The psychology of collecting changes as kids age, with implications for how collectible products targeting kids should be merchandised depending on the age group, according to research conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and reported by Bruce Sanders at Global Toy News.

Collecting motivations change over time, with kids from 5-7 focusing on quantity, 7- to 11-year-olds more focused on seeing value for money, and in a critical transition that occurs around 11 for boys and earlier for girls, social reasons becoming more important than quantity for collections.  As kids mature into their teens, they tend to look for evidence to convince themselves and parents to make the purchases.  

One key factor Sanders reports is that brand awareness, including awareness of the store name, activates a drive to collect, with expanding the collection associated with particular stores in the kid’s mind.