Why Do Collectors Collect?There have been collectors since the beginning of time. Collecting a variety of different things, whether or not they have a monetary value, has been around for almost as long as there have been people. While many acedemics have attempted to find out why people collect things, the reasons for collecting seem to be as varied as the people doing the collecting. For some, collecting a particular item is nothing more than a casual passtime. It's just a hobby to take their minds off of the normal day-to-day stress. For others, collecting can go way past even a passion, and right into an obsession, consuming their entire lives. Even after building an enourmous collection, there are some collectors who never seen to be satisfied, and will continue to add to their collections. I read about a doll collector who has collected so many dolls that she has built several new rooms onto her house just to display her collection. Another person I know collects copper tea kettles, and has at least 300 or 400 of them. She will say: "That's it, I have all the copper tea kettles I need, and I'm simply not going to buy any more." Then we'll be out shopping, and I'll see her heading for the checkstand with yet another copper tea kettle. When reminded of her earlier proclamation, her response is: "But I don't have one like this." When giving this answer, her voice has a tone of mild confusion as if she doesn't quite understand why I would even question the purchase, under the circumstances. Let's face it, the obsession for collecting is limited only by money and storage space. While there haven't been a large number of studies done to determine the precise reason why people collect things, for some the possibility their collectibles will increase in value is the motivating factor. At times, the price of some collectibles can increase very rapidly in a very short period of time. For these fortunate collectors there can be a great deal of money to be made, but this doesn't happen all that often. Besides which, the price of a particular collectible can also fall just as quickly as it rose, causing the collectors who purchased at the higher price to lose money. For example...the beanie baby craze. Prices rose to where collectors were paying hundreds of dollars for one beanie baby, but the market then took a rapid downturn and those same little critters are now selling for only a few dollars apiece. Just the same, if you make you purchases wisely, there is not much chance of losing money on your collectibles, because most of them will remain scarce, and highly sought after. When asked, most collectors will insist that money not their motivating factor for collecting. Many collectors will tell you they thoroughly enjoy the learning involved while collecting their particular items. For some, they collect the toys from their childhood that they were never able to have when they were young. Another reason collectors give for collecting is that it's a good way to meet people they would never have met, if they weren't collecting the same items. Still other collectors claim they collect for the pure joy they get from searching for and finding their collecibles. It's the "thrill of the hunt". In the world of psychology, there are varying opinions as to why people collect things. While some believe collecting comes from feelings of loneliness and anxiety, others feel it's the collectors attempt to control their own little corner of the world. Whatever the reasons, collecting can be a great educational adventure, which can ocassionally even be profitable. Bottom line: Collecting is fun. Just don't allow it to consume your entire life, or your bank account. Related Articles : |
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