Musings on Collecting

Why do people collect things? The reasons are as varied as the collectors. For some, it’s a way to express loyalty, much like a football fan will collect his favourite team’s memorabilia. For others, the urge to collect is sparked by a collection that was handed down. My stamp collecting in primary school was a result of being given a book of stamps by my parents. I cannot recall now whose it was originally, but I did remember being very interested in the stamps’ history. I suspect I loved the stories more than the actual objects themselves.

Psychologists say that collecting is a way of extending our identity, a way of immortalising ourselves – our collections give people and idea of who we are and will go on, even if we didn’t. Another theory suggests that it has an evolutionary function – a way for man to attract potential mates by his ability to accumulate resources. We are unique as a species because we collect items purely for the sake of owning them, whether for aesthetic reasons, investment or value or because it gives us pleasure.

The writer Hunter Davies said that you really don’t start collections, collections start you and we find this to be true. Suliman Hamid of Hassan’s Carpets (featured in this issue) says that collecting is born out of desire. And indeed, desire for beauty, art, exquisite craftsmanship, historical connections, even pop culture relevance connects many of the features in this issue.

Sometimes collecting can also be about experiencing the best things that life has to offer – a pristine beach, wandering around a city or historical districts is also a way of collecting experiences and memories. Those are the best kinds, we think.