How to Approach Collecting?

The feeling of collecting, which many of us started from childhood, has reached a level where it turns into a collection over time. Some of us have approached a certain product, product set, or brand with an instinct to own it. So how should we approach collecting, which has gone through various stages from past to present and turned into a hobby? This is a question that is not easy to answer.

Collecting is generally defined as a hobby based on the accumulation and preservation of objects to which certain values are attributed. Almost anything can be a collectible. Books, notebooks, pencils, leaves, bottles, pictures, figures, cars, and even houses. When we look at the position of collecting in history, we see that totems representing artistic, religious, social, or power were important in the ancient Greek and Mesopotamian civilizations. It has also been documented that in medieval Europe, collecting attracted attention both in educational activities and as an element of power in the church and clergy. The emergence of art and liberal intellectual movements with the Renaissance paved the way for the expropriation of important works by states and gave rise to museums.

In today's world, collecting has spread to every layer of society and has become a systematic and passionate hobby. The collection varies in a wide range of areas, from toys that arouse curiosity in childhood to stamps that remind us of the past in later ages, from cheap and easily accessible napkins to expensive and luxurious jewelry. People of all ages and classes in any country in the world can create their collections. 

The question of why we collect draws attention from a psychological and sociological approach to collecting. Emotional ties attributed to objects undertake a mission to revive memories. In this context, collection products symbolize an escape from the noise of the modern world, a breath of fresh air, and nourish the individual's sense of self. The interaction with the object, combined with individuals' excessive protectiveness and desire to possess, creates damages that cause not only material but also traumatic effects. On the other hand, bonds formed with objects can have strong social and cultural ties. This is equivalent to the prevalence of seashell collections in overseas countries or the prevalence of various insect collections in African countries with diverse animal habitats.

Collecting is a much more complex hobby than simple accumulation. Inspired by history, and enriched by the cultures of societies, it has turned into a set of values in the consumption spiral of the modern world. For this reason, it needs to be addressed together with many different disciplines.