Why do people collect?

The antique world is full of collectors. From the person that collects everything of a particular theme, to the completist who tirelessly searches for a pink depression glass sugar bowl to complete a set, collectors are everywhere. The care and research that people put into their collections is amazing. They might spend hours a day on research and thousands of dollars in their collection. I've often wondered why do many people feel the need to collect things.

Like most things people do, in my opinion, collecting really goes back to childhood. As adults, we spend most of our time trying to find our childhood selves. Someone might remember drinking milk out of their grandmother's old china while she baked chocolate chip cookies, and are now compelled to find items with that same pattern to recapture some of that joy of their childhood. This may not always be the case, but nostalgia does play a roll in many collections.

Other people might collect for simple financial reasons. Many times a complete collection can be worth much more than the sum of its parts. Holding on to these over the long term could even produce financial gains if their collection becomes more popular or rare. I think that this pragmatic approach to collecting has its place, but these people are just holding on to their collection until they sell it to a nostalgic collector.

Personally, I like to think of our collectibles business as a mediator for collectors. I like old things, but I have never really had a desire to hoard them. I prefer matching a person with something they love rather than keeping it for myself. Our hope for our business is that over time, we can become a resource for collectors, to find that rare piece they are looking for.