10 Reasons Why People Start Collections

Most of us collect things because it is fun – because we like the idea of having a set, because it is a good financial investment, and because we love the thrill of the chase.

Have you done much real thinking about why you collect Star Wars action figures, Avatar memorabilia, Marvel superheroes memorabilia, and so on? We’ve identified ten main reasons for you to think about. They aren’t necessarily applicable to everybody – but are great to think about in the interests of self-enlightenment!

1. Knowledge and learning

Physically having something in our hands is a primary source of information. We can look at it, feel it, assess how it would have related to the lifestyles of the time, etc. This is especially interesting with older toys, like original Star Wars action figures.

2. Relaxation and stress reduction

Everybody needs playtime – some people surf, some people play guitar, some people roll around on the lawn with their dogs – some play with action figures. That escape into another world is vital for mental wellbeing, no matter how you arrive there.

3. Appreciation of beauty

This is a very subjective thing, but does often enter into action figure collecting.

4. Social aspects of collecting – sharing knowledge, swapping pieces etc

While collecting is not a team sport, it definitely has a social aspect – several people can be working towards a common goal of helping each other build and maintain their collections.

5. Competition and challenge

There is still a strong thrill associated with either keeping an action figure longer than anybody else (and creating more value for it), or unearthing a rare piece before anybody else.

6. Recognition

Strongly associated with the last point is the recognition of those achievements.

7. Altruism

Many excellent collections are ultimately donated to museums, universities, and so on ... even before the collector themself dies. People aren’t always in it for the money.

8. A desire for control

Our world often seems to spiral out of control – maintaining a collection be bring a sense of order and predictability to lives that often seem difficult to understand.

9. Nostalgia, the connection to history

For some people, this can be evoked even when the action figures they are collecting are quite new. You can have a sense of history – or of history in the making.

10. Financial gain

This is quite often the primary reason that people start collecting action figures, and then they find the other benefits along the way!