At some point, collecting stopped being that quiet, dusty hobby associated with shelves, labels, and people who say things like “don’t touch that,” and turned into something loud, expressive, emotional, and deeply tied to identity. If there’s one group proving this shift better than anyone, it’s teens. Because today’s teens aren’t just collecting objects, they’re collecting vibes, moments, fandoms, nostalgia they technically never lived through, and tiny pieces of culture that say, “This is who I am right now.”

