Because new great flashlights are born. Such as multiple SBT 90.2. Multiple 90.2 emitters per one flashlight is a new great thing. Hence, something new to collect.
start out with a “reasonable amount”, replacing regular flashlights with LED versions.
find several “cool” ones (tiny, neat looking, whatever). Buy extra to give away
…buy a few more to have some handy…why not.
…then you see videos of throwers…like the “Giggle Monster”….must…have…
…and its all downhill from there.
of course, it helps if you already collect other things, like lasers, or drones, or some other silly thing 
Searching for the holy grail.
(It’s the one made of wood.)
Ha Ha!
Mountain Don’s Old lumen entry?
I think flashlights are an interesting technical product:
In theory, the premise is simple - you press a switch and light comes out the front.
However, the various materials used, the different body styles, the multitude of drivers, batteries and emitters… make a simple approach very complex and interesting. the more you learn about this subject the more you become interested in owning more than one model.
Gross stupidity . I have more flashlights, watches and knives any reasonable person would consider normal.
Growing up with crap flashlights, the new models are quite something, a combination of electrical and mechanical engineering.
Wellp, at least DJ got it…
Flashlights are mens jewelry. 
I can imagine what the Sofirn SC01 fits!
You missed mine.
It’s cheaper than collecting 60’s and 70’s muscle cars.
I found BLF because I needed a good flashlight for late night hobbies, like painting outside. And I got a small collection because of different needs.
I started out wanting a replacement for my maglite AA. I’m blown away with the technology and options. I’m gonna need at least 50 just to sample the different makes and models.
Collecting is what we primates do. 
Sometimes we build our own stuff, sometimes we buy other’s, and often we “tweak” the collection.
These lights are a NEW technology not available in most stores (unless for 6x what we pay for them from: dive shops, vacation boutiques, etc.) So they are somewhat RARE… and I’m pretty sure THAT drives our collections more than anything else.
And we “collectors” especially are turned on by these lights because they are NOT something Wal-Mart sells, but highly engineered, reliable devices NOT made in the USA (where they’d cost hundreds), but in China who is radically building a new middle class working hard, and selling value.
For what we get, these lights are a very good value most can’t easily get without knowledge (thank you BLF).
In my personal case: I LOVE the idea of cutting OUT the middleman (Wall-Mart/Street), paying LOW shipping, and paying NO tax (or “fake tax” as with the case of several big Asian sellers this year: ALiExpress, BangGood, and a few others on my blacklist).
I am USING THE INTERNET the way we old guys (and gals) THOUGHT it would be used when this started about 25 years ago: To buy direct from craftspeople who build THE BEST stuff and sell it to us direct — not making middlemen rich while “starving” the producers and “gaming” the buyers (to death more-and-more) as SO many markets do today.
^ That is a pretty good explanation. I might add that the ability to turn darkness into light at the touch of a button is cool. The old incandescent D cell lights we grew up with just can’t compare.
Yes, we are made from stardust… they say
So turning on a “star” at the touch of a button is a primordial experience… every time!
I don`t know WHY I “collect” them, I always have since I was about 4 years old, most kids would be buying sweets and candy, I wanted torches and batteries. It`s been that way ever since, and through many loses of my “collections” I`v always built it back up again, When I had a little flashlight I was never afraid of the dark and would often hide somewhere dark and read books as quietly as possible, it was one of the few times I actually felt Safe as a child.
But it`s also more interactive than just collecting and curating, my lights don`t just get used regularly but I also love Modding them and picking out new emitters to try out, I also enjoy making lights as well and have done since I was a child, and was fascinated when LEDs first came out (at Radio Shack), they soon became my fave electronic component and I have well over 10,000 of them now, some new some Very old and lots in between and in all different colors and shapes (the ones in TO-18 metal can are my faves), and a healthy Incan bulb “collection” too.
And it`s not about “showing off” it never has been, in fact other than here, no-one else knows that I do this other than immediate family, I keep it a secret, in fact I don`t even show any pics of my lights on here unless specifically asked, I`m just not in it for that. I don`t do it to have something that no-one else has (though I do like modding them to my own tastes), what others have is non of my business and I`m probably one of the least competative people you`ll meet, I like to stay in my own lane.
As for it being a Primal Instinct thing, I can`t rule that out because I was like it as a very young child, so it might be that? I`m a musician too (also considered a primal thing), so maybe that`s it??? 