Collectibles & Collectors Items

The question which needs to be answered before any discussion can be conducted surrounding collectibles is why people collect. Again, there needs to be a line drawn between a collector and a person who never throws anything away. There are people who keep the plastic wrappers and the boxes of shoes which they bought a year ago!

When asked the reason why this apparently useless junk has been stored for more than a year, the stock answer is almost invariably that it may be useful at some point in future. Now these people are not collectors, they are basically squirrels! We are not going to discuss those, but instead let's focus on real collectors.

Why people Collect
Well, generally most of us start collecting just for fun. We begin with our areas of casual interest and as our collections grow we get more and more involved in the process. The habit of collecting tends to grow on you. What begins as a casual activity gradually metamorphoses into a serious passion. People are known to spend a fortune to get their hands on a rare coin or a quirky stamp with that face of the monarch printed upside down.

Coming back to the basic question of why people collect, there is a possible theory which goes some way to explaining the collecting mentality. Obviously, the theory holds good for those who collect for fun and not those who do it as a business.

Any rare object, be it a stamp, or a coin or a military badge, or a scout patch or even a comic book carries along with it a piece of history - it symbolises a particular period in history, and it could be a momentous occasion like the breaking down of the Berlin Wall, or man landing on the moon. Or, it could be the moment of a bloody victory on the war field.

When a collector acquires that memorabilia, he or she vicariously enjoys that moment and savours that unique feeling of 'being there, doing that'. A collector owning a rare stamp feels proud to be a part of that moment of history when this wrongly printed stamp came out of the press escaping the sharp and scrutinising eyes of the supervisors.

It is basically a matter of the mind, a sense of being special, and, of course a feeling of immense pride which drives collectors towards this passion. As the passion becomes stronger and stronger, collectors become more and more knowledgeable in their chosen area of specialisation and very soon novices start looking up to them for advice and suggestion on what to buy and when to buy.

What Do People Collect?
People collect just about everything from coins, rocks, postage stamps, figurines, books, dolls, to toys and even keys, wrappers and similar not so heard of items.

Some people develop the habit of collecting items related to famous personalities as Elvis, the Spice Girls, U. S. Presidents, sports stars, astronauts, and others.

Some others collect industry things such as posters from movies or items worn by movie stars, bottles and bottle caps, coin savers, car hubcaps, political campaign buttons, and thousands of other items.

Cartoon characters are also popular collection items. Avid collectors seek items related to Mickey Mouse, Woody Woodpecker, Winnie the Pooh, Garfield and similar other characters.

If you are planning to start a collection, first be sure of your area of interest and organise whatever you already have in proper categories. The next area to should concentrate on is proper and safe storage of your collection. Then the word should be spread around that you have started collecting a specific category of items. This will help in coming across other collectors with whom you can exchange notes and have deeper knowledge and insight in your area of interest.

What Is A Collectible?
Here one needs to draw a distinction between a collectible and an item having a sentimental value. You may feel the convocation photograph of your university where you were awarded graduation degree is invaluable and will always keep it at the most prominent place in the showcase. But it is not a collectible, since not many others will wish to have it.

A collectible is something which has a demand. That is, somebody else also wants it and is willing to shell out money to get that. If you have something which is extremely rare - say, the photograph of your great grandmother's wedding - it would not necessarily be a collectible since in all probability nobody else would be willing to pay for it.

Comics are a great collectible. They are generally divided into four categories - Platinum (1897 - 1932), Golden (1933 - 1956), Silver (1956 - 1965), and Modern (1965 to present day). Obviously, the older a print and the better is its condition the more likely would it be able to attract a higher price.

Suppose you still happen to have the Teen- Age Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 you bought 1984, you surely possess a collectible, because your copy must be one of those which were printed in the first print run of 3000 copies. The first print-run copies are now searched avidly by the comic book collectors.

Similarly, anything related to Star Wars will always remain a collectible since it has promoted itself to the realm of a cult classic. Star Trek has similar appeal for niche markets in the UK and US.

Same is the case with Barbie Dolls. The Barbie Loves Frankie set contains a figurine of Frank Sinatra and is desperately sought after by collectors. Same, for the Barbie Loves Elvis set.

Conclusion
People start collecting as a matter of fun and as time passes they get more involved and soon realise it can pay off too.