"Stuff" is very different when everything has to be handmade: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8940950 That kind of sets an upper limit on how much you can have.
The "collector" instinct certainly predates the 20th century. A lot of our museums are built around the personal collections of rich individuals amassed in the 19th century when antiquarianism became popular.
Conspicuous consumption for competitive social purposes is hardly new either. The example that comes to mind is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_of_the_Cloth_of_Gold
Prior to C20th it was more common to acquire people, by hiring them into your retinue or domestic staff.
"Stuff" is very different when everything has to be handmade: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8940950 That kind of sets an upper limit on how much you can have.
The "collector" instinct certainly predates the 20th century. A lot of our museums are built around the personal collections of rich individuals amassed in the 19th century when antiquarianism became popular.
Conspicuous consumption for competitive social purposes is hardly new either. The example that comes to mind is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_of_the_Cloth_of_Gold
Prior to C20th it was more common to acquire people, by hiring them into your retinue or domestic staff.