Antique Stores Eureka Springs AR

Collectables are investments.

Collectables refer to items of limited availability that are sought for a number of reasons, including potential increases in value. Collectors can be considered as a hedge against inflation in a financial perspective. Their value can increase over time as they become less common due to damage, loss or destruction. The downside to collecting collectables is the lack of liquidity, especially for obscure items. Fraud is also a possibility.

From the 1960s to the early 1990s, the major years of production for contemporary collectables were the 1960s and 1970s. While some collectables were purchased for enjoyment and use, many people also bought them as investment pieces. Many of these pieces became popular investments, leading to speculative markets. Due to the high number of people who bought them for investment, duplicates are quite common. Many collectibles were marked as "limited editions" but the actual number produced was huge. As a result, the market is low for many of the products produced during this period.

As incentives, early manufactured collectables included cigarette cards in cigarettes packs. Popular items became a subject of "collectable fevers" and developed a secondary market. Many collectable items began to be sold individually, rather than being used as marketing tools to increase sales of other products.

Manufacturers often make a series of collectables to encourage collectors. Each item is differentiated in some way. Some examples include Beanie Babies cards featuring individual players and sports cards. Enthusiasts may attempt to gather all of the available variants.

Collector editions can be another way to support collectables. They are typically limited edition and include additional content that can prove valuable to collectors. This practice is most commonly used in video games.

Collectable is an object considered to be valuable or of special interest by collectors. Collectable items can be uncommon or not always monetarily rare. There are many kinds of collectables. Different terms can be used to identify them. An antique is a collectable which is of old age. A curio (small, interesting or unusual item) is one that collectors want. A manufactured collectable can be an item specifically made for collectors.

A "manufactured collectable" is an item designed for collectors. Plaques, dolls and figurines are some examples of collectable items. The Gift and Collectibles Guild has members that include companies that produce manufactured collectables.