[Geoff Shannon]

collector - a person who collects things of a specified type, professionally or as a hobby.
collect - bring or gather together (a number of things).
bring - take or go with (someone or something) to a place.
gather - come together; assemble or accumulate.

No mention that the number of items that are accumulated, brought together, gathered or collected are not to be used.

I am a collector of slot cars, some I have used, some other people have used and some in an unused state, but all part of a collection.

   

Stabo Trucks.

[GT40Racer]

Totally agree I collect slot cars as well.
But I collect them to use them not to sit on a shelf. I understand some people prefer to look at them I prefer to drive them. Sometimes I collect too many of one type like the many GT40s and RAID trucks I have.

Whether you have them to race or to run or to look at on the shelf you are collecting them. Some people may just be more focused on building the collection by gathering specific liveries or race cars.

David

[Scuderia_Turini]

Collection:- 
1: The action or process of collecting someone or something
2: A group of things or people

[Kevan]

I have a fair few cars now after nearly four years in the hobby but I'm not a collector, I'm a racer.  I buy cars I can make competitive not buy them because it'll be worth something in the future or because it's a limited edition or because it's another car in my favourite livery. My cars don't sit in bespoke cabinets either, some are battle scarred, some are highly modified and I don't get anal about scuffs or accuracy or whether the wheels are properly the scale or the registration is incorrect etc.

[Top Down]

I must be a mongrel then. 

I collect AND race. 

[GT40Racer]

I have a fair few cars now after nearly four years in the hobby but I'm not a collector, I'm a racer. 

Sounds like you have a collection of cars Kevan - so despite maybe wanting to avoid it you are a collector 

The fact you happen to use the cars in your collection for racing just means you are a different type of collector to someone who likes to put them on a shelf and look at them. 

:)

[Geoff Shannon]

Totally agree I collect slot cars as well.
But I collect them to use them not to sit on a shelf. I understand some people prefer to look at them I prefer to drive them. Sometimes I collect too many of one type like the many GT40s and RAID trucks I have.

Whether you have them to race or to run or to look at on the shelf you are collecting them. Some people may just be more focused on building the collection by gathering specific liveries or race cars.

David

Exactly, David.
It is a two stage process

1. Obtain, procure, pickup, gather, amass, collect
2. Usage. What the collector does with it once collected.

usage - the action of using something or the fact of being used.

In the case of slot cars, for some the usage is to race, others modify into something that is not available and for others appreciation.

[Geoff Shannon]

I have a fair few cars now after nearly four years in the hobby but I'm not a collector, I'm a racer. 

Sounds like you have a collection of cars Kevan - so despite maybe wanting to avoid it you are a collector 

A racer, in addition to being a collector of slot cars, would also be a collector of wheels, tyres, bodies, motors etc.

[Gordon Steadman]

I suspect there is a difference between a dictionary definition and common usage.

I have some chairs in my lounge that are used for sitting on not just for looking at. Does this make me a chair collector?

[Fluff]

Definitely !!!