The story builds tension as the narrator, a fellow hobbyist, becomes increasingly suspicious of Mr. Eldridge's seemingly mundane hobby of collecting common, everyday items. As the narrator becomes more obsessed with uncovering Mr. Eldridge's secret, the reader is drawn into the escalating paranoia and uncertainty.
The climax arrives when the narrator, after a prolonged period of surveillance, finally confronts Mr. Eldridge. He discovers that Mr. Eldridge is not actually collecting items for personal enjoyment but for a much more sinister purpose: to study human behavior and culture.
The realization that Mr. Eldridge is an alien, who has been observing and analyzing humanity through his seemingly harmless hobby, is the turning point of the story. It reveals the true nature of Mr. Eldridge and underscores the shocking reality of his alien nature.