Collecting, whether by individuals or institutions, is a form of consumption. This work examines the relationship between the development of the consumer society and the rise of collecting by individuals and institutions. It also considers how and why people collect, as individuals, corporations or museums, and the impact that this collecting has on us and our culture. The text outlines the history of museum collecting from ancient civilizations to the present. It also looks at aspects of consumer culture - advertising, department stores, mass merchandizing and consumer desires - and how this relates to the activity of collecting.