Psychology Behind Collecting, Habit of Collecting, Collectors

There might various reasons why people get attracted to collection and naturally speaking most of the people when they love something and get that or them out of love or passion shows a behaviour. This is one of the topics which is less researched and also if the different behaviours can identified or analysed it will benefit the consumer behaviour science. Collecting is very different from hoarding but when someone gets addicted to collecting then they might end up in hoarding.

Contemporary collection is something which is never accepted in museums because people think collection of history is more important than collection of present. There is a lot of debate going on this topic and also many museums have accepted contemporary collection, though it is not widely recognised all over the world. This easy also discuss about how collection of each item has meaning and emotion attached to it.

There can be different reasons for this like some feel they get control over a huge issue, some use small objects view and make buildings etc. There can be many reasons and varied psychology behind it. This observed by many branded company and use it for their benefits and to increase their markets. If this study done very detailed can help many company to understand how collectors and their collection works. A similar obsession is seen with blue and pink miniature objects. This is mainly seen in East Asians like Korea, Japan, China etc (Benjamin W. , Book collecting, 1999).

When the collectors, collection and what influence them are studied detailed it shows how the market system is targeting people now a days. This dissertation focus on psychology behind collecting, joy people get while collecting, miniature collecting. Also discuss in detail about system of collecting and failure of museums to collect contemporary material. Most of the people start collecting items as a hobby but there is many reasons attached to it .

Collection has life of its own and it takes over life. Nostalgia can be one of the reason behind it which is accompanied by an emotional connection. People who buy items cherish memories with it and as they grow older their collection become life companion and burden. When a lot of stuff is collected through a life time then it becomes a burden and the question of what to do with it arises after words. If the items are thrown away then there are people like Ward Harrison or Roger Morgan who take it from the bin for resale.

In the early years people used to reuse items but new trend of use and throw has occupied people. When something goes wrong rather than thinking of any chance of repairing it people run to buy the new item. Ward Harrison is considered a celebrity scavenger. Harrison talks about how the oldest and most valuable pair of Levis 501 jeans dating from 1886 and 1902 which are in poor condition kept in auction for 15000 pound. What fascinates him is that anything touched by famous or infamous becomes useless and comes to him.

New trend of DIY programmes, salvage yard and collecting everything from house bricks and lavatory chains to sweet wrappers has built over the last two decades which has the idea of value attached to items. The idea of profit from rubbish is now seen as expansion of that market that includes breakers and reclamation yards which is accepted as legitimate business now (susan pearce, 2002). Collecting has become a boarder world of politics an area where pressure will gradually build up in future. Shops and museums are collaborating to draw attention to consumptive ethos where museums become more like shops as shops become more like museums.

Between 26 April and 21 June 1997 a group of London institutions collaborated in an effort to offer an explanation of what collecting can mean .All nine venues were in the west end of London which ranged from British museum and the Wallace collection to Selfridges and habitat and Richard lowe’s flat and Paul smiths shop in Florale street (susan pearce, 2002). The photographers gallery at great Newport street as one of the venues showing display by Christian Boltanski titles “Inventory of the of the objects belonging to and Inhabitant oxford 1974” (susan pearce, 2002)

Habitat in Tottenham Court Road is a temple to post war design .Here Guillaume Bijl a Belgian artist displayed a theme called “space within the space that is the shop” (susan pearce, 2002). Collecting is a human activity which aspires to control time. Collecting energy put to gather material will turn into kind of eternity. However important collecting is or its motive to perceive expression as it is a integral part of contemporary world. Like the 1930s plastic which we no longer use many trends have been disregarded. Again collecting and throwing away has become one of the most common ways. When there is a trend going on or even a style which is very popular then people rush to collect. People become very happy and satisfied that they are up to date with the trend. But as the trend or the style dies thus the collectors mind to keep the item. Gradually the trend of not believing on the value of your collection and disposing it came into existence. Many companies have taken this trend of buying and disposing a business market like McDonalds toys (susan pearce, 2002).

Collecting also starts from pressure. In a culture which has been relentless in its drive to lead material modernity, a reflexive action has recently been to look back to the simple hand-cast by which to reconnect with a different life experience when time was not so much of commodity. One of the examples is in Britain the car –boot sale became a cultural feature of the 1980 and 1990s. Before the 1980s British people had the tendency to hide, to keep private hat they owned or possessed. As if to exhibit it would in some way betray themselves.

Previously a visit to the pawnbroker had been a commonplace in many working class families to pawn and redeem items to make need meet. During and after strike of 1984-1985 force of economic circumstances drove many people to sell their possessions for the same reason. Soon enough this ceased to be practice of necessity and become one of profitable business as professional dealers and organisers took over and developed. One of the other example is from Japan.

In 1996 the Beatles faced a hostile reception in Tokyo because their intended venue was arts dojo [centre] and their presence was felt to dishonour. Also in 1996 weekend antiques markets are blooming at temples and shrines. The feeling expressed by Japanese model cat collector that Japan has gone too far in terms of developing .For them express satisfaction as important. There was a time when craftsmen made things with their own hands .The object on market are not ostentatious symbols of opulence but rather modest which are unimaginable pieces like sake cups and figurines.

Like the European counter parts such objects remind collectors of what they saw when they were growing up Japan represented lost simplicity or innocence. This term was termed “cocooning “a few years ago by American trend analyst faith popcorn and was later codifies as infantilisation. In this way the original items being sought as outlined in Japanese example are seen as marketing opportunity by manufacturers. Reproductions of older products with a nostalgia value are made and sold in tons where an affluent middle class reside (susan pearce, 2002).