Collections can range across many different items, from common everyday items to obscure and exotic items. A woman in Missouri that collects Barbie’s might think that collecting match books seems strange. However, the woman in Florida that collects those match books from every hotel she has ever traveled to finds her collection invaluable. These match books remind her of all the memories of her trips. So, who is to say what is really normal or weird?
Some collectors might collect lunch boxes, while other collectors might collect anything that displays Mickey Mouse. Some people think that anything of value that people collect can be considered a collectible. This is not necessarily true. There are some people out there that collect telephone books. Now some people might not consider this to be a collectible, because a phone book does not really hold a value since they are usually given free to the public. However, a collectible item is considered to have value if people are willing to pay money for the item. The old saying that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” certainly holds true for the collector.
Collectible items can be found almost anywhere. The popular place today to buy and sell collectibles is eBay. A collector can spend hours pouring over hundreds of auction ads for their collection of choice. Collectors can go to trade shows to buy, sell or trade collectibles. Collectibles can be found at antique malls, flea markets and, of course, the ever popular garage sale. Garage sales are an American pastime. One person can go to a garage sale and see nothing but junk, while another person can find their new favorite collectible to add to their collection. Once again, the important thing to remember is that if someone is willing to pay money for it, then it is a collectible.
Just as important as what you collect is the way your collection is displayed. Collectors have entire rooms dedicated to their collectibles. Toy train collectors will spend years putting together an entire train setup complete with buildings, trees, streets, people and, of course, the train system. Others will use their entire home to spread out their collectibles. Either way, collectors take the utmost pride in their collections irregardless of what they collect. Collectors are aware that if lost or stolen, some of their collectibles are irreplaceable. Insurance companies even have addendums that can be added to homeowner’s insurance policies to insure a collector’s collection. Due to age and rarity, some collections are so valuable that they have their own insurance policy.
Most of the time, collectors don’t start out by thinking “I’m going to start collecting something… I’ll chose teacups!” Rather, they simply feel drawn towards teacups, and find themselves in awe of the many different types and styles. From there, the teacup lover will start hording teacups that he or she sees in yard sales or at the store. This is how a collector is born. If you are always looking at a particular item, or you are intrigued by the thought of having all of the different types, then look up some more information. If you find that there are many different types of that item that can be bought and sold, then perhaps it is time to let out the collector in you!
Collecting items of value has become quite the American pastime. This is also a way for the older generation to pass down some history to the younger generation. It is important that this hobby continues to be an important part of our culture so that history can live on from generation to generation. So, if you feel the urge to collect something, don’t suppress it as some kind of foreign urge. Embrace it, and start doing more research and shopping to find out how you can become a real collector. It is a fun and rewarding hobby.
