Toys and Tools

I am a big fan of the Fender Telecaster guitar. It doesn't get as much love or honor as the Stratocaster, but it has always struck me as a guitar for a blue collar type of player. It is basic with just two pickups. I have seen versions with humbuckers that produce that warm rich sound. It is a solid instrument for playing rhythm and a good choice for playing lead in country music. It has the ability to play a bright clean tone or a warm rich tone depending on which pickup you select. Unlike other instruments like Gibson guitars, these babies are mass produced in a factory with interchangeable parts. They are relatively cheap, reliable, repairable, and customizable. If you get the idea that I would like to have one, you would be correct.

This post is not about guitars but about the difference between tools and toys. In the hands of a dedicated musician, the Fender Telecaster is a useful tool. In my hands, the Tele is just a toy. What is the difference? The difference is in purpose and aim. Plus, talent and profession also play a role. For me, a guitar is just a toy. It would be an enjoyable toy that would give me many hours of enjoyment. But I'm not a guitarist.

As a minimalist, this distinction between tools and toys is very important. It determines what you will buy and why you buy it. For instance, a car is a tool. It provides transportation. Now, I can drive a reliable Toyota Camry, or I could buy an impractical sports car. I drive a Camry. I go with Toyota for the same reasons I would buy a Telecaster. It is reliable yet relatively cheap. My Toyota has been a good tool.

Minimalists don't buy toys. They buy tools. This is why they have fewer things, but they are better. Everything they own must serve some purpose or end. People with clutter accumulate toys. This is why they can't park their car in the garage, or they rent storage space. They see a toy, and they give in to their inner child. They buy the toy, exhaust its entertainment value, and then abandon that toy. It could be a Fender Telecaster, a stationary bicycle, a sword, a gun collection, or whatnot. And let's admit it, folks. The difference between having a collection and having clutter is merely in how it is stored.

When you go to buy something new, ask yourself a question. Is this a tool or a toy? I ask myself that question all the time. I used to have an extensive wish list, but when I applied the toy/tool test, I whittled it down significantly. The irony is that I now have almost every item on my wish list. I am at a point where I am no longer buying new tools so much as replacing old ones that are completely worn out.

Toys are fun. But toys are like candy. Candy is tasty, but you can't live on it. Tools are useful. They can be fun as well but in a different way. They enable you to do what you do in a better and easier way. For me, my computer is not a toy but a tool. It plays a huge role in my life. If my computer went down, I would go immediately to a store and buy a new one. There is no question about this. If I owned a Fender Telecaster and it self-destructed for some reason, I would never replace it with a new one. I would probably regret not selling the old one while it still had value.

I can't tell someone what is a tool or a toy. This is relative. For one person, a motorcycle is a useful tool as it provides low cost transportation. For another person, it is just a toy meant to fulfill some Easy Rider fantasies. But I think you are better off without toys. Toys are expensive. They eat money and space and end up as clutter. So, you should learn to live without them.

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