Collector Personality and Life Satisfaction

A group of collectors representing those studied

Source: DALL·E 3 Created

Mõttus et al. (2024) analyzed de-identified data from 9,110 Dutch residents aged 16 to 95, collected from 2008 to 2019. Participants took the "Big Five" personality test, which measures five traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (OCEAN).

The Studies

The New Research on a General Population

The study strongly correlated personality traits and life satisfaction (LS). Low neuroticism was most closely associated with higher LS. Conscientiousness was linked to work satisfaction. Extraversion and agreeableness were tied to social satisfaction. Interestingly, while openness had a small association with LS, those who scored higher in openness over the 11 years also saw an increase in LS. This suggests two things: Personality can change over time, and an increase in openness in older age correlates with LS.

The 2021 Research on Collectors Specifically—Kleine et al. (2021): Collectors' Personalities

Kleine and colleagues (2021) studied three types of collectors: consumer collectors (who use what they collect), pure collectors (who build collections without profit motives), and investor collectors (who aim for financial profit). They also surveyed non-collectors for comparison.

Using the same Big Five personality test, they found that high openness and low neuroticism were expressions of a collector’s personality.* Investor collectors, however, showed something different: low agreeableness and conscientiousness; pure collectors scored high on conscientiousness.

Combining the Findings

The low neuroticism scores for collectors suggest higher life satisfaction, just as they did for the general population studies. High openness among collectors is also promising, as increased openness over time can enhance LS. Many collectors discover their passion later in life, once they have the resources to build their collections, which might contribute to this increase.

Take Sarah, for example. Sarah was always interested in vintage jewelry, but it wasn’t until she retired that she could fully indulge in her passion. As she began collecting, she found that her openness to new experiences grew, and she felt more satisfied with her life. Any neuroticism she may have had decreased as she focused on the joy and fulfillment her collection brought her, echoing the findings of Mõttus et al.

Investor collectors who focus on financial gains showed low agreeableness and conscientiousness. Low agreeableness is associated with lower social satisfaction, while low conscientiousness suggests lower job satisfaction. This could imply that chasing money through collecting could lead to unhappiness.

Consider John, an investor collector. He started collecting rare coins, not out of love for numismatics, but for potential profit. Over time, John found himself increasingly dissatisfied. His social interactions at coin shows felt transactional, lacking the camaraderie that pure collectors seemed to enjoy. His low scores in agreeableness and conscientiousness, as highlighted by Kleine et al., meant he struggled to find joy in his hobby, feeling more stressed and less satisfied with his life.

In contrast, pure collectors, who collect for love rather than profit, scored high on conscientiousness, indicating higher job satisfaction. Take Emma, a pure collector of antique dolls. Her meticulous nature and dedication to preserving each doll’s history greatly satisfied her. Emma’s high conscientiousness meant she took great pride in her collection, and her connections with fellow enthusiasts enriched her social life.

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Summary

Collectors tend to score low on neuroticism, which correlates with higher life satisfaction. Pure collectors, who are also highly conscientious, likely experience high job satisfaction. However, investor collectors who score low on agreeableness and conscientiousness may face lower social and job satisfaction.

Understanding these personality traits helps collectors better understand themselves, which can enhance their overall satisfaction and well-being. Collecting is more than a hobby; it reflects personality traits that, when aligned well, can lead to a more fulfilling and satisfying life. By examining the intricate relationships between personality and collecting, we can gain deeper insights into what makes us truly happy.

* Third sentence of abstract in Kleine et al. (2021).