This paper translates and collates the contents of all the issues published by the Journal of the History of Collections, one of Oxford University Press’s academic journals, since its inception in 1989. A detailed analysis of the changes in article topics or themes in the journal is presented, based on which this paper demonstrates that the focus of research in this field has undergone three shifts on a decennial basis. By examining collectors’ social identities, motives for collecting, and changes in collection categories, this paper provides significant insights into a theoretical framework that sustains the scholarship. It also provides a preliminary overview of current studies on the history of collections in both Chinese and Western academia, seeking to provide some guidance for future explorations of the scholarship.