Post #90195 by Polynesiac on 05/07/2004

it seems to me that collections of things for many people are their ranking within that subculture or their dedication to that subculture. It's a way to find common ground with people who share some of the same interests.

Though I'm not an avid collector of things tiki, I have been caught up in the collecting ferver on many different occasions, because of where I was and the "limited" amount of objects being sold. Why did I end up purchasing these things? When I look back it appears to be only to say that I have them. (And they look pretty cool in my kitchen).
The more items I aquire, the more stories I have about aquiring said items, the higher my social ranking would become within the subculture. (I think of this as more of a generilized view of collecting, not that everyone here is doing this. I think obtaining these stories and items can also act as a self confidence booster for people who want to be accpeted into a particular subculture as well. If I went to a Barbi convention I wouldn't know what to look for, but at a record shop I'm on familiar soil so I know what types of questions to ask and I have the confidence in my knowledge of the subject to give me strength, and this is defferent for everyone)

not sure if I explained that one right...
hey JT - the psycology of collecting would be an interesting thesis for a PHD - you gonna go for it?