Irregularly regulated collecting markets: antiquities, fossils, and wildlife

This paper examines the dynamics of ‘irregularly regulated markets’, specifically those dealing with what we term ‘criminogenic collectables’: antiquities, fossils, and wildlife. Through the lens of ‘irregular regulation’ we consider how inconsistencies and loopholes in legal frameworks contribute to criminal activities in these markets. We outline five ways that such markets can be considered irregular: socially, jurisdictionally, temporally, culturally and discursively. Through this discussion, we address the subjective nature of legality in these markets, contested by cultural, economic, and political influences, and the role of market actors in manipulating perceptions. This study offers a nuanced perspective on the sociology of crime which includes consideration of the objects of crime. Here we emphasize not only the significance of market regulation and legal frameworks in shaping criminal behaviour, but also the agentic qualities of the target objects themselves. We argue that the idea of irregularity is a useful hermeneutic device for considering the grey areas and hot zones of debate that constitute the current global market for contested objects.