I have been to so many homes where entire rooms were dedicated to items these individuals had collected. Beanie Babies, figurines, spoons, hats, etc all displayed so pretty in glass case that ultimately won't ever amount to anything other than memories. There is a huge difference in collecting and collectibles so before you go out and buy that newest addition to that beanie baby collection, you might want to reconsider.

Collectibles are items that are very hard to come by for reasons such as limited numbers were produced and sold or perhaps they are items that are one of a kind that were never sold. Collections are made by purchasing the next edition to that collection, such as the beanie baby craze.

Millions were produced and then production ended and they moved on to the next edition. This is where you can make your collection even more valuable; by finding the collectables that no one has. Granted, there were probably hundreds of Babe Ruth trading cards at one time, but because that was an era that had no idea of what they had, a vast quantity of those cards ended up in the spokes of hundreds of bicycles across America. Back then we bought the gum and got the cards as a bonus; we paid no attention to their future value. Now, they don't even sell the gum; just the cards.

Autographs from Famous or even infamous people are true collectible. Even in the early stages of the fame, they will only increase in value. Just as most artists never become famous until they are dead, so goes the autographs of famous people. Always protect your collectible autograph by sealing it and storing it in a safe, dry place, preferably in a safe or deposit box. Sunlight fades the ink and the value decreases.

My picks for the best collectibles are: Trading cards, Old bottles, Indian artifacts , Signed works of art (living or dead) , Personally signed pictures of the famous, Hand crafted furniture, Hand crafted pocket knives, Vinyl LP records (45's), Vintage Barbie Dolls or even GI Joe Dolls, Tins dating back 100 years or more, Certain valuable coins. These house hold collectable items have shown themselves to be the most popular at giving a significant return on investment. They are collectibles that everyone wants to have but only a few can actually have.

Anything that has been hand crafted that dates back 50 years is something to hold on to. To some, it might be junk. To others, with an eye for detail, such items are priceless and hold great value. Collectibles aren't always easy to define and harder still to distinguish between the real thing and replicas. You must be educated before you start hunting. There are many excellent books dedicated to informing people as to what to look for and how to spot a fake. My advice to you is this; if you don't know, find somebody who does before you sell it, buy it, or throw it away.