Collections: Why Some of Us Collect and the Stories They Tell About Us
A desire to have fewer possessions as we age seems contradictory, as many still gather and keep their often-overflowing collections from years and decades past, despite the popular advice of decluttering expert Marie Kondo.
Collections are objects that speak to us, and it’s tough to let go of favorites that reflect who we are, represent a mosaic of our memories. It may provide a link to past generations who often bequeathed their collections to us, whether we wanted them or not.
For some, holding on or continuing to collect is a habit we don’t want to break. A vacation abroad or a simple walk through an antique mall or used bookstore reignites our interest in something similar to what we already collect. We decide, why not add just one more snow globe, baseball card, bottle of wine, scarf, piece of jewelry, work of art by a favorite painter, book about Jane Austin, Emily Brontë, or Eudora Welty—or another favorite author?
We collect for many reasons and in several categories, some inexpensive and some quite valuable. Collections can also vary in size. Many limit their displays to what can fit on a bookshelf or coffee table, while others don’t count and might even store part of their collection in an attic or basement. And anything can be collected, which shouldn’t evoke any type of criticism or eye roll. Beauty and value are, after all, in the eye and mind of the beholder.
Here are some reasons we seem compelled to collect:
Nostalgia. Many continue to collect because they started a collection long ago that they may still have or sold, gave away or got rid of it—heave ho into the trash. We’ve seen, read and heard about collections ranging from seashells to pinecones, pennies, eyeglasses, American Girl dolls and all their paraphernalia, postcards, nut crackers, china tchotchkes and shoes. They bring back memories of a vacation on the beach or near a forest, a parent writing with a fountain pen and using an inkwell or a writer using a typewriter, certainly now an item many children have never seen.
The late art collector and philanthropist Leonard Lauder, whose mother Estee started the family beauty business, was known to collect postcards of New York. His collection numbered more than 250 and became part of an exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York, titled “Art Deco City: New York Postcards from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection.”
Barbara grouped a collection of her late mother’s pitchers on a piece of furniture that belonged to her parents and was in their dining room. She installed both the collection and hutch in her current dining room as a reminder of decades of shared family meals. Margaret’s mother had many collections, including a vast and valuable paperweight collection. She placed the paperweights on various shelves and coffee tables throughout her home. When she died, she bequeathed the collection to a grandson who as a child had always admired their beauty, shapes and colors.
The Hunt. Many collectors take their passion seriously and keep adding items. Some may even turn it into a business. Others may turn collecting into a shady endeavor. This has happened frequently in the art world. Artnet recently revealed that a couple who took a Willem de Kooning painting in the 1980s may also have been behind an art theft in New Mexico and displayed those and other stolen art in their home behind closed doors.
We know others who pursue the hunt on a more up-and-up basis—searching for another vintage art poster of rugs or circus animals, antique colored French seltzer bottles, bold graphic American quilts that reflect all the styles and regions where made, rare French wines, vintage watches or favorite jazz, pop and classical vinyl records. Margaret’s husband accrued some 5,000 albums, a passion he started as a child. Former TV host Jay Leno is estimated to own around 181 vehicles, proving that a collection can be not just one similar thing but many, from classic cars to motorcycles, modern cars and a tank. While many enjoy the hunt, friends and family get to enjoy the stories behind these collections.
Pleasure. Collections can also be started inadvertently or be added to deliberately through the years, providing both countless hours of enjoyment in finding items or displaying them. The more the better but not always.
A single gold charm may lead to a bracelet full of charms of favorite hobbies and destinations and add a delightful jingling sound when worn; a miniature furniture item may inspire other small-scale finds, which, in turn, spur the building of a dollhouse.
Margaret’s husband saved his childhood Lionel train set, and after their first child was born, he set up a train board in their basement using items and sets he acquired in the 1950s to resemble a small vintage town. The train would hoot and toot through the city, climb up through the mountains and go back to the station.
