I don't give a **** about his things; the tragedy here is coping with an obvious (violent) emotional breakdown on his father's part and the ripple effect that's going to have on his life and the lives of everyone else in his family.
Okay, that is a given, but I hope you do not mean to denigrate anyone who is sad for the loss of the collection. Since he himself has dealt or is dealing with his family issues and obviously the post is about having lost a part of himself in his collection (which can be just as emotionally damaging though it is just "stuff,") I do not think it inappropriate to commiserate with him on that loss.
We can also commiserate with him on his familial loss and problems, as I am certain someone else here has similar experience, at least enough to relate. Personally, I am lucky enough not to have such an experience in my nuclear family.
