I’d never call myself a collector. Currently got 9 rifles and 10 pistols.
For me there’s a few dimensions to it.
I shoot FT, mainly springers. So I have a couple of rigs (LGU and 97K) in full FT stocks with big scopes.
Also have a nice sorted FTP900 for when I want to play with the big boys. But it’s so clinical I get bored with shooting it on the range after a couple of dozen pellets.
Then there’s usually a springer or two with a smaller scope in case I want to dabble in HFT, or just plink.
Then I’ve got a little HW30S with dioptres for bell target.
There’s my old HW77K lazaglide which is never getting sold.
I like historic firearms so have a few BB and pellet replicas.
A Crosman 600 because they’re plinking awesome.
Steyr LP10 for pistol FT or very occasional 10M.
Beyond that it’s stuff I get when and because I fancy it. I picked up an Evanix bullpup because I just love the look of it, and it’s not a bad shooter either.
I have a list of stuff I coveted as a teenager but couldn’t afford back then. Occasionally pick one of those up. I have a long list of stuff that I owned but I moved on either because it wasn’t all that, or I got bored or I’d just scratched the itch and needed cash for something new. Several of those I regretted selling later.
“We are too much accustomed to attribute to a single cause that which is the product of several, and the majority of our controversies come from that.” - Marcus Aurelius