CrazyEddie
Full House
Gwern Branwen is one of the smartest people I know of. He writes about, well, whatever he finds interesting. Recently he wrote about collecting, and perhaps some of us will find his thoughts interesting as well.
https://www.gwern.net/Collecting
He has in mind certain high-profile sorts of collecting - art, sneakers, Pokemon and Magic cards, Beanie Babies, watches, and now NFTs - but he considers the very idea of collecting more broadly, from an anthropological, psychological, and economic viewpoint. Undoubtedly many of his generalizations and theories would apply to at least some of us here in the chipping world, although the economics (and institutional structures?) for us are different from, say, comics (but similar to, say, stamps) because nobody is churning out more chips for all of us to run out and buy just so we can have the latest new things.
Gwern covers a lot of ground here for a short essay (although check out his references section if you're looking for more depth). This one bit sticks out, though:
I highlight this part simply because I've seen people express sentiments along these lines here, now and then. I'm not saying any of this is true or correct, but I do think it's relevant.
I also thought that this bit was insightful:
It's well-established that intermittent rewards are a very powerful form of positive reinforcement. It's part of what makes gambling so addictive; losers keep losing because every now and then they win. It hadn't occurred to me that occasionally finding a new chip or barrel or rack provides the same kind of occasional win that can help to keep us chasing more.
Anyway, if you thought this essay was interesting as well, I'd love to hear your thoughts. What did you agree with? Disagree with? Think needs further explanation?
https://www.gwern.net/Collecting
He has in mind certain high-profile sorts of collecting - art, sneakers, Pokemon and Magic cards, Beanie Babies, watches, and now NFTs - but he considers the very idea of collecting more broadly, from an anthropological, psychological, and economic viewpoint. Undoubtedly many of his generalizations and theories would apply to at least some of us here in the chipping world, although the economics (and institutional structures?) for us are different from, say, comics (but similar to, say, stamps) because nobody is churning out more chips for all of us to run out and buy just so we can have the latest new things.
Gwern covers a lot of ground here for a short essay (although check out his references section if you're looking for more depth). This one bit sticks out, though:
Are collectors happier? It does not really seem that way. Does one enjoy collecting? Or, like an addict, does one just chase the high of the next hit, wanting but not liking it? When one watches the face of someone playing slot machines in a trance, “enjoyment” does not seem like the right word. Most collectors seem aware that they are on a hedonic treadmill where an acquisition brings them brief pleasure, but then they return to the baseline, and are uncomfortable and ambivalent when questioned about it, and have doubts about it.
I highlight this part simply because I've seen people express sentiments along these lines here, now and then. I'm not saying any of this is true or correct, but I do think it's relevant.
I also thought that this bit was insightful:
Collecting is further reinforced by the intermittent arrival of rewards in the form of a missing item showing up
It's well-established that intermittent rewards are a very powerful form of positive reinforcement. It's part of what makes gambling so addictive; losers keep losing because every now and then they win. It hadn't occurred to me that occasionally finding a new chip or barrel or rack provides the same kind of occasional win that can help to keep us chasing more.
Anyway, if you thought this essay was interesting as well, I'd love to hear your thoughts. What did you agree with? Disagree with? Think needs further explanation?