How to Build, Grow, and Protect Your Collection
The history of collecting dates back to the third millennium BCE when wealthy Mesopotamians would collect certain items. The Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt appears to have collected books from around the world, forming what would become the first library, the Library of Alexandria.
It is believed that the Medici family, a prominent family in Florence during the Renaissance was the first to collect and display works of fine art from around the world.
Over the millennia, collecting has grown to include different types of items, but the general premise is still the same.
People love to gather items that are of special interest to them, whether it’s for their own satisfaction or to show to others.
Whether it’s fine art, rare coins, baseball cards, action figures, comic books, exotic cars, or musical instruments, the number of things that you can collect is virtually limitless.
One of the most appealing aspects of collecting is that it’s not age-specific. Whether you’re a young person who loves sports and wants to start grabbing trading cards at your local card shop, or you’re an adult who loves music and wants to start collecting vinyl records, the options are limitless.
Today, learn more about the joy of collecting, including some tips for collecting that will help you get the most out of your journey.
Tips for Collecting
Before we get into the process of growing a collection and maintaining it, you may wonder how to get started on the road of building a collection.
Find Your Why
The whole thing starts by identifying your motives. Some people get into collecting as a form of investing in something that’s going to grow in value.
For instance, if you want to start collecting trading cards that feature athletes, you may want to try to find the best players, especially those who are still in the early stages of their careers.
In the world of trading cards, rookie cards tend to have the most value over the long haul.
The same could be said about coin collecting. If your goal is to build a collection that’s going to grow in value, you’ll want to focus on rare coins and those that are in mint or near-mint condition.
Collecting artwork is popular, but if you’re pursuing a collection that increases in value, you’ll want to choose pieces from artists who are either already well-known or young artists who are the focus of a lot of buzz.
Doing What You Love
Conversely, some people get into collecting because they just love certain items. Let’s revisit the trading card option.
If you’re just collecting for joy, you may want to build a personal collection of your favorite teams or players. Some coin collectors who build their collections based on a sense of personal fulfillment try to collect coins from a year that holds special meaning to them.
If you want to collect art, you may focus on artists from your home state or a specific artist who you like.
It may seem strange to identify your motive before deciding what you’re going to collect, but your motive impacts the path you’ll take to build your collection more than anything else.
If flipping your collection for a profit in the future is the goal, it will directly impact the type of items you collect.
What to Collect
With this in mind, the second step is to determine what you’re going to collect. Unless making money on your collection in the future is your only goal, it’s a good idea to collect something that you enjoy. Most people build their collection around a hobby.
For instance, if there’s nothing you enjoy more than sitting down with a good book, building a personal library around your favorite authors is a great idea. If you want to increase the difficulty a bit, you may seek out first edition or signed copies of their books.
Set a Budget
The third step to getting started in the world of collecting is perhaps the most important. You’ll want to set a budget. When collecting, it’s easy to let the process become compulsory, which may lead to spending more than you planned on spending at the onset.
Remember, collecting is supposed to be an enjoyable process, but that won’t be the case if you put yourself in financial jeopardy. Knowing how much you can afford to spend is crucial.
How to Start Building
Finally, you should decide how you plan on building your collection. In our modern world, we have access to resources that collectors in previous generations didn’t have, thanks in large part to e-commerce.
However, you’ll want to be careful about where you go to build your collection.
There are plenty of people out there who sell counterfeit items, which are often targeted at new collectors or those who don’t know exactly what they’re looking for. Be careful when you’re building a collection to make sure that you’re not being scammed, especially online.
Growing a Collection
When you start adding items to your collection, it’s natural to feel a sense of excitement. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to get so focused on chasing what’s next that you fail to enjoy what you just got.
Comic books are an incredibly popular item to collect, and they lend themselves perfectly to this concept. You can collect comic books in hopes of flipping a profit, or because you love the stories that they contain.
Additionally, many people get into this type of collecting because they want to revisit their childhood memories. When you finally find an authentic copy of one of the comics that you’ve been searching for, spend some time reading it and enjoying your new find before rushing out to add the next thing.
One of the best parts about growing a collection, especially one that you’re building for your personal pleasure, is that you’re not in a race against anyone or anything.
Instead, you can add to your collection at your own pace. Obviously, this might change if you find a great deal on an item that you need for your collection and you need to hurry to purchase it, but by and large, it’s a good idea to enjoy the process of building your collection as much as you enjoy the items themselves.
Maintaining a Collection
Once you’ve put the time, money, and energy into building a collection, it’s important that you take proper care of it. This not only allows you to maintain the items that you’ve collected, but it helps you display the things that you’ve collected, whether it’s for your own pleasure or to share your collection with others.
The type of collection that you build will largely dictate how you go about displaying it. If you’re interested in collecting art, you can designate a wall in your home as a gallery wall.
As your collection grows, you may be able to make an entire room a display area.
However, it’s important that you display the pieces in a way that protects them from dust, dirt, temperature changes, and more. This concept is true of anything that you collect, whether it’s vinyl records or stamps.
You can find plenty of items online that will help you maintain and display your collection in a safe way, depending on what you collect. Spend some time researching your options and make sure that you’re protecting your collection.
Benefits of Collecting