The Keen Collector (RIP).
As a species, the ‘collector’ is, I think, a dying breed. This is not only reflected in the reduced sales of classical LPs and CDs, but also things like Cameras, Books, and other collectibles. My wife notices it with vintage Jewellery. People don’t collect the way they once did. The ‘value’ in old collectibles simply isn’t there like it used to be. Instead of being regarded as fascinating examples of how things were, vintage things are increasingly being seen as old obsolete pieces of technology, or design, now totally superseded. There a – So what? Who Cares? – attitude now.
You can blame the falling sales of classical music on many things – from free downloads to the lack of education in schools – but I think it goes deeper than that. It’s an indication of a different ethos – a different more present-centered and less reflective way of life. It isn’t necessarily bad, or a worse thing; God did not (so far as I know) say Thou Shalt Collect. Though maybe He should. But it does indicate a different viewpoint away from things concrete and real, to a more virtual world.
To be continued
