With open editions, collecting has taken on the physics of the internet – scarcity can be bound by time rather than quantity of items. This creates whole new markets for folks to collect in, expanding the population of folks who can participate in this action.

The financialization of collecting continued in this era, and the role of the “art collector” was democratized further. Collecting became a status game that more and more people could play, with more and more items waiting to be collected.

The Renaissance ushered in a new era in collecting, characterized by the emergence of Cabinets of Curiosities, or 'Wunderkammern'. These spaces displayed eclectic arrays of artifacts, natural wonders, and art, reflecting the era's burgeoning interest in the natural world, history, and the arts.

For the first time in history, collecting played a role in the functioning of society, aligning people around shared narratives that played out in faith, politics, work, and more.

Collections not only preserve pieces of the past but also serve as lenses through which we can view and understand different eras and cultures. Historically, collecting has always been intertwined with the cultural and societal context of its time.

Collections not only preserve pieces of the past but also serve as lenses through which we can view and understand different eras and cultures. Historically, collecting has always been intertwined with the cultural and societal context of its time.