Why do people collect? I got to dive into that question recently, talking to a diverse group of book collectors about what inspired them. The story’s in the winter 2024 issue of Fine Books & Collections (print only, alas), and I wrote about it in my latest newsletter.
Why we collect
Well, we made it to 2024. Happy new year, friends. January’s a fine time to let go of things (material or otherwise) that no longer serve you. Ditch the clutter. [While we’re on the subject, I wrote a book about that!] As the old year gave way to the new, I observed the rituals of organizing and sorting. But lately I’ve been more interested in what we choose to keep. What makes a thing meaningful enough to hang onto? There’s a lot to unpack there, and I’ve been working out ways to do that. A book? A series of essays? A deep dive into preservation writ large?
