Epistemic objects and curious collectors: The revelation

Malone, Sheila, Keegan, Brendan, & Medway, Dominic. (2026). Epistemic objects and curious collectors: The revelation. Journal of Business Research, 207, 116012. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116012

Abstract

Epistemic objects are defined by a continuous process of revelation through a series of engagements that complement their morphing nature. Here, epistemic value takes a central role in one’s understanding of, and engagement with, consumption objects. Through 15 interviews with online collectors who used Instagram to connect with others, the findings show how epistemic objects create fundamentally different relational dynamics than traditional collecting practices. Whilst acknowledging that objects within collections can operate through seriality, we reveal how epistemic objects also operate through three distinct relational dynamics that have been overlooked in existing collecting literature: object-knowledge relations, object-community-object relations and object-temporal relations. These dynamics distinguish epistemic objects from conventional collectibles by positioning individual objects as the unit of analysis rather than a desire for completed collections. This study contributes to a growing area of research that moves away from the focus on objects as passive entities towards analysing object-oriented relations.

Publisher

Elsevier

Rights

CC BY

cb

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