Sat 28 Aug 2010
Where To Start Your Collection
Posted by Mike Allen under hobbies
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So you’ve decided that you want to be a collector, but aren’t quite sure where to start? It is easy. There are a few things to consider. What hobbies do I enjoy? Do I have any friends or associates that are collectors? Is there something in my family that would be a good start for my collection that piques my curiosity.
Once you have answered some or all of these questions, you are on the way to becoming a collector of antiques, memorabilia and souvenirs. Be warned that this can be an addictive hobby, as once you start out in a field of collecting you find that it as wide open as can be with loads of opportunities so take the time to find something that stirs your passion; for me it was Collecting Frogs – a Fun Hobby for All Ages, but for each person it is going to be something different and unique.
There are a number of things that people have in common when they go collecting. These items include: newspaper ads reflecting auctions or trade shows, road shows, and collecting clubs and websites like myfrogcollection.com where people can get together to discuss their similar joys and bounties.
The first thing you want to decide is approximately how much time do I have to collect. Next a person needs to know what they can afford for their collection. Some people are looking to make a quick buck with their collection while others do it because they are having fun and you need to figure out where you fit in with that. If you wish to collect for profit, where you will be buying and selling your artifacts, you may want to invest a bit more in inventory, advertisement space and travel and bidding allotments for your treasures and you might what to stay away from things such as collectible frogs which probably have more sentimental value than cash value. For someone who is doing it for fun, don’t turn it into something that you feel you have to do by budgeting your time and money properly and make sure you stick to it.
Finding trade shows, garage sales, auctions and websites for your particular love is very easy as well. Another fun part of building your collection is meeting others who share the same interests as you do and always seem to be at the same places as you are when you are hunting for the next collectible that you have to have.
A person needs to make this fact work for them. It is always good too know where you can get what it is that you are looking for and be treated fairly so you can go back over and over. In the same vein, if you get a bad experience from a seller, you will know not to return to the same person and look for other avenues to seek out your memorabilia.
Because of the nature of the hobby, people place various values on similar objects and you never know how much someone will think something is worth. The value that someone places on a collectible is based on many different variables including how much it is demand, what other people have paid for it, and how much it means to the individual selling it. Beanie Babies were running very hot in the beginning of the 1900’s but tended to slow down a bit as the millennium approached. Some collectibles retain their original value, while others can skyrocket in value for some collectors.
Collecting is a homework business as well. Take the time to understand what you should pay for your collectibles and how much others will pay for what you have. In the end, learn to love what you are doing.
If you are an avid frog collector, check out my site dedicate to frog collectibles and frogs in general. For more info, go to www.myfrogcollection.com