Consumers feel a universal urge to collect certain objects and experiences. New research from the University of Arizona helps explain why.
Beanie Babies, vintage Star Wars figurines and even visiting every National Park are examples of objects and experiences that people collect.
The value of collections is subjective. But the act of collecting is pervasive among consumers.
Professor Martin Reimann at UA says their motivation comes from a need for command.
“So desire for control leads to structure seeking. And then structure seeking is then fulfilled through collecting and collection completion,” Reimann said.
Reimann also said there was a spike in collecting enthusiasm when the pandemic started, because structures had been upended and uncertainty was high.
His dive into the psychology of collecting is published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
