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What determines longevity of a hobby or trend ?

Started by Dan/Panther, December 15, 2016, 12:54:18 PM

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Dan/Panther

I was thinking, Oh Oh, What exactly is this thing we call collecting. When did it start, what reason etc. I can remember back to when I was little in the early 50's, my Grandmothers had nick knacks on their shelves, usually a theme. I know my family kept some of those items, but from prior generation ZERO ? Is collecting a recent phenomenon, or do collections just never get passed on because the next generation does not have the same interests ? Practically every item from past generations are in photos or museums. Did people collect prior to say the Civil War. When did the trend of selective collecting start ?
I don't even know where I'm going with this but in a nutshell, will people still collect stuff in 200 years, will phone collecting outlive the next generation ? I mean seriously does anyone know of anyone collecting stuff that predates 1860 or so ? Outside of a museum ? Do these items become so rare, and expensive that people just sell them off to individuals that only want one item ? For example, in say 100 years, if phone collecting is no longer practiced, where will the millions of phones go ? Landfills ? Thoughts ?
OK, enough of that !

D/P 

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

WEBellSystemChristian

If it's 'cool' or interesting in any way, someone will collect it.

I would bet there were collectors of ancient treasures from Egypt from back in the 1200s-1600s, in the form of museums. We're still collecting Egyptian treasures, any many other types of collections have lived on today.

I don't think any type of collecting simply becomes 'unpopular' anymore, the level of collectors just fluxuates over time. Rotary phones are definitely 'cool' to most people, so I think phone collecting will thrive.

Worst case, our collections end up in museums after we die. I'd say I have another 70-80 years left; by then, most of my collection will be well over 150 years old! My grandchildren will hopefully not be stupid enough to throw any of it away! >:(
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

twocvbloke

Other people are just obsessive compulsives, an form collections based around the compulsion that they have to have it because they're mentally obsessed with it... :)

Not saying it's a bad thing though, after all, that OCD can yield a hidden gem occasionally...  ;D

.....

Quote from: twocvbloke on December 15, 2016, 04:39:20 PM
Other people are just obsessive compulsives, an form collections based around the compulsion that they have to have it because they're mentally obsessed with it... :)

Not saying it's a bad thing though, after all, that OCD can yield a hidden gem occasionally...  ;D

Yup, you're right. Sounds like you're talking about me. :)