Why they collect: collectors reveal their motivations

Abstract

This paper reviews traditional psychoanalytic ideas on the motivations of collectors as well as newer ‘relational-model’ psychoanalytic approaches focusing on the development and stability of the self. Descriptive data on motivations are presented, based on 112 collectors’ responses to a questionnaire and 55 letters from collectors. Categorization of motivations was based on the meanings of collecting (1) to the self; (2) to others; (3) as preservation, restoration, history, and a sense of continuity; (4) as financial investment and (5) as addiction. Suggestions for future research include the use of in-depth interviews with collectors over a period of years in efforts to further explore motivations as well as changes in collecting patterns over time.

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