Humans are wired to collect. Whether it’s books or art, NFTs or pinball machines, everyone has likely done some collecting during their lifetime. But while people share a desire to gather items, the reasons why they collect differ. Read on to decide what type of collector you are!
The Completist
For The Completist, pleasure in collecting is found in having a full series of items. They like having well-defined groupings and enjoy hunting down and owning each item in that group. This might mean joy in finding the 50th state quarter, the next Superman comic book, or every design released in an NFT collection.
The Investor
This collector is in it for the money. The Investor gets a thrill out of finding the perfect score at a garage sale and turning it around on ebay. It’s all about buying low, selling high, and knowing the market. Sometimes the appeal of collecting is found in the idea of being able to pass on a legacy to family members. In any case, for The Investor, the fun in collecting comes from the monetary gain associated with it.
The Evaluator
Like The Investor, The Evaluator also collects for the purpose of adding value. The difference is that their idea of value isn’t necessarily monetary. The value add is found in the meaning they associate with the object, including what the object represents or the memories tied to the object. For example, an Evaluator may collect baseball cards of no monetary value that remind him of watching his first baseball game.
The Aesthete
The Aesthete often chooses pieces based on their appearance. They desire things that are aesthetically pleasing. Whether that is a breathtaking work of art on the wall, boxes of decorations ready to be arranged, or a phone gallery depicting perfect lunches, The Aesthete enjoys the beauty of objects collected. This collector may also find enjoyment in displaying these items and assembling them in a visually appealing manner.
The Competitor
A significant aspect of collecting for some is competition. For The Competitor, collecting is about how their collections stack up in comparison to others. They foster their collection in order to grow it the largest, acquire the rarest artifacts, or curate the best selection. The Competitor takes pride in searching for and finding the very best. Some research suggests that this may be the primary reason that men collect.
The Socialite
The Socialite tends to collect for the relationships that collecting brings. Through collecting, they find a community of others with the same interests. This community allows for conversations, interactions, and relationships formed around a common theme. It makes sense that so many collectors would enjoy the social aspect of collecting; people are made for community! The NFT space readily embraces this social aspect of our personalities, with avenues like Holders’ chats on Discord, Twitter spaces, and in-person events.
You may not fit neatly into one of these categories, and that’s okay. There are a plethora of reasons people collect; you may even collect for a combination of these reasons.
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Here at Iconic Moments, we have a team of thinkers, art enthusiasts, and - of course - collectors. We work with the world's top museums & brands to engage in Web3 with meaning and impact. Iconic Moments is the first and only NFT marketplace that captures stories and moments in history, media, pop culture, art and collectibles, securing them on the blockchain as collections of NFTs. At Iconic Moments, we enable collectors of all kinds to discover and collect these moments.
NFTs are changing the industry of collections, museums, and cultural brands. Physical collections are often kept private. Even when the collections are public, limited display space means that the entirety of a collection can’t be shown. In fact, most museums display less than 10% of their collections! Additionally, physical collections are plagued by physical problems. In physical collections, signed letters degrade, art gets damaged, and pieces can be stolen [link to art heist page].
NFTs change all of that. Through NFTs, collections can become decentralized, allowing anyone in the world to view, interact with, and learn about collections that have been tucked away for generations. Through NFTs, people can view collections that they couldn’t visit physically. For example, you can see a work of art in China, even though you’ve never been to China. Furthermore, by placing collections on the blockchain, it creates a permanent record. Through blockchain technology, we are able to preserve art, culture, and history for the generations to come. And not just for the select few that can travel to see it - for everyone.
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