The general category of boat anchors is met by something big and heavy
enough to literally be used as an anchor for a small boat.

The true determination is generally made by your spouse. If you can walk in
the front door with it, without your spouse asking "and what are you
planning to do with that?", it is not a boat anchor. Boat anchors are
brought in during the night or on long weekends.

My triumph in a lifetime of packratting was to bring home 14,000 tubes and
hide them in the basement and barn so that it was 3 weeks before my wife
realized there was more stuff there.

Acquiring boatanchors is an art form. Being on eBay helps. When you sell
something on eBay (preferably a small item that you do not need), let your
wife know that you have sold something. Say nothing when you acquire things
and at first you must sneak in the big stufft.

Remember, that you need to justify the existence of your giant ham shack and
storage. When the family tv goes out, this is an opportunity. Take it out
to the shop and tell your wife you are going to work on it. Then, early the
next morning, before she gets up, sneak out to the shop and get the tv and
put it in the trunk of your car. Later, take it to the tv shop to get
fixed. Make sure they have your cell phone to call you when it is ready.
Then pick it up and sneak it out to the shop. Later, in full view of your
wife, bring it into the house and proclaim that your knowledge and equipment
has fixed her tv.

The perfect boat anchor collector is Lamont Cranston (aka The Shadow), for
he can cloud the mind of spouses so that they cannot see all the piles and
piles of boatanchors. At times, I am convinced I have achieved that level,
but then my wife exclaims "how come more and more crap accumulates in all
the rooms?" But, by quickly changing the subject, the mind control works
again.

I cannot tell you all my secrets, but I can now get one or two boxes a week
without more than a mutter from my wife. It is based upon years of practice
and honing a fine art.

Colin K7FM