Appreciation

[Laowang]

Originally Posted by Rick

Jean, addiction is a bit strong; no ?
An Addict would bankrupt himself collecting ...

For me; I collect when I can; but I know someday it will also be time for me to stop .
I will be content with what I have .

A collection can be a great burden on one's heirs .
Museums just let 'em rust .

Apropos of your posting, Rick:

When there is possession, there must be loss of possession; when there is a gathering together, there must be a scattering - this is the constant principle in things. Someone loses a bow; another person finds a bow; what's so special in that? The reason why I have recorded this story from beginning to end in such detail is to let it serve as a warning for scholars and collectors in later generations.

from Records on Metal and Stone, Li Qing-zhao, written during the second year of the Shao-xing Reign (1132), Song Dynasty, China

The collecting of things appears to fulfill some deep-seated need on our part as humans; my only disagreement with Alan's hypothesis would be that it is not just a modern phenomenon, as we can date collecting in China to as far back as the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE). Perhaps the need for refuge from everyday life was as great back then as it is now.