Collecting -- and collecting information 3

I wonder if you can have a hobby about hobbies. I continue to research the subject of Japanese tin toy cars in preparation for a talk I've been volunteered to give (the purpose of the Collecting -- and collecting information series). As I sift through primary resources, I realize that doing the research is kind of fun.

It also occurred to me that research has always been an important component to whatever hobby I've been involved with, whether it was stamps, comics, toy trains, vintage music, or pulp literature. For me, it's important to know as much about the history of the subject in order to put the objects into context.

While researching toy cars from Japan, I learned quite a bit more about
my three Japanese train sets -- including the actual manufacturer of the
set in the middle.

Sometimes, it's been as simple as reading a definitive reference work or two. Other times, (like now) I have to pull the information together from disparate sources and make the connections myself. To me, the difference between collecting and hoarding is the knowledge one has about the objects assembled (well, that and sanitation).

Maybe my real hobby is collecting information -- it's the one constant running through my various interests as they ebb and flow.