Scene from American Splendor

Collectors are often depicted as solitary, selfish creatures — sometimes even, like in scenes from American Splendor and Ghost World, as socially awkward individuals who relate better to ’stuff’ than to other humans. While it may be true that collecting, like many hobbies, is more the sport of introverts than the social spectacle of sports (as team player or fan), that doesn’t mean that all collectors are all the mumbling, shuffling, eye-contact-fearing, social-avoiding kooks they are caricatured to be (however charmingly portrayed).

Some people will say that collecting fills a deep psychological void; be it caused by some deficit of a materialistic culture, a disconnect from our own personal history, or even a wish to disconnect (distract) from our own lives. These people see ’stuff’ as a way for the collector to shy away from the ‘real issues’. Even the related activities of researching are seen as a way for the collector to avoid the here & now, burying noses in books and computer monitors as opposed to seeking social interactions & relationships.

In Canada’s The Gazette, Susan Schwartz reports on a new book by William Davis King which depicts collecting in such a negative light:

In Collections of Nothing, as much a memoir as it is a treatise on collecting, King recalls his divorce a decade or so back, when he was 43. His ex-wife was, like him, full of self-doubt, he writes, wrestling “with a sense of nothingness. Both wanted something deeper than the companionship they had, he writes. “That clinging impulse, that relentless searching, that drive to fill an emptiness” went, for her, into reading fiction. For him, it went into collecting.

His suspicion is that collecting is, for many, a way of retreating from relationship rather than engaging,” he writes, “like the turn to a woodshop in the basement or a late-night blog session.”

Sheesh! By that token, no relationship is safe from the dreaded “hobby”.

As for the hobby of collecting, hunting (shopping) and networking (be it in organized collecting groups or the ‘usual gang’ at tag sales), are vital parts which require interaction with humans. Ditto researching. Even the most hermetic collector will have social interactions, as Schwartz herself acknowledges, saying, “I think of collecting as kind of a social pursuit: I love meeting people in the flea markets and antique shops I haunt.”

But of course Susan & I would agree — we’re both writers, no doubt equally familiar (and comfortable) in our solitary late-night writing sessions, ‘retreating from human contact’.

However, both King and Schwartz have omitted other points in their discussion of collecting.

Scene from Ghost World

One is the fact that many collectors are not alone in their hobby. Hubby and I are virtually joined-at-the-hip, only separating — one to the left, the other to the right — to cover more ground, or when one sits with the pile of stuff while the other runs to the ATM. Collecting is something we do together — that brings us closer together. That’s compatibility, kiddos.

We share collecting with our family too, to build our relationships. We go with the kids and with our parents — sometimes there are three generations of us at an auction. And we aren’t the only ones. We also see pairs of pals, goggles of giggling girls, and other assorted groups hunting in packs as a social event.

Yet, I think the best proof that collecting is a social activity can easily be shown to you anytime, anywhere.

Just ask a collector to tell you about their collection. Then stand back and let the evidence pour in as they yack yer ears off. They’ll give you more details on the items & how they were obtained than you can absorb without a stenographer present — and offer to take you ’round town to see all the best spots too.

That’s pretty social.

We collectors still might be a bit kooky; but we’re not necessarily alone or lonely, using ’stuff’ to fill some void.

Not only is is obvious (and lame) to say that the reasons for collecting are as varied as the collections themselves, but I’ve already discussed that the meaning and purpose of collecting is rather personal and defined by the individual. However, I find the limitlessness of replies to the question, “Why collect?’” fascinating.

Some collect as a hobby, much like gardening, doing puzzles or playing an instrument; it’s an activity. Maybe even an educational activity.

Some are thrill seekers who see hunting for and biding on objects as far more thrilling than gambling because you leave with something no matter how much you spend. Others see collecting as an investment, where each object will increase in value or the sum total of the lot is worth more than each individual piece. Or maybe it’s just cheaper to get the ‘old used pens’ than to buy new ones at the store.

But others collect not so much for the activity or economic reasons as for the objects themselves.

The objects sought may simply be to reclaim what they lost, or what they never had. It’s the completion and perfection of their own personal histories they seek. It’s reclaiming something they lost, or never had, which makes them feel more complete themselves.

Some collect for ‘the bigger picture.’ They preserve history. Some objects when gathered together tell the history of specific groups, reflect specific periods of time, or keep a corporate history.

Other collections are objects which when gathered together provide details not just of what did happen, but also what’s happening now; they are both past and present. Maybe even the future?

Others collect things because together the seemingly unrelated objects tell a story — even if that story is hard to define. (Maybe the story is not complete yet? Or maybe I am just rationalizing my passion for stuff… Who can tell for certain?)

Some collections may begin with questions and the objects themselves are proof of answers. Some of these collections may be scientific, or a way to justify concerns; others are more mystical. Some may prove the collector ‘right,’ others may prove the collector ‘wrong,’ and still others may just prove that the quest continues.

For some collectors, theirs is a solo collection. They alone define and refine their collection; they alone add items to it. Others collect in groups — libraries, museums etc where the one organized group is dedicated to one specific collection. And some single collectors collect for groups — I know a number of ladies who collect vintage high school yearbooks and other area photos of families and homes because they volunteer for the local historical society or help locals with genealogy searches.

Of course, there are the collectors who began for one reason, say to get all the lunchboxes they had when they were young but getting all six of those, they continue collecting retro lunchboxes as a hobby. Or maybe the thrill of finding rare designer fashions & accessories and reselling them has become a quick turn-around investment. Still others may have once delighted in collecting old botanical books for their beauty or personal reasons, but now see that their collection is part of a larger collection, a larger mission.

The layers or combinations are as limitless as the reasons themselves — hence my asking, again, “Why collect?”

Now, it’s your turn to answer.

You may post a comment or a link to your own blog with the answer, or you can email me if you’d like. I’d just like to hear those replies… I’m fascinated!