There’s a Bit of Animal in All of Us . . . the Pack Rat

Like it or not, we’re all collectors, said Wayne Walz, owner of Wayne’s World of Collectibles in Orange.

Even a guy on the street, Walz said, “has something in that shopping cart that doesn’t keep him warm at night.” We collect “because we’re related to animals, and pack rats are animals,” said Walz, who has been dealing in collectibles--from baseball cards to Barbies and Beanie Babies--for 32 years.

Most of his customers gain an identity through their collections, he said, and few abandon their pursuits. The biggest impediment for enthusiastic collectors is a lack of space, which is why Walz advocates sticking to small items that are easily displayed or stored.

Say you have a one-bedroom apartment?

“Don’t collect cigar-store Indians,” he advised.