Image Variables of Collectible Design: Art, Luxury, and Country-of-Origin Effect

The segment of Collectible Design (CD) is increasingly present and gaining in popularity in both the global imagery and marketplace. The growing number of CD’s cultural and commercial circuits and platforms clearly shows an intensified interest on the part of individuals ranging from simple amateurs to collectors. Within the image variables’ theoretical framework, this study explains the reasons of the current success of CD by identifying its three main image variables - art, luxury, and country of origin - that influence the perception of audiences and the market. These three image variables, with their symbolic and emotional significance, enable three specific image effects on CD’s value perception. Image variables of art, luxury, and country of origin can therefore be viewed as fundamental in the construction of the value of CD. This research offers significant information that may help CD marketers to develop useful strategies based on CD’s principal image variables while having a stronger impact on audiences and consumers/collectors’ perception. This study’s originality consists in providing a theoretical framework of CD’s value perception in relation to image variables.