site banner

Small-Scale Question Sunday for June 23, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

4
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Haven't thought about this at all, but here's some off-the-top theorizing:

In having a collection of nearly anything, you demonstrate a commitment to something in the past, present, and future and the ability to commit to and maintain the collection itself over time. I think it could be a sort of signalling mechanism for the ability to collection and manage resources without being as crass as "I gotta lotta money!" This would also explain why wealthier people tend to collect more expensive things (watches, cars, etc.). So it's a kind of wealth display sewn together with plausible deniability ("I just really like xyz thing!") ... so this would also explain, perhaps, why women collect more (do they? idk) and why they collect less ostentatious things - knick knacks, figurines.