Spend enough time in online games, and you start to notice just how different players can be even while sharing the same space. The way people handle items, in particular, says a lot about their tendencies. So today, I’ve organized five types of item collectors, at least from how I see it.

Plogging Type

In classic MMORPGs, it’s common to see junk items scattered all over the ground

There’s a term called plogging: picking up litter while out on a run. You can spot a similar type in MMORPGs too. They’re the kind of players who pick up every junk item that everyone else walks right past without a second look.

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Each item may not be worth much by itself, but if you gather them all up and sell them, it’s enough to cover potion costs at least. There’s also a small satisfaction in filling things up bit by bit, so this type definitely exists.

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People used to describe these players as “scrap pickers,” but these days that phrase has mostly settled into meaning farming in certain genres. Meanwhile, the literal junk-item looter has become a lot rarer.

Recently, Baram was running its 30th anniversary event, so I jumped in and leveled up to 600. In the main hunting zones, there were junk drops everywhere.

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On some maps, the item-name text was practically covering the screen. A few of them were quest items too, so you could actually pick them up and use them. More than anything, it was nice because it brought back that old-school feeling.

Achiever Type

A codex system you see all the time in games these days

If a game has an item codex, monster codex, region codex, achievement codex, and so on, this is the type that won’t feel satisfied until it’s filled to 100%.

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They also tend to get very fixated on items that can only be obtained after hidden quests, puzzles, jump puzzles, easter eggs, and exploration of hidden areas.

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Depending on the game, that can actually be much harder than taking down an endgame boss. So when you see a fully completed codex, it often gets a genuine “Wow, they did all of that?” reaction.

I can’t register the expensive cards, so I’m only adding the cheaper ones little by little...

Since codex systems are usually left up to the player, I think they’re good content—as long as they aren’t forcing participation through special stats or overly generous rewards.

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I’m not really someone who focuses on the codex from the very beginning. Usually, once I’ve grown attached to a game and have a bit of breathing room, I’ll check it now and then and work on the entries that make me think, “I could finish this one right away.” Filling them out one by one has its own charm.

Sentimental / Fashion Type

When did I even collect this much..

This is the type that collects only the things they personally like, rather than chasing 100%.

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The clearest example is dress-up items like avatars. They enjoy building a flashy collection of designs that match their taste.

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Others lean toward collecting items with meaning attached, like limited costumes, event-exclusive mounts, or rewards from old quests, regardless of stats or pure design. From that angle, they feel a bit like antique dealers.

Squirrel Type

This is the type that gathers things without any particular goal, or just hoovers up currency and materials for efficient progression.

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In some cases, it’s really just the kind of personality that can’t stand throwing things away. For others, having a healthy stockpile of currency and materials simply feels reassuring and satisfying.

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Honestly, I’m pretty close to this type myself, so my storage is full of items from past seasons. If I ever need to, I can just sell them off at a shop, so I keep them around like emergency savings.

Show-off Type

There’s also the type that treats items as a way to show themselves off to other players. They like equipping rare gear and standing around in plazas or near raid entrances to make their presence known, or giving people in a guild or party that “I want to be like that player” impression.

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This can overlap a bit with the achiever type, but the key difference is that they strongly define their in-game status through items like server-first or high-ranking clear rewards, ranking rewards, drop proofs, and enhancement success proofs.

You see a lot of this type in DNF Mobile too. Difficult bosses award badges, which players use to signal, “I’m skilled enough to beat this,” and they’ll also show them off when looking for a party. Seeing is believing, after all.

Wrapping Up

That wraps up my breakdown of five types of item collectors in online games. Of course, not many players fit neatly into just one category, and most are really some mix of two or three. Personally, I’m probably somewhere between the sentimental type and the squirrel type. Which one sounds most like you?