Collectors Hoarders

All of us at some point in our lives have been collectors, be it coins, cards or tickets. The affinity humans have for objects are not something new. Rather, it is something that manifests itself in anyone and everyone. There are two kinds of objects; those with a certain practical use, something that is a part of our everyday life, and we give no thought to them, or think of them as anything out of the ordinary, mundane day to day life we lead. But then there are those objects that transcend this boundary of practicality. For those are the few material things we treasure. They have value beyond what was intended when they were made, for what draws us to these items are the sentiment, the allure. For the collector, the object ceases to be inanimate, becoming instead an integral part of their life. As Jean Baudrillard says, “it is invariably oneself that one collects”. This rings true, for the collection is a reflection of the collector, and vice versa. For many, these objects have taken the place of the more erratic, unpredictable human relationship.
In many cases, it is not one object, but a set of objects that is subject to intrigue and desire. And it is the need to possess the missing pieces in the set that makes owning it even more fulfilling. There is anticipation of the hunt. The quest for completion, and once that is achieved; it makes the taste of fulfilment so much sweeter. The difference between ‘collecting’ and ‘accumulating/hoarding’ is obsession. You will go to any length to procure the latest item for your collection, not for the intrinsic value of the item, but the extrinsic.
What is it that makes an object unique? One cannot say for certain that there is no other object like this in the entire world, but it is the subjectivity that lends it beauty and charm. For me, I love the old school charm of analogue cameras. They are slowly but surely being driven out by the digital cameras. It’s funny to see how one values something that seems outdated,