“Owning more than one of something can get to you. It can flip an unsuspecting person into a “collector” mode. Judgment and caution are thrown away in the lust to acquire more,” (Robinson 108) said Delia Robinson in an article from Ceramics Monthly magazine. But why is it that people feel the need to collect expensive, hard to find items? Many people protest that collectors are out for money. Jack Curtis, who writes about antiques and collectibles believes“‘...it’s media hype and everybody thinking they can make a killing. The question is: can you get it? You can put something away for fifty years thinking you’re going to make money and all you have is a bunch of stuff in closets. Collecting is like gambling and you have to look at it that way,’”(Milford n.pag.). Curtis also notes that collectors are more likely to lose money than profit. He estimates that only ten percent of them make anything (n.pag.).
But if this is true, then there must be more to collecting than money. Why would a person be so attracted to a particular item in the first place? Werner Muensterberger, author of Collecting, an Unruly Passion, suggests “‘Objects help collectors overcome old feelings of abandonment, anxiety, and loneliness,’” (Athineos 406). In other words, collecting is purely psychological. People collect because they want to relive an enjoyable part of their childhood.
This is probably true in the case of Vivien Greene. Her collection of Victorian style doll houses began during World War two after her first home had been destroyed by bombs. Years later, her husband left her for another woman. Greene’s happiest memories are of her grandparents home which she lived in when she was eight. It was a large, Victorian style house. She recalls feeling most at home there. “‘Nest-building. To me, the word “house” has the same valued and beloved sound as the word “home”. Home means one’s loved place’”(Windsor n.pag.).
But, what about...say...Beanie Baby collectors? “Those are going to pay for your college education!” I heard my Aunt (an avid Beanie collector) say to my skeptical cousin at a recent family gathering. True, they do seem to be quite valuable, right now. David Bissland, a Beanie Baby dealer, says that the toys seem to increase in value practically overnight. Bissland’s store of ceiling fans got into the Beanie business after he found out how much people were paying for a full set of Teenie Beanies. “‘Last years set (1997 Teenie Beanies) is selling for about three hundred dollars. Right now, it’s about $99.99 for a full set of this years (1998 Teenie Beanies),’”(Anderson A1). Bissland traveled to various McDonalds to get as many as possible to sell in his store. However, Bissland also adds “‘It’s fun. Even if I didn’t make anything on them, I would still sell them’”(A1). So maybe Beanie collecting is not all about money to some people. It is rather entertaining to hear about the occasional department store fight over a bunch of bean bags.
One must also note that a lot of this recent collecting hype can be attributed to the Baby Boomer generation. As incomes grow, they have more time and money to invest in their hobby. Gerald Celente, author of Trends 2000, says “‘Boomers are looking for fulfillment. Having a lot of things is security for some, like surrounding yourself with a big extended family. It’s a symbol of who they are,’”(Milford n.pag.).
Doll collector, Joan Kufskie, is an example of this. She owns at least 700 dolls - some worth thousands of dollars. However, she makes it clear that she collects for love and not money. Her favorites are “art dolls” and “portrait dolls” because they are so lifelike, the seem to exude their own personality.
Kufskie has observed that older people seem to enjoy her dolls the most. She gets exited when they tell her of a similar doll they owned as a child. “‘Everyone loves to collect dolls, even if they didn’t like them as children. It’s really fun. It’s like you’re still playing,’” Kufskie says (Goodrich n.pag.).
Maybe this statement explains why many objects of a collectors desire are toys. Everything from Barbie to Tickle Me Elmo, Boomers are buying them. Nostalgia is a main factor in their collections. “‘Chatty Cathy’s back,’” says Kufskie. “‘She says the original eleven phrases. Some modern dolls with computer chips can spout hundreds of phrases...but they’re not Chatty Cathy,’”(Milford n.pag.).
Maureen Milford states in an article from the Gannett News Service that “...many collectors say they like the thrill of the hunt and having the items to display in their house. They enjoy learning about (and remembering) the social, economic and historic times in which their collectibles came into being,” (Milford n.pag.). So does this mean that someday a Furby will be a valuable piece of history? It is possible, according to Celente. “‘What’s really driving it is the millennial shift,’” he states. “‘People want to have something that was part of the 20th century,’”(Milford n.pag.)
Many people today are going to great lengths, and expenses, to own a part of history and entertain playful fantasies. In her article, Robinson also states “Most of us prefer picturing ourselves as world - wise and not easily fooled. But show us the object we collect, and we grow weak and pliable,” (Robinson 108). Ridding one’s self of the “colletcing bug” is tough. Most of us remember our childhood as being a happy time. Collecting is an enjoyable outlet in which we can remember the way life was. While the exact motivation may be controversial, more than 20 million Americans are estimated to be collectors at this time. As Steve Ellingboe, editor of Today’s Collector so succinctly puts it, “‘Without a doubt, collecting is hot,’”(Milford n.pag.).