Why would anyone collect guns, knives, stamps, coins, bottlecaps, pens, watches, shoes, caps, toys, bottles, cups, clocks, cameras, paintings, cars, bikes, glasses, wheels, cloths, tickets, posters, perfume bottles, coke bottles, hello kitty, hats, barbies, CDs, buttons, badges, books, swords, teddy bears, baseball cards, records, jewelry, magazine, musical instruments, model cars, model planes, flags, tools, T-shirts, tin cans, old maps, postcards, dice, fossils, furniture, radios, autographs, keychains, sugar packets, dvds, seashells, marbles, matchboxes, stickers, bugs, sculptures, rugs, beanie babies, antiques, thimbles, music boxes, carousel, bangles, games, pillows, hair, bullets, ornaments, photographs, nutcrackers, bicycles, currencies, mugs, seashells, wind chimes, pebbles, paper weights, snow globes, spoons, butterflies, masks, magazines and probably hundreds of other stuff I can and can't imagine.
Here's what one expert says the reasons are:
1. Knowledge and learning
2. Relaxation and stress reduction
3. Personal pleasure (including appreciation of beauty, and pride of ownership)
4. Social interaction with fellow collectors and others (i.e. the sharing of pleasure and knowledge)
5. Competitive challenge
6. Recognition by fellow collectors and perhaps even non-collectors
7. Altruism (since many great collections are ultimately donated to museums and learning institutions)
8. The desire to control, possess and bring order to a small (or even a massive) part of the world
9. Nostalgia and/or a connection to history
10. Accumulation and diversification of wealth (which can ultimately provide a measure of security and freedom)
I add my own in this particular case: To be a nemesis of darkness.
It all started when I made the mistake of clicking this link....
www.candlepowerforums.com