Every passion borders on the chaotic, but the collector’s passion borders on the chaos of memories.

Walter Benjamin

Collecting and stacking things that are unusual and unique and make a personal collection out of it is described as collecting and the objects are called as collectibles.

Collecting trend started as early as 18^thcentury. Increase in interest was seen from 1960 to 1990s. Collectibles were bought and kept by the rich as things worth keeping. While other people collected these items as an investment so they would sell them off after some time for double or triple their original price. 

How are Collectibles different from Antiques and vintage objects?

An antique is an object that is at least 100 years old and has some historical heritage, a story connected to it. The story makes it special and unique and gives it a specific worth.

Vintage is any object that is not as old as an antique. For something to be called and considered vintage it must be old but not as old as an antique, about 50 years or so. It also has some historical value attached to it.

While collectibles are a whole other range of objects that are just collected for the sake of them. The best example is Bitcoin. Bitcoin started out as a virtual currency that gained importance slowly over time. It got some actual economical value and so people started mining and collecting them. Now from the decimals, it has increased in value up to many folds. Bitcoin is being transferred and used as a currency to buy and sell stuff worldwide.

Collectibles worth collecting 

Many items are worth collecting because of their value in financial terms and history.

First, is the furniture

Old furniture can be very valuable being used by important figures like emperors and rulers. The mugs and other utensils of famous Kings and Queens and the chairs they sat on. This is an important collectible item. Some old collectible furniture might turn out to be worth thousands of dollars someday. While others will remain the same as what you paid for. It is a gamble in terms of money but still you can use the furniture to decorate your home and bring back the old-time charm.

Superhero gadgets and figurines

Marvel, Disney, DC and other production houses are spending billions of dollars on making superhero, sci-fi, action, thriller, crime and fantasy movies. The result is younger generation fantasizing their super heroes for inspiration and guidance. As a thriving business, there are many products in the market designated to specific super heroes. Mugs, T-shirts, bags, stickers, Jackets and figures of loved characters are present in the market. They have become competitive collectible items. People are collecting these items with much devotion and interest. There is even trend to collect props used in original movies. Like Iron man’s robot suit, Thor’s hammer, and spider man’s costume.

Autographed items of famous sports players.

Autographed items like baseball bats, T-shirts, footballs or any other items are a popular collectible. Christiano Ronaldo, Muhammad Ali, MS Dhoni, Lionel Messi and many other sports celebrities are famous for collectible items. These collectible items sell like hot cakes because the sportsmen are known by everyone all around the globe. Anyone would love to have an item dear to them signed by their favorite player.

Autographed Hockey Mask

Celebrities and artists.

Just like sports people, the trend is same with famous celebrities and well-known artists. Their personal belonging from auctions, stuff with their autographs, posters, all are collectibles. It has become a big thing because in today’s world, social media and television has changed the perspective of the world. These famous people have the actual power to start a revolution. No wonder that many celebrities help tremendously with raising awareness and money for important causes.

Coins and old currencies 

Coins and currencies of various countries and different eras can be a very important and useful collectible activity. They can turn out to be worth some hard cash as well. The thing with collectibles is that you don’t know whether or when you might hit the jackpot. The same thing can be valued at thousands or less than what you paid for. So, collect them for the interest and a hope of accidental money.

Bronze German Coins

Wine and its accessories 

The older the better, the sweet nectar of grapes is a very popular collectible. Among wine enthusiasts, finding a bottle of wine from the Kings and Queens’s era would surely win you a lot of money. People have special separate wine cellars in their homes in the basement. These cellars are specifically used for storing and collecting wines. Wine collectors age their wine and enjoy it themselves or, sell it in a high-class private auction to the highest bidder. Wine accessories are also important collectible items.

Scrollwork Wall Wine Rack

for wine lovers, wine accessories are also a good collectibles. Check my article on Necessary Wine accessories ideas before buying any wine accessory.

Stones and jewelry 

Diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and many other stones are all collectible items. These stones are valuable without any doubt and are collected by the rich and wealthy. These stones and jewelry have sentimental value as well and are passed down from one generation to the next. These can be family heirlooms. If you give your partner an engagement ring that belongs to your grandmother, it will surely leave them speechless with love and awe. 

Diamond Stud Earrings

Paintings 

Painted by famous painters, paintings are excellent collectible items. One painting can be worth up to 100,000s to millions of dollars. Paintings just like jewelry has sentimental values and are passed down from generation to generation because of their value. There can be many replicas of the original paintings in the local market People might get played in the name of original and lose their hard-earned cash. Although a good activity, you must be an art enthusiast with decent knowledge to not get tricked. 

