Erin Thompson’s essay on art collecting may not be the best authority upon which to base this claim. Nonetheless, the overlooked idea for what motivates art collectors deserves an airing:

The best way to understand the underlying drive of art collecting is as a means to create and strengthen social bonds, and as a way for collectors to communicate information about themselves and the world within these new networks. […] People tend to imagine collectors as highly competitive, but that can prove wrong too. Serious art collectors often talk about the importance not of competition but of the social networks and bonds with family, friends, scholars, visitors and fellow collectors created and strengthened by their collecting.

What drives art collectors to buy and display their finds?  (Aeon Essays)