Assigned to write about past collecting, I could not really find anything I was so inspired to write about other than the psychology behind why we collect. As much as I enjoy reflecting on my past, I'm just really not that big into making a hobby of collecting any longer. Building it all took some time, but then throughout the years, I have lost interest as well as my attachments to many items. From moving and changes in me personally, it really makes me wonder why we collect, is it a good thing or is it a terrible disease?

The Psychology of Collecting, a paper by Mark B. McKinley, a phsycology professor states that, "Everybody collects something! Whether it be photographs of a person's vacation, ticket stubs from ballgames, souvenirs of trips, pictures of one's children, athletes' trophies, kids report cards, and those who collect “junk” (pack-rats) and dispose of it in garage sales." As children, we collected toys, sports cards, even bubble gum wrappers, you name it. McKinley continues to write, "People actually collect: bad poetry, barbed wire, knock-knock jokes, wax paper liners out of cereal boxes, swizzle sticks, string, mouse pads, phone books, type fonts, clothing of famous people, or Mersenne primes (prime numbers). Indeed, some collectors even collect collecting guides!" It seems to me that like wine, as we age, our tastes become more refined, leading us to gather the finer goods in life such as antiques or collectible cars. Even the high and mighty of our society have developed a craft for collecting.

Being no strangers to collecting, celebrities are among the many. McKinley tells us about a few celebrities, but an article on the Architectual Digest website shows a more intimiate window into the home of the stars. Aligning the walls of his grand and ever inviting living room, the Tour de Frace seven time winner Lance Armstrong proudly displays a jersey from each race he has won. Actress Diane Keaton displays Californian and Mexican crafts including cement lawn ornament figures in her 1926 Spanish style home. Then the ever flamboyant superstar Elton John has converted his bedroom sized closet into a mini-fortress wall built of from sunglasses he has worn. The man cave that Ricky Carmichael unwinds in displays his achievements and, most notably, the wall of magazine covers he has graced. Princess Leia, other wise known in real life as Carrie Fisher, has an interesting arrangement of portraits that display farm animals and dogs. Gangster movie mastermind and Oscar winner Martain Scorsese has been seeking and acquiring vintage movie posters since 1968. Most notably, the website shows baseball great Mike Piazza's office that proudly displays trophies, photographs of family and himself as a child as well as sentimental items from his life. “Serenity is of real importance in this room,” says designer Alexandra Karram. “It’s where Mike can enjoy quiet reflection.”

Beyond the “rich and famous,” McKinley's paper leads us to the aristocratic collectors. Included among those ranks are Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Francesco I de Medici, Archduke Ferdinand, and Emperor Rudolf II (Kunsthistorisches Museum of Vienna.) Becoming immortalized by their hobbies during the 1700 and 1800s, these men roamed the world in search of treasures. They found everything from fossils to shells and zoological specimens. Some found exotic works of art and books to share the world's culture. Even ancient relics and weapons to show our brutal yet evolving past. Known in the time as “cabinets of curiosities,” artifacts were then kept in special rooms for safekeeping and private viewing and as a display of the collector's power and wealth. Later, such connosisseurs were responsible for establishing the first museums in Europe, and to a lesser extent in America. Today, institutions reach beyond the aristocratic collectors of history. With the development of archeaology, the focuses of collections concentrate on everything that include bones from various animals and dinosaurs. Even human artifacts of history. Not to mention rocks from distant planets and so much more.

McKinley's paper also points to the "dark side" of collecting, an abnormality known as hoarding or scientically known as "Repetitive Acquisition Syndrome.". He goes on to cite Freud, suggesting that hoarding stems back to the "traumatic event of losing control," which is during a person's toilet training in early childhood development. Freud's idea roots in a person as an attempt to regain control throughout life by holding on to any and everything. This and compulsive buying are linked to major depression and obsessive compulsive behavior. Derek Soto writes in his article OCD Forum - Different Types of OCD, Hoarding, Collecting Things and Letting Them Accumulate, "Sometimes people collect things, such as newspapers or remotes because they simply like these things and it only gets to the point of OCD if they are fearful that something will happen if they do not collect these items." He continues to explain that "a normal collector would be bummed if they couldn't get a particular issue, but if they were all afraid that something bad would happen if they didn't get that issue, that is when you know it's OCD."

Having had personal experience with a hoarder in my life, a past relationship involved a hoarder. The mother of a woman I was going to marry, lets refer to her as Ida. She would constantly shop at the local thrift store and buy junk. As cluttered as Ida's house became, she would go to local sales fairs and make an impressive amount money off her eclectic collection of junk. She was able to pass her problem off as a legetimate hobby to her husband by flashing cash in his face. Overall, Ida had a problem, the house was a fire and tripping hazard. Going there was tough because there was no where you could sit without having to move a pile of random stuff. Unlike what Freud's theory suggests, according to Ida's family, she did not start the hoarding until after a near fatal auto accident. Whatever the case of how a person becomes a hoarder, studies in phsycology and my own experiences tell me that the brain and the state of its health are a major factor in the abnormality.

So is there any general consensus as to why we collect? There does not seem to be one final answer. Is collecting overall a good thing or a bad thing? As long as the hobby does not interfere with a "reasonable life" it can be seen as a positive behavior for culture and society. Whether or not a person is healthy or has an abnormality, it appears that collecting is normal and that there are people motivated by carreers, enjoyment, investments, or to preserve history and share their discoveries with the world.

Popular throughout society, collectors can be found across the generations. My past collections of various uniquities was for pure enjoyment, although now, as I write this, I no longer have anything from my old assortment of items. I wish I knew where some of it was, maybe I could make some extra money. I would have to say that moving so much and loosing interest due to everyday life seems to be the reason for dropping touch with all my trophies. Letting go of the tangible does not mean letting go of the abundance of memories and feelings that are nice and make people smile. With that said, collecting items isn't always for a hobbiest, a museum or a packrat. It is very common and nearly every live human has collected something in their lifetime. Collecting allows the opportunity to discuss collecting with friends and peers. Many interesting conversations can be ignited over people's past times. Interestingly enough, many people may no longer have much of their past collections, however sharing and being reminded of where one has been and having a small token even if it is now just memories, invokes feelings of joy and this is a great human experience.

Sources:

The Psychology of Collecting

www.talkingclocks.net/collecting.pdf

Architectual Digest http://www.architecturaldigest.com/homes/features/2010/12/celebrity_collections_slideshow?printable=true

http://ezinearticles.com/?OCD-Forum---Different-Types-of-OCD,-Hoarding,-Collecting-Things-and-Letting-Them-Accumulate&id=1302361