I’ve always collected one thing or another. First doll houses, then Art Deco ceramics, and these days it’s clothes. My children seem to have inherited this trait – as a toddler William collected Thomas the Tank Engine toys, then Lego Star Wars as he got older. With a daughter who just collects “things” and a husband who can’t resist a nice plant, we have too many possessions. But collecting is just such fun isn’t it?
The joys of the internet have made collecting easier than ever before, while retaining the thrill of the chase. With the click of a mouse and a few moments spent using online banking or with PayPal, almost anything in the world can be yours.
Better still, it’s easy to find like-minded people to share experiences and information about your chosen collectables – so it’s actually a really nice way to make friends.
If you don’t have a special interest or you think you might like to develop one, try some of these suggestions on for size. Keep in mind, however, that this is only a tiny taste of the many things people are collecting.
Antique books
Those who predicted the internet or e-book readers would spell the end of books as we know them were clearly quite wrong. These bound volumes of paper, printed by machine – or, once upon a time, by hand – have seen a lot of history come and go, which is why some people become so passionate about finding old examples.
You need to decide if there’s a particular writer, style, period or topic you’d like to base your collection on. Antiquarian book shops can provide some valuable advice if you ask them, and an online search of auction websites will soon give you an insight into price.
Condition might be important to you, or it might not be. But it’s pretty rare to find a seriously old book in mint order, and book collectors will often tell you it’s that musty smell of times gone by that they often have that make this particular collectable so enduring anyway.
Furniture
When we think about collecting furniture, we tend to focus immediately on ornate pieces made from fine wood, which sell for enormous amounts of money. However, retro collectables from much more recent eras are becoming very desirable now, and an original 1970s round table with these classic tulip chairs could set you back a pretty penny.
The good news is that such pieces are being widely replicated these days, so you can have the look – even if the provenance isn’t completely authentic!
Clocks
Clocks have always been popular with collectors. They’re not only fun to find, they’re also a great decorative accent for your home. Again, the internet is your friend for finding these, but always make sure the seller knows to package that wonderful old clock as carefully as possible, so it will make it to your place in one piece.
Ceramics
There are so many brands, styles and eras within this collectables branch that it’s hard to know where to start. I was very passionate about the work of Art Deco ceramicist Clarice Cliff for many years, and my home was full of her brightly painted pieces. Tastes change, though, and these days I tend to like ceramics from later eras, such as the 1950s and 1960s. I’ve even extended my reach to take in crazy, multicoloured art glass.
Here in New Zealand we have a proud ceramic tradition, with items from the famous Crown Lynn pottery fetching ever-increasing prices. The best place to find this is on Trade oe – or better still, in the cupboard of an old relative who no longer wants it!
Toys & dolls
Nothing else quite appeals to nostalgia buffs as much as old-fashioned toys. I guess it’s because we were all young once, and the toys of our youth often live on in our minds well into old age. Even the mass-produced toys of today have the potential to be collectables of the future, but it’s generally the older ones people collect avidly, and chief among these are retro tin toys and well-loved china dolls
Russian dolls are popular too, and even Barbie gets a look in these days. Incredibly, the highest price ever paid for an early-era Barbie was a cool $31,200. If you’re in the market for china dolls, buy carefully from dealers or traders with good reputations and store your dolls carefully – away from extremes of heat and light – to ensure they stay in the best condition.
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