When considering collections, most people probably think about stamps or coins or doll toys from their childhood. However, humans have curiosity often jumps into the bizarre. Some save jars of toenail clippings, some collections include doll heads or hair, and some keep old pieces of chewing gum. These collections can be strange to us, but they come from the innate human desire to keep hold of a piece of physical life. It’s not about the actual item, but the story or memory or meaning behind it.
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Psychology Behind the Peculiarity
Psychologists suggest that collecting strange objects can be a tool for coping, a way to create order out of disorder or just allow for self-expression. For some, it can just be nice to see a pile of “odd treasures” grow; it satisfies a sense of control. Others like the shock value of being the “weird” person with the largest collection of weird stuff. The weirdness is often associated with a curiosity factor or novelty-seeking behavior. The oddity of the collection becomes part of their identity—and is often celebrated in communities with similar eccentricities.
When Weird Becomes Wonderful
While doll heads and jars of toenails might create a double take, the assemblage of seemingly weird stuff also emphasizes the range of imagination in humans. Grotesque to one person may be sentimental or beautiful to another. For instance, an artist may take a bizarre collection and make an installation that questions our sense of beauty and normal. Ultimately, the value of these peculiar interests reminds us that collecting is about more than the objects – it’s about meaning, creativity and the very human need to relate to a world in peculiar ways.