And there are so many other possibilities. A cook may want a collection of copper pots and pans to hang from a rack just like Julia Child did, or a gardener may want a collection of plants and herbs that bloom through the season, from daffodils and tulips to allium, roses and cone flowers to basil, oregano, cilantro and mint, to name a few. Many have also collected religious memorabilia such as menorahs and Haggadot.
Value. Value is something we bestow upon objects, whether a picture tacked on the wall, a mess of old magazines or an old typewriter. Yet, some collect with the idea in the back-of-their mind or with outright purpose that their collection may increase in value and be a safety net if they ever need to sell their stack of vintage silver dollars, prized needlework American samplers or 14- or 18-karat gold jewelry (with gemstones even better). For this reason, some also trade up, whether it’s to gain the best imported purses (a Birkin or Judith Lebier bag), Japanese porcelains from centuries ago that are museum worthy or kitschy oversized perfume bottles once used to market bottles of well-known perfumes and now to add some chic whimsy.
Even tulips once became the equivalent of currency after they were imported by the Dutch from the Ottoman Empire to dazzle people with their lively colors and shapes. They became a status symbol among the most affluent, though only a temporary since Tulip Mania crashed in 1637, after which prices dropped, and fortunes were lost. Could they be a harbinger of bitcoin and other cryptocurrency or even gold now at a soaring high? Buyers beware.
Fads. Remember the Cabbage Patch doll craze? The lure was the hunt; the reward—a child’s delight at those crazy looking dolls. Finding one was remarkable, and people pushed, shoved and fought their way into a store once it announced a shipment. Troll dolls also were another fad at an earlier time. And a current doll trend is the Labubus, a squishy, evil-looking doll with sharp teeth that has inspired a universal frenzy, according to an article in the New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/27/style/labubus-pop-mart-toys.html
If you’re a collector consider the following:
1. Whatever the collection, decide now what will happen with it—if you’ll sell it if possible, donate it to a favorite library, museum or school, bequeath to a family member or friend or give it away to a local Goodwill store or heave it into a bin at your local dump.
2. Once you’ve decided what you want to do with your collection, write it down or better yet, put it in your will. You don’t want it to land in the wrong hands once you’re gone. In a best-case scenario, the right person may love it as much—or more—than you have.
3. While you’re collecting, do your research. Read up on it and study the provenance of each item, especially if a valuable project such as rare coins, stamps, jewelry, art or wine. It will make the collecting so much more pleasurable for you and others.
4. Consider joining a collecting group such as rare book owners, stamp collectors, wine aficionados. If you own a vintage car, a Mercedes for example, there are groups of collectors who get together, share ideas and even trade. It’s a great way to meet new people with common interests. Or if you don’t want to meet in person, there are FB groups online for different types of collections.
5. Inventory your collection with information on where you bought items, how much you paid, what appealed. And take photos or record videos of what’s there in case of theft, floods or water leaks or fire. Having this information will also be appreciated by anyone you may pass the collection onto.
6. Have your collection appraised by a professional. Get the appraisals in writing for yourself, your heirs and for any insurance claims, if necessary.
7. Collections are like visual stories. Write down what you have, keep records of how much you paid and what it’s worth now, how much your collection has grown, the direction you want to take it in, write a blurb about each item or the collection as a whole and the story it tells about you.
8. Keep your collection in a safe place where it can grow, whether it’s displayed or just enjoyed by you alone and stored in a drawer, closet, attic or basement. Some collections need good air conditioning, and a dry spot is always the best.
9. If your collection holds value, you might want to insure it. Prices of fine art or wine or gold escalate in price.
10. Have fun with your collection as you learn and grow. Barbara bought several books on the history of snow globes when she collected them, which added to her joy. Friends who saw the growing numbers joined in to help by often bringing back snow globes from their travels.
Having and holding on to a collection can be a window into the past for some and, for others, a playground for the imagination that helps us live in the present, slows us down as we study the details and brings us comfort and joy.