The psychology of collecting

http://nationalpsychologist.com/2007/01/the-psychology-of-collecting/10904.html

"During the 1700s and 1800s there were aristocratic collectors, the landed gentry, who roamed the world in search of fossils, shells, zoological specimens, works of art and books. The collected artifacts were then kept in special rooms (“cabinets of curiosities”) for safekeeping and private viewing. A “cabinet” was, in part, a symbolic display of the collector’s power and wealth. It was these collectors who established the first museums in Europe, and to a lesser extent in America."

"Why do we collect things, e.g., Cracker Jack toys to manhole covers? Some people collect for investment, yet one must wonder how a penny can become worth thousands of dollars. Some collect for pure enjoyment – it’s fun. Some collect to expand their social lives, attending swap meets and exchanging information with like-minded souls."

McKinley, M. (2007) The psychology of collecting | the national psychologist. Available at: http://nationalpsychologist.com/2007/01/the-psychology-of-collecting/10904.html (Accessed: 13 November 2015).