Books 

A lot of first editions of books that got famous and gained fame are valuable and can be worth many times their original price. A personal library with all the favorite and famous books can be an excellent display of affection for books. You can start by collecting the most recent ones that are easily available and then dig in deep for older and hard to come by pieces. 

Gone With the Wind 1st Edition

Decorate your home with the collectible and collect decoration pieces.  

After searching and surfing through the various useful and useless websites and shops you find a perfect collectible item. After finding it you paid a lot of money to buy it, you deserve to show it off to your friends and family. You can also collect pretty decoration pieces in the market and make a collection of them. Decorate your home with them as well. Choose the central focal point of any area either it’s a living room or dining room to keep your collectible. This way, everyone can see the product and the effort that you put in to acquire that piece or pieces.

Our recommendations

Vases can also be the best collectibles. check my article on Choose the Perfect Vase for you

Let’s go with the Surroundings 

As established that collectibles can be used to decorate your home. You have to decorate them in such a way that it complements the other items in the place. Colorful stamps with a bright beautiful appearance can be kept in a more colorful environment. While silver jewelry or black and white painting would look good in a modern and chic stylish room. These are just small tips and tricks to remember when decorating your collectibles and getting the most out of them. After all you poured a lot of effort and money on them.

Start your own trend

Who says you must follow the societal norms in order to fit in this ever-increasing and developing society? For example, there was after all a human being who started collecting stamps in the first place and we are just following him. So, why not start your own trend. You can collect anything that makes you happy and excited. One example is nail polishes, all the pretty colors that you can find can be your collection. Shoes of different brands that you like, you can fill up your closet with them to show the people you got taste and class. Anything that is unique and different can be a collectible item. You don’t always have to follow others in order to fit in.

Maintaining and taking care of your collectibles

Cleaning your items

Regularly dusting off and cleaning your collectibles would help you remember their worth and the efforts you made while collecting them. Place them in the best corner of the main sitting area of your home. Polish the old furniture, clean the frames of paintings and check for termites or other insects to not harm your stuff. Clean them regularly with other household items to increase their life span. 

Storing your collection for a better time

While showcasing your collectibles is important but you only decorate so much of them. Eventually, with increase stacking of different items, it can become messy to keep all the items in your home. You need a proper space to store and take them out when needed in the same condition as you put them in. 

Free up space 

While storing your collectibles in the same place as other stuff, can lead to a mess of things. It can be difficult to differentiate between the junk of furniture and valuable collectibles. Make portions of your garage or storing space, each for a separate purpose. This would help you with quickly locating your stuff. While old furniture and other material can have sentimental value but it’s good to sell unnecessary items. You can free the needed space for the upcoming items. In the meantime, you can make some extra easy cash too. 

Keep it where the sun doesn’t shine

Sunlight is necessary for the survival of living beings; it can flourish and give life to us. But it can be dangerous for the collectibles.

• It fades the color of paintings.
• Degrade the outer covering of comic books.
• Make the furniture brittle with time.

It is important to avoid the sun being exposed to these materials. So, they can stay fresh and last longer and you can keep them as long as you want.

Needed supplies for collectibles

Every collectible item needs a different set of accessories to store them but, some neutral packing material is common to all types of collectibles. These materials are needed to be bought and used regardless of the stuff you are storing. If you want to store your collectibles for longer and properly, this little investment will have to be done. 

Cardboard moving boxes

They are lightweight easy to put the stuff in and come in various sizes and shapes like square and rectangular. They are also cheap and the first line of defense for the collectibles.

Bubble wrap 

Bubble wrap is a plastic sheet with little bubbles of air. These wraps are useful because.

•  They absorb shock and impact.
• Protect the underlying items from breaking and damage. 

Old clothes you do not use anymore 

The clothes that you do not use can be quite useful in tucking away your valuables. These clothes include old blankets, t-shirts.

Blankets and T-shirts are made of soft material that would absorb the pressure and moisture. The moisture might result from climate change. It would also avoid pilling of the excess clothes that you do not use and help storing your stuff. 

Climate can be an issue 

Climate change is not only affecting humans and melting glaciers, but it can also destroy our valuable collectibles. The best way to fight off this evil (for the items, not us, we cannot escape from it) is to keep the stuff in climate-controlled storage space. Designate a room with temperature control options for all your worthy items. Who knows in the coming years you might make double or triple then what you are investing in for their storage?

Experts’ advice 

Collecting collectibles is a unique activity that can be self-satisfactory and can be useful monetarily. It is a very important activity with the extensive competition. Make sure your collection is the best of all so you can flaunt your hard work and may be make some cash in the process. Happy Collecting!