I try not to lose track of the fact that the reason I acquired the tools I have is I want the capability to do the kind of work I want, unhampered by the lack of appropriate tools. I do just a bit of collecting outside of that, and that's in mechanics tools, where I have a nostalgia set of Proto tools that only partly overlap with my users; many of my users are other makes, and duplicate the Proto. My mechanics tools are there to support maintaining my own vehicles; that's very cost effective for me to do, and has paid for the tools many times over. I have extensive machinist tools, and a lathe and mill, so I can build custom guns. Similarly I have top end woodworking tools, I like to do cabinetry and restore furniture, and have built two high end custom houses with custom woodwork throughout. The tools are there to support that level of quality work, not just for the pride of ownership.
I have seen a lot of interesting attitudes towards acquisition and arranging and storing tools here; not just among the collectors but among others that are less of collectors and more towards the user spectrum. The attitude is that acquiring and possessing the tool is the primary function, not using it. Beautifully maintained toolboxes, with organizers, and everything clean and in exactly the right place. I've seen the same thing in retired guys that want to do woodworking. They retire, buy a table saw, build a bunch of jigs for it, buy a jointer, make jigs for it, buy a router, buy a router table, buy an incra jig, make fancy boxes to put the jigs in that they made for the other tools. Eventually they die, never having made a cabinet or piece of furniture. The acquisition of the tools was the primary hobby, not woodworking.
I went out to my garage today, and took an engine off the stand, and re-assembled it to the transmission preparatory to putting it under the car and re-installing. I didn't open up my Performax Menards tool box and admire the organization of the tools inside, nor did I admire the box itself. I did enjoy using the quality tools that did the job they needed to.
The most extreme attitude I saw today was someone that was angry that a yard sale seller wouldn't sell him 4 SK sockets for $.25 each, but instead was asking $1. And several other posters that agreed, and had a similar attitude. REALLY??? A complete set of sockets to do most of what a person really needs done is about 12 sockets. Double that number if you want deep and shallow both. That's about all a person really needs. If you had to give $1 apiece for them, you'd be out $24. If you bought new, and high quality, you'd be out about $60 minimum, and $150 maximum for the set. This should be a once in a lifetime investment for most people. Is this make or break, get angry scale of problem? No, it's some kind of obsessive or aberrant behavior!
Too much tools becomes when they don't serve the purpose you acquired them for. If you acquire them to do work, when you have more than support your work including needed spares, you have too many. If you collect them, the limit is your ability to sort, restore, clean, and display them. Get beyond that, and keep acquiring more and you're into too many territory. If you're acquiring them only for the thrill of acquisition, and not collecting or using them, that's hoarding behavior. Particularly if the time and money expended starts deteriorating the rest of your life behaviors!
but saying that, if money was unlimited, where would the enjoyment be? Being able to buy what you want when you want would remove all of the fun. But as to your question of anyone being in a similar predicament, the answer would be no. Enjoying buying tools, and restoring them when necessary, is exactly what it is. Whilst ever you enjoy it and can afford to do it, that's all that matters. If the enjoyment goes, or one's spending money which ought be spent on more important things, only then would that be the point where it's time to call it a day, IMHO.
