Vested Interests and Multi-Brand Collector Communities

This paper examines the behaviours of collectors in a communal setting. We probe the psychological and social reasons that members of the community; WatchZone collect luxury watches and identify a predator-prey relationship... [ view full abstract ]

This paper examines the behaviours of collectors in a communal setting. We probe the psychological and social reasons that members of the community; WatchZone collect luxury watches and identify a predator-prey relationship between the collector and the objects being collecting. Existing consumer research, and more specifically collecting behaviour research has associated collecting as a set of rational, deliberate and methodological behaviours. Findings from an 18-month ethnographic study, uncover a dark side to collecting activities and rise of paradoxical behaviours as collectors both cooperate and compete in this materialistic pursuit. Our emergent findings show that such behaviours have a profound impact on community dynamics, relationships between members such as brands and collectors, and associated community rituals and practices.