Becoming A Connoisseur: How To Start & Build Your Collection

Collecting is a fairly common hobby, and many people have collections of items that are meaningful to them. It’s not just about acquiring things but also about organizing, displaying, cataloguing, and maintaining them over the years.

Seeking out the pieces and locating them is an experience in and of itself as well since many of the items you want to get may be quite difficult to obtain. Some were released only as part of exclusive or limited editions many years ago; others may be available but not in your country, and you have to find ways to ship them to your location.

The range of objects that can be collected is pretty much unlimited, and while some collections are fairly popular, others are incredibly niche. Some are luxurious and expensive, while others are very affordable. Some objects are specifically designed to be collected, while others become part of a collection purely because someone finds them particularly interesting.

Some items are brand new and can be purchased right away from stores and online markets, and there are also antiques that you’ll have to do some digging for to locate and purchase. Some collect only during their childhood or teenage years, others discover they have a passion for it in adulthood, and for others, it is a lifelong endeavour.

The Psychology

It should come as no surprise that psychological aspects are involved in the desire to collect items. The hobby is naturally connected with the interest in the objects themselves and what they represent for you. So, for instance, if you’re a fan of a film, TV series, or sports team, you will want to purchase the official merchandise associated with them. There are also collections that you can build if you’re a fan of a particular culture or historical period. In this sense, collecting helps you become more knowledgeable on different topics, and you might actually become an expert at some of them.

As you interact with different items, you will also become more adept at recognizing different materials, spotting counterfeits, and estimating how much a certain item should cost. For example, if you shop Funko in the UK and Europe, you probably have a fairly good idea about the latest items to arrive on the market. You’ll learn more about the marketplaces and how to navigate them to be successful in your hunts as well.

There are many reasons why you may feel drawn to starting a collection, including spirituality or a strong emotional affiliation to the items, nostalgia, solidarity, or a sense of achievement. For many people, these motivations are not exclusive, and many of them tend to intersect. The only fundamental trait all collections share is that the owners are intentional about the selection and acquisition of the goods.

From a historical standpoint, the practice of collecting has very old roots, dating back to the elites of Mesopotamia as early as the 3rd millennium BCE. The Library of Alexandria is the most famous collection of the ancient world, and centuries later, during the Renaissance era in Florence, the Medici family became the first to make an effort to collect artwork via private patronage, giving artists the possibility to no longer depend on the monarch or the Church.

Comparisons to Compulsive Hoarding

Some believe that collecting as a hobby can serve as a gateway to compulsive hoarding, a mental disorder which involves the patients having abnormally high difficulty parting with possessions, even when the items themselves are not needed or if there’s no longer any space available in their homes for it. The patients typically live in excessively cluttered houses, but their garages and yards may also be full of things, often piled on top of each other due to the lack of space.

Anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder are also common in people living with hoarding disorder, and it doesn’t take a lot to imagine that something positive, such as collecting items that are important to the owner, can become something negative and detrimental to one’s health in the aftermath of a stressful or traumatic life experience.

For some people, collecting can become addictive, and it’s essential to avoid that as much as possible. Having set criteria for the items you want to get, being picky about the items you purchase, and keeping the area where you display your collection limited will help keep things in check. Occasionally, you can also purge the collections to get rid of some of the things you don’t need anymore and never buy duplicates.

Starting Your Collection

Your collection should only contain things that are personally meaningful for you, so all of the items you buy should be treated as an investment. Some collectors like to keep the items they get in their boxes at all times, whether it is sneakers or figurines, but make sure that this approach doesn’t cause you to collect more items than you want. Taking things out of their boxes and even using them can help quite a lot in this regard by making your collection feel more real and reminding you of all the things that you already have.

When you start building a collection, it can help to determine what your goals are. Do you want a very large and extensive collection that can only be put together in several years, or would you be satisfied with something smaller that has only a few items you’re very passionate about? Take your time before buying something so that you can be confident the product you’re getting makes you feel happy. It’s easy to just grab things, especially when they’re rare because it can seem like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Most importantly, don’t approach your collection as a way to make a profit. Many people purchase items to resell them for much more than their original price. However, collecting what you love will be infinitely more rewarding and will prevent you from spending too much money on things you don’t like because you believe that you will make a lot of money off of them at some point in the future.

The Advantages

We’ve already touched upon the potential drawbacks of becoming a collector, but what about the benefits? Collecting can be a great way to become more social and make friends who share similar passions. Talking to other fans is unlike anything else, and it’s important to have an outlet for your feelings and know that you can discuss your collection and passions with someone who understands.

Arranging your collection will also make you more organized while getting all the items you want can be a great way to curb the effects of instant gratification since you’ll need to be patient, and may even save up some money before buying the latest thing you want.

Building a collection is no easy thing, and many people don’t have the time, energy, and dedication necessary to do it. But if you believe it would be a good thing for you and you’ve always dreamt about having your collection, make sure to only focus on the things you like to save space and money, as well as remember to enjoy your treasures. Take them off the shelf now and then, and take the time to appreciate them. After all, you’ve worked hard to get them.