In a Reddit post on the r/Anticonsumption page, a user shared screenshots of comments from cup collectors, who are beginning to regret their big collections of plastic, branded cups.
The poster had been looking for ways to convince a friend to stop collecting plastic cups from big companies. When they checked a larger cup-collecting group to find advice, they found numerous reasons why cup collectors should quit.
"I enjoyed reading their responses," wrote the original poster.
The screenshot comments from the cup collector page highlighted a general sense of frustration over collecting high-priced cups that had become less valuable over time.
"Is anyone else just sick of these cups … collecting to me is not fun anymore…I've spent sooo much when they were all they hype… and now I'm worried I won't even be able to sell them for a fraction of what I paid," posted a user in the screenshot.
Other collectors responded in agreement. "I stopped too," one said, while another collector said, "Wish I had never started but now I have over 50."
Many commenters in the Reddit post share the same sentiment of being unable to comprehend why people would ever collect branded, plastic cups. It begs the question of where the line is between meaningful collections and overconsumption.
An article in The Progressive stated: "Collecting, as a practice of love and appreciation, is the antithesis of overconsumption because it champions holding on to and cherishing objects instead of simply throwing them away."
Perhaps the difference is whether or not the collected products are already items of mass production — or if they are made of materials that are harmful to the environment, like plastic.
A current popular trend is collecting Stanley cups, which are reusable water bottles.
Stanley cup collections, which are often flaunted on social media, were coined "one-in-every-color capitalism" by Guardian journalist Amelia Tait. The collectors have received backlash for overconsumption and prioritizing their quantity of Stanley cups over using the cups for their intended purpose: as a replacement for single-use plastic bottles.
Commenters on the Reddit post were not impressed by the collections, seeing it as a form of overconsumption.
One user wrote: "Imagine thinking a 'pre-owned' cup would bring retail prices. The only thing more appalling is paying $350 for a set of branded plastic cups."
"I'm confused why people thought that a plastic cup would increase in value," stated another.
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