Signs that you or someone you know is a “toolaholic”

I nervously stand.  As I look around the large auditorium, I see faces.  Some are known to me, many are not.  Gathering all the courage I possess, I announce, “Hi, my name is Chris and I’m a toolaholic! 

You may know me or someone like me.  We live in your neighborhood, maybe even on your street.  We might be your coworker, cousin, neighbor or friend. 

It starts innocently enough.  But before you know it, you are obsessed.  Are you a “toolaholic”?  Answering the following questions may help you find out.

1. Do you eagerly await the annual Sears tool catalog?
2. Does every errand that you run involve stopping by Sears, Lowe’s or Home Depot for a quick look through their tool department?
3. Do you peruse the classifieds regularly just in case someone is selling something that you “might” need?
4. Have you ever bought a tool that you already owned because, “it was too good of a deal to pass up”?
5. Do the guys at the local pawnshop know you by your first name?
6. Does the pawnshop have a number to reach you in case “something interesting turns up”?
7. Have you ever taken on a project that you didn’t really want to do, but did anyway because it involved the purchase of a new tool?
8. Does or can your wife bribe you with the promise of a new tool?
9. Do you cruise flea markets looking for “good used tools”?
10. Have you ever taped an episode of “This Old House“, “The New Yankee Workshop“, “The Woodwright Shop“, or “Tools & Techniques“?
11. Do you “collect” old (your term is “antique”) tools?
12. Do you have a secret “tool fund” in case you run across a “great buy”?
13. Do you have an itemized list of your tools with accompanying pictures for insurance purchases?

If you are like me, then there are a number of these questions that hit close to home.  However, the one that you should take seriously is #13.  If you have more than a very minor investment in your tools, please make the time to go through your shop or garage to photograph and list all your tools.  This information will be priceless to you if your home or garage catches fire or if someone breaks in and steals your tools.  You might have fantastic insurance, but insurance companies seldom pay claims on items that you cannot prove were there.