No Two Alike: Play and Aesthetics in Collecting

Interviewed approximately 85 adult and 80 child Jewish Israeli collectors concerning their experiences. Elements of play in collecting and the processes by which objects became collectibles were analyzed. A set of rules that constituted the collecting game was formulated. The aesthetic principle that guided the construction of a collection was elaborated. It was hypothesized that collecting is a means of striving toward a sense of closure or completion. Five strategies used by collectors to pursue closure are described, including completing a series or set, creating a display, and striving for perfect objects. The significance of collecting as a cultural form is addressed.