Other objects may have a cultural value attached to them and can be quite expensive and much sought afterTravellers buy souvenirs for their pleasure, to decorate their homes or show off to friends at home but also buy some to give away to friends and family as gifts. Others buy memorabilia for collection purposes;that is for their value.



Collectors look to gain from their collection and will usually look to buy those that are as authentic as possible. Objects that have cultural and historical values are the best for collectors. Examples are objects that were used or worn by royalty of a country or other such important people.

Such items are hard to find and may already be protected by government legislation and may not leave the country or be sold. Only their copies can be easily found. Others are objects that mark historical events like a country's first flag, popular band instruments, original compact discs or clothing (like the Beatles group).

The sale of memorabilia is big business and fetches lots of money for the right item on sites like EBay. The most sought after objects can garner up to millions. Paintings and other memorabilia of influential people or objects with religious or historical value are those usually sought after. Generally the older and rare the item is, the more it is likely to fetch. There are however new items that have fetched good money depending on their value at the time for example uniforms or shirts worn by a team that wins the World Cup will usually sell high after the match and throughout the time the team remains the winning champions.

There are also numerous collectors' clubs and auctions where members can buy and sell their collections. Some auctions are held for charity purposes like celebrities selling their designer clothes for charity like the one held by Clothes Off Our Back foundation. There are all kinds of collectors club for any imaginable and collectable item.

From currency coins, buttons, guns, clothes, coats, bags, cars, stamps or even photographs to anthropological items. Look around your house chances are you might sitting on a valuable item that may not be worth much at this time but may be worth a tidy sum in a few years. Does it have any historical value, cultural or celebrity value?