Collecting and the Internet

Book excerpt: The Internet has had a profound effect on collecting—because of the Web, collectibles are now more readily available, collections more easily displayed for a wider audience, and collectors’ online communities are larger and often quite intimate. In addition, the Web has added new items to the pantheon of collectibles, including digital bits that, whether considered virtual or material, are nevertheless collectible. In this work, essays discuss the age-old habit of collecting and its modern relationship with the Internet. Topics include individually authored websites, online auctions, watches, eyewear, Kelly dolls, the gambler’s rush of online acquisition, mp3s, collecting friends via online social networking sites, and online museums, among others.