The Collecting Conundrum--The Consumption Cycle

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A post on why collectors collect is a helpful way to start this blog. Collecting is a very psychological phenomenom. We all collect something--some more than others! Occasionally a collection gets out of control too. Some people collect by theme--Coca-Cola, Green Bay Packers, cows--while others collect by object. Salt and pepper shakers, carnival glass, books and, uh, model horses. Sometimes collections spawn mini-collections of their own and in the model horse world, that's all too easy. There's annual catalogues, tack, props, photos, pedigrees, craft supplies, ribbons and swag. The basic psychology of collecting is rooted in material culture. Material culture is the way humans use objects in daily life. Have a favourite pair of jeans? Ever wonder why we use forks? Material culture has answers! Generally we go through an acquisition, usage and disposal cycle when using objects. This is called a consumption cycle. A model horse collector's consumption cycle might look something like this:
  • Daydreaming about the model horse--what to name it, how pedigree it, imaginging what it will look like in the collection
  • Preparing a space for the new arrival
  • Purchasing the model
  • Waiting for it to arrive which can include positive and negative feelings
  • Eagerly cutting open the box when it arrives
  • Taking photos of the new model
  • Sharing the new model on social media or other channels
  • Model is shown in model horse shows or become a treasured display piece
  • Model breaks due to tragic fall
  • Model is thrown out or repurposed/customized into a new model horse
Someone once told me that people collect to fill a void in their lives. I'm not entirely sure what that void was. I have only ridden a real horse once in my life, so perhaps it wasn't a horse shape void :-D Cross my heart, hope to die, I have not bought a model horse since Breyer's Esprit in 2011. My co-workers at the time and myself were into minimalism before minimalism was cool. One day, while chatting with them, I woke up to the fact that I was spending too much time looking after objects. Dusting was horrible. Shelf space became a premium. I quit collecting model horses cold turkey! I soon discovered another aspect to collecing though--and I'll post about it another day. --Christine Othitis

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