artists/hoarders, tomatoes/tom-ah-toes

i know very few artists who aren't active collectors, or straight up hoarders. as a collector myself, i find myself accumulating lots of bottles and jars because i can't help but wonder what other life they could have. i use empty jars as pots for plants, pencil holders, and leftover food containers, and i save plastic bottles just in case i want to include them in a sculpture. it does get messy though. my utility room is full of cardboard, plastic bottles, glass jar, and trash i can't bring myself to throw away (like a rare golden pop-tart wrapper!!!) at any time, you could find more than one rock in my pockets, dried leaves i found outside, or branches and sticks i have found and can't let go of. there are nuts and bolts, washers and cool-looking screws scattered on my kitchen table. several different categories and themes of collectable objects that i have found myself accumulating.

If you find yourself realizing that you are becoming a collector, what materials or "trash" do you accumulate? Why and how do you use these materials in your art? (art meaning sculpture, upcycling, or crafting)