Collecting or Consumerism?

1 day ago

3 min read

By Antonella Santillan Sep. 23, 2026

Walking into a collector’s room can be like stepping into a museum. Shelves filled with Beanie Babies, Pokemon cards, Funko Pops or other collectibles, each representing years of interest and personal attachment. Collecting may be a meaningful hobby, but as the focus shifts from enjoying a collection to pouring money, the hobby evolves into overconsumption. When spending and reselling become the main goal, collecting loses the personal meaning that made it a hobby in the first place.

People collect all kinds of objects, including stamps, coins, sports cards and toys. According to The Plant, collecting can stem from childhood interests and develops into a deeper interest or form of self expression. Unlike some hobbies, collecting does not necessarily require a specific physical or artistic skill, but it can still provide a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.

“I have a collection of Marvel Funko Pops that I’m very proud of. I’ve been collecting them for years now, and they’ve taken a toll on my wallet. Sometimes, I have to beg my parents for money whenever I see one that I desperately want but don’t have the funds for,” Sophomore Ryder Alves said.

Social media can further intensify the pressure to keep buying. Unboxing videos, collection tours and shopping hauls allow collectors to show off their purchases, and can make new or rare items seem more desirable. According to Sustainable Sabs, watching someone give a haul of their big purchases can create the urge to experience that same excitement, as well as normalize spending egregious amounts of money at once. When collecting becomes driven by trends, scarcity and the desire to keep up with others, the hobby can become less about personal interest and more about consumption.

“Collecting is a very valid hobby, but it gets to a point. For example, when squishies became popular, people went out to collect them, but things like rare glitter dumplings caused chaos. Glitter dumplings were a trend where people would constantly buy squishy dumplings until they found the rare glitter one. People would buy shelves full of these toys and make TikToks opening each one. It led to overconsumption and lost its meaning,” Junior Genesis Lopez said.

Many collectibles, including Pokemon cards and Funko Pops, are released as limited editions or exclusive items that encourage collectors to spend as much money as possible to obtain. That desire to make collections feel more complete can encourage people to keep buying.

This type of collecting craze is not new. The Beanie Baby fad of the 1990s provides an extreme example, where HISTORY reported that children were trampled by collectors when demand for rare Beanie Babies skyrocketed. During the Pokemon card obsession, some adults rushed to buy limited supplies of cards and resell them at higher prices. According to the Insider, in 2021, Pokemon cards worth more than $50 experienced a 466% price increase. The demand for these cards and the constant reselling made it harder for casual collectors to find cards at original prices. These resellers, called scalpers, often purchase and resold cards for profit and not so much as a meaningful hobby. In May 2021, Target had to suspend all in-store sales of Pokemon and other sports cards due to safety concerns. The decision illustrated how intense demand and competition has grown in collecting.

Collecting can still be a meaningful hobby, and spending money on a collection does not automatically make it overconsumption. But modern consumer culture makes it easier for that meaning to get lost, when the focus shifts to keeping up with trends or making a profit. A collection should reflect genuine interest, and not the pressure to have the newest and rarest items. When consumption becomes the purpose of the hobby, it inevitably loses its true meaning.

About the Contributors

Antonella Santillan

Staff Writer

Antonella Santillan is a junior at Leland High School who is a proud member of the wrestling team. She enjoys staying at home and watching tv. She's a bubbly person who loves to make new friends.