Collections


About a third of people in the UK own a collection. From water colour miniatures to novelty pens, people like to collect things - but why? Well there isn’t one reason. For some, like football fans who collect club memorabilia, it is a way to express their loyalty; for others, like a coin collector who is proud of a rare fi nd, it can become an obsession. You don’t even have to collect something physical: train spotters collect engine numbers and information.


Humans are unique in the way we collect items purely for the satisfaction of seeking out and owning them. It’s thought that we started to collect things as early as 12,000 years ago, when our ancestors ceased their nomadic lifestyles and settled in one location. There is much speculation about why we collect, yet little agreement between scientists.


It’s true some people collect items like fi ne art or wine as investments, but the vast majority of collections are not actually worth a lot. There are a couple of interesting theories. One is a phenomenon called the endowment eff ect, which describes our tendency to value things more once we own them. The other is the concept of contagion, and this applies particularly to celebrity items because some collectors see such objects as being infused with the essence of the person who owned them.


Collecting can be an absorbing and fun hobby, and can be a good way to make like-minded friends. There are online communities for chatting about your collection. There are also be meet-ups where you can swap or buy additions.


To start a collection choose something that is meaningful to you and works with your budget. I have one friend who collects silly limericks, which cost her nothing, and another who collects aesthetically pleasing glass objects, which can set her back several hundred pounds. Both get great pleasure from their hobby. The choice of things to collect is limitless…so what are you waiting for?


32 To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e. fi ona@thewireweb.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100