The BBC television channel in the UK aired a very interesting documentary called "Can't Stop" in 2016. The documentary is about people's addictions that can't be stopped, and the first episode depicts a variety of collecting addictions.

In Florida, USA, a Barbie collector, Laurie has collected nearly 3,000 Barbie dolls.

She has spent 25 years purchasing various limited edition Barbie dolls from all over the world, and she has even dedicated her study and put in several windows just to display these treasured collectibles.

Collecting is undoubtedly a very common behavior in our society, we may collect stamps, boxes, shoes, cup lids, hand-me-downs, or various works of art.

Collecting seems to be an instinctive behavior that many of us enjoy, so today we will talk about the matter of collecting hobbies from a psychological point of view.

What is collecting for?

Collecting, or collecting, is a tendency to acquire and keep things, and this tendency is almost ubiquitous, for example, birds and hamsters hoard some food, and researcher Hammer even found that hamsters prefer to hoard glass beads.

In both modern and primitive societies, we humans also have the habit of collecting, such as hoarding food for emergencies or to survive the winter.

However, for human beings, in the long process of social development, it is clear that collecting has gone beyond the primitive "physiological needs" and is more of a psychological need, and the reasons behind may involve economic, social, and psychological factors.

The researcher Sarri through a variety of collection behavior research, and then the collector is divided into four types:

1. Obsessive Collectors

They have a kind of obsessive feelings for the collection object, to collect the desired items, and are even willing to pay a great price.

For example, a woman obsessed with the collection of imitation dolls will even treat the imitation dolls as if they were their children, which is not a rational collection of fetishes.

2. Curious collectors

They will see their collection as a kind of investment, such as some of the collection of antiques and auction people.

3. Hobby collectors

Those who collect purely as a hobby, such as those who like to collect stamps and prepare lessons are such people.

4. Expressive Collectors

Collectibles are the expression of their self-image or emotion, for example, Barbie collector Laurie thinks that these dolls are a kind of compensation for her unstable childhood, which can give her a kind of comfortable sense of security, or some people collect expensive artworks to show their status and so on.

Therefore, behind the act of collecting is often the inner motivation of the collector, which can be due to the economic value of the object, or due to the social value of the object, or due to self-emotional, and so on.

Collecting itself is a great hobby that can bring a lot of joy and self-worth, but at the same time it should be done within limits or it may cause a lot of trouble in your life.