Top ten collectors items

People collect all sorts of things from expensive art to second hand junk. The next time you go to throw something away, whatever it is, it’s worth remembering that there might be someone out there who is collecting it. Owning a substantial collection of anything can be satisfying especially when you think back to the day you began your collection. So, if you don’t have a collection but are interested in beginning one here are a few things that are great to collect.

1 – Action figures

Some people think that action figures are strictly for children. However, if you own a large collection of figurines that are in good condition and have never been removed from their boxes, you could just be sitting on a gold mine. Some people collect older figures from years gone by, which aren’t cheap, but you could always begin a new collection. Just remember as long as you keep them in their boxes and keep their boxes in good condition; one day they may be worth a penny or two.

2 – Stamps

This seems like it is the cliche of collectors items and is usually used as a synonym for boredom, but collecting stamps can actually be extremely fun. Collecting these, just like collecting anything really, is a slow and steady process, but it is something that you can easily continue to do well into your retirement. You could try to find to get a stamp from each country, or focus on the UK, it really is up to you, but this is one of the more fun collections to begin.

3 – Memorabilia

Choose your favourite movie or film franchise and spend your days collecting everything you can find relating to that subject. I had a friend who loved the movies of Steven Segal and he went nuts on his collection, he owned Steven Segal mugs; tea pots; toilet seats; t-shirts; DVDs; signed photographs; and many many more things related to the action hero. It did become a bit much in the end, so if you are thinking of collecting memorabilia, it is always a good idea to focus on a film rather than one person.

4 – Autographs

There are two types of people who collect signatures; armchair collectors and autograph hunters. The first of these two, the armchair collectors, trawl the internet and shops looking to buy as many signed photographs a they can to add to their ever growing collection. The second one, the autograph hunter has a more hands on approach. They like to get out there and collect the signatures first hand, so if you choose to collect this way then you need to be committed and you need to ensure that you don’t hassle people too much in order to get their autograph.

5 – Music

Collecting vinyl, CDs or cassettes can be very rewarding and is most certainly my favourite thing to collect. It is great to have a huge music collection which you can go back to over and over again and always find something you haven’t heard in a while. Also, unlike most other things that people collect, if you collect music you can actually get plenty of use out of your collection. You can gain joy from building a great collection but you can also find pleasure in the actual act of listening to some wonderful music along the way.

6 – Antiques

Antiques are certainly not the cheapest collectors items in the world and not everyone will be able to afford to collect them, but if you can then you should. Think of them as mini investments as well as a great hobby. If you have been collecting for a while you can develop a good eye for spotting something of value and once you have this fantastic ability every car boot sale you stumble upon is a potential gold mine. There are a plethora of antiques out there to be collected from antique furniture to jewellery so the possibilities are truly endless.

7 – Coins

If you collect coins for long enough, one day your collection could be worth a lot of money. I know it might seem odd collecting money to make money, but there really is a wide variety of old coins from across the globe which can all be added to a wonderful collection. You can impress your friends by showing them your ancient Roman coins or you original Yankee Dollar and you can learn a lot about the history behind them whilst you are collecting.

8 – Art

This one is similar to the antiques, in that it is one of the more expensive collections to acquire. However owning a large collection of fabulous artwork is something which appeals to me and a lot of other people. You could concentrate on a single artists or go for an entire movement, or if you want just collect paintings which you like. It is up to you.

9 – Stuffed animals

One of the more unusual hobbies is taxidermy and the collection of stuffed animals. Some people enjoy the process of stuffing the animal themselves and others like to buy them pre-stuffed and fill their houses with weird and wonderful creatures. Though this is not everyone’s cup of tea, stuffed animals are collected around the world.

10 – Odd items

If none of the above really appeals to you then why not start collecting something that no one else you know collects and build a truly personal and individual collection. For example the actor Tom Hanks collects typewriters and film director Quentin Tarantino collects board games. But you could collect anything you can think of or even something which you already own a pair of, because you only need two for it to be a collection.

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