Lots of discussion about collecting (and in seeking to own a complete set of stamps, coins etc) vs exploring. I wonder though if for most if the pleasure is in

Lots of discussion about collecting (and in seeking to own a complete set of stamps, coins etc) vs exploring. I wonder though if for most if the pleasure is in a combination of the two. When I was very young I collected the stamps of my country - which I guess will be fairly common. Seeking out issues that I was missing was appealing and there was definitely a thrill in tracking down missing items. At the same time I learned about history (albeit in a superficial way) both from knowing about the era in which the stamps were issued and, for more recent issues, from the topics depicted on the stamps. That knowledge seemed to stick too and more so than just from reading books. I guess I also learned a little about markets and scarcity. I wonder if that knowledge would have stuck without the effort of seeking and the reward of finding and whether we have lost something in the ease of access to information today.