although I don’t collect teddy bears, I was very intrigued about the history and evolution of the stuffed animal.

The hunting story about Theodore Roosevelt is a fascinating aspect and after seeing the progression of the teddy bear first-hand at the museum, I encourage collectors of all sorts to see the collection Lenart has aquired.

After hearing about the history and seeing the variety of bears made throughout the years, I am going to pick up the first Steiff teddy bear I come across while hunting for antiques.

Before judging someone’s collection ask about the history of the items and who knows, maybe the collecting bug will nip you.