Deaccessioning Explained: Psychology and Best Practices for Collectors

The Psychology of Collecting

Navigating the Heartache of Deaccession

Entomology collections and staff in the collection’s storeroom, National Museum of Natural History. Museum geographers Hilary Geoghegan and Alison Hess write that storerooms are “shaped by the emotion attached to the objects they house.” A storeroom, they write, is “a lively space…exhibiting a magical, enchanted materiality.” This demonstrates that it is not only the collectors that are taken with their collections but the museum caretakers of such gifts as well. Deaccessioning parts of museum collections has recently come under scrutiny as these institutions try to remain afloat during hard times.?

By Shirley M. Mueller, M.D. January is an important sale month at many auction houses. Once again, I’m in the game. The last time this happened, I was a nervous wreck. Now, with that experience behind me, I’m less…

Nick Boschetto
January 15, 2025

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