Yes, people do collect toilets. To most people this seems a bit like collecting old computers. Unless they are hooked up to something, they aren't really functional and most aren't that pretty. Unless, yes, you actually do make use of them. There are still people who keep an outside toilet on their property just for the nostalgia and to make a point of communing with nature in the most fundamental way. There are also people who purchase antique toilets and parts and decorate a whole room around the old timey style.

There are on-line auctions that deal specifically in the bowls and the tanks. Some buyers like the idea that many of these older models actually have a three gallon tank, which in many cases produces a proficient flush, though at the expense of using almost twice the water used by a modern toilet.

Most of early toilet models did not have a seat with a lid. Rather the user sat directly on the rim. However, the rim was made more in the shape of a seat than in modern toilets. Collectors of toilets range from manufacturers, such as Crapper & Co. in England, to Museums to individuals interested in chamber pots and technology. An immensely popular "Grossology" museum display has been touring the country, revealing the importance of modern devices that dispose of human waste.

The Crapper Co. in Great Britain has a huge collection of "water closets" or "loos" that were made early in the 1900s. Many are decorated with designs worthy of porcelain plate. Some have interesting styling including a fish forming the lower part of the bowl with the upper part looking like water swirling down his mouth.

Looking at these, it is obvious that although technology of toilets has advanced, the basics are still the same. The modern toilet as we know it began its development in 1596 when it was invented by John Harrington. Yet it was not used on a large scale for at least 180 years. JF Brondel introduced the valve type flush toilet in 1738. And it was not until the 1870s that the actual flush toilet was invented. Where technology has advanced is in how flushing is done. Since then flush valves, ball cocks, and trap designs have all made flushing away human waste more clean and more efficient.

Antique looking toilets have become so popular that manufacturers are making "vintage toilets" and the parts to maintain them. These have modern flush mechanisms, but appear in an older style. Those looking to collect older toilets or find one to decorate a bathroom, are currently in luck, as there are a fair number of people upgrading bathrooms and getting rid of the old toilets, for little expense or free one can be acquired. They are constantly available on Ebay, where on any given day one may find antique glass floats, bowls, tanks, and hardware.

In essence, anything that ages gracefully and in which people find an interest can become an antique, even toilets.