I.

Introduction

Collectibles and Collecting, groups of items of a similar type that are acquired and saved as a hobby. Millions of people all over the world enjoy the activity of collecting. Just about anything can be a collectible, from children’s toys to car hubcaps to matchbooks. Some collectibles can sell for a few dollars at a yard sale, others for thousands of dollars in specialty stores or at auctions. Although there are many recognized areas of collecting that have their own publications and organized groups of collectors, the world of collectibles is ultimately limited only by the imagination and desire of the collector.

Collectibles are sometimes grouped together with antiques, the buying, selling, and collecting of which is an established industry. However, antiques are traditionally defined as items at least 100 years old, whereas collectibles have no such limitation—most are mass-produced items and many are new or just a few years old. Although some collectibles increase in value and are bought and sold frequently, many collectors are motivated simply by nostalgia and the fun of collecting, and some only rarely part with an item.

This article does not focus on traditional antiques collecting or on the hobbies of coin collecting, stamp collecting, or book collecting. Since it is impossible to fully cover the numerous areas of collectibles, examples are used to discuss various types of collecting, why and how people collect, and the history of collecting.