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The crossing of physical boundaries: de-materialization and the move towards de-collecting

ABSTRACT The tension between materiality and liquidity in society provides a promising opportunity to elucidate how de-materialization influences the iconic transfer of meaning from a singularized physical object into alternative formats of experiential consumption. We conducted in-depth unstructured existential-phenomenological interviews with physical book de-collectors. We investigated the role of imagination in maintaining a connection to the de-materialized collection and its impact on the person–object relationship. When consumers de-materialize a collection of physical books, they confront their values related to materiality and emotional physical attachment while opening the possibility of sharing and undergoing new experiences that can transform their relationship with singularized objects and with other human beings. De-collecting represents a way in which consumers can maintain indexical connections to singularized objects’ meaning while letting the physical item go.