WHY DO WE COLLECT THINGS?

“One explanation for collecting is that unloved children learn to seek comfort in accumulating belongings; another is that collecting is motivated by existential anxieties – the collection, an extension of our identity, lives on, even though we do not. More recently, evolutionary theorists suggested that a collection was a way for a man to attract potential mates by signaling his ability to accumulate resources. Freudian psychologists believe that collecting is a way of imposing order on the world.” I think this is a load of crap, and that we simply collect for the pleasure of it – to express our love for something, and for the thrill of the chase until it eventually becomes habitual.​ We are not the only ones either - you’ve probably seen news stories of crows collecting things and gifting them. I don’t think crows have that much of an understanding of what it's like to be loved in chick-hood, but who is to say, I'm not a crow expert.

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It's estimated that 2/3 of the UK has a ‘collection’ of some sort, whether that be physical memorabilia or virtual collections of avatars and in-game bonuses. Y’all probably have a collection of some sort without being aware of the fact it actually classes as a collection. Some of the most common collections include:

1. Stamps – thanks to their huge variety and long history, these are one of the easiest things to begin collecting and to have a large collection of.

2. Coins – similar to stamps; can be collected all over the world, ever-changing supply

3. Pins – a great way to show one's love for something

4. Vinyl – what can start as a simple love for music can quickly (and unwittingly) become an expensive collection!

5. Trading cards – we all had a collection of Top Trump, football, or Yu-Gi-Oh! cards back in the day… maybe you graduated to Magic from this?

6. Figurines – ranging from pop vinyls to large, detailed pieces

7. Comic books

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While I haven't dived that deeply into collectors, I'm pretty certain this isn't an idea I'll be going ahead with.