There are many types of collections. Some are formed by purposefully collecting certain objects, such as stamps or coins. However, some collections are only a byproduct of an obsession, a quirk of mind. For example, Paul Brockmann got into the habit of buying his girlfriend and later his wife a dress every time they went ballroom dancing. It might seem excessive to some, but it was his way of showing his affection. Overtime, this collection grew to be enormous, counting 55,000 dresses in total. Basic math tells us that either they went ballroom dancing three times per day for every day of their lives, or he bought them in huge bundles every time.

A woman waits at a polio immunisation health centre, in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, August 29, 2016. Nigeria's military has liberated large swathes of land from Boko Haram but a ride with an army convoy, all guns firing for fear of ambush, shows how far the northeast is from normality after a brutal Islamist insurgency that has displaced millions. (Photo by Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters)

A young Shiite Muslim child participates in a Muharram procession in Ahmadabad, India, Sunday, October 9, 2016. (Photo by Ajit Solanki/AP Photo)

A man dressed as one of the Three Kings greets people during the Epiphany parade in Gijon, Spain January 5, 2017. (Photo by Eloy Alonso/Reuters)

A man looks out of a window as Palestinians inspect the site and search for casualties of an overnight Israeli air strike on a house at al-Shati (Beach) refugee camp, in Gaza City, on July 15, 2025. (Photo by Mahmoud Issa/Reuters)

A devotee prays to the sun standing from the banks of the river Yamuna during the Chhath festival, which is celebrated for the well-being and prosperity of one's family, in New Delhi, India, Monday, October 27, 2025. (Photo by Manish Swarup/AP Photo)

A team from Woody's Ice Cream shop wrangle a large inflatable dinosaur down the street during the Independence Day Parade in Fairfax, Virginia July 4, 2015. Americans marched in star-spangled parades, ran relay races, gathered for fireworks shows and crowned a new world hot dog eating champion as they celebrated Independence Day in traditional style on Saturday. (Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Yalena Leuliette, 7, of Greenbelt, Md., throws seeds from a cattail plant up in the air as she plays while visiting the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in northeast Washington, on Sunday, August 9, 2015. Leuliette visits the public garden with her parents a few times a year. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)