Collectibles, collecting and memorabilia have become a favorite hobby of millions of Americans and people throughout the world. For many collectors, the desire to collect began when we were kids, either because the love of collecting was encouraged by our parents or simply because we discovered something that fascinated us and wished to learn more about it. In the U.S., stamp collecting, coin collecting, rock and mineral collecting, insect collecting — especially butterfly collecting — and, of course, collecting marbles, baseball cards and comic books for the boys and dolls and doll house miniatures for the girls may have been how today’s adults got started as collectors. In some cases what began as a hobby evolved to become a passion or even a career in theme collectibles or memorabilia.
In this age of mass marketing, collectibles and memorabilia have fired the imaginations of marketers and businessmen. Today our kids collect, in addition to those collectibles we grew up with, such things as Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, trading cards of all types, and toys and memorabilia from their favorite books and movies such as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Star Wars. Adults, wondering what the next craze for their kids will be as they reminisce about their own youth, have turned to era-collectibles which range from thimbles to model trains to vintage cars.
While collectibles and memorabilia have become big business, true collectors pursue collecting not because they perceive monetary reward, but because they enjoy the art, activity and creativity of collecting. Most often, collectibles and memorabilia are acquired for decorative purposes or because the collector has a personal passion relating to a theme around which his or her collecting revolves.
Collecting is a great way to meet other people with interests similar to your own. Should you develop a serious yen to further your penchant for collecting, you may wish to join a collecting club, attend shows, or converse with fellow collectors via email or chat rooms on the internet. On the other hand, you may simply be a casual collector looking for a unique t-shirt to wear to a picnic or a figurine to place in your curio cabinet.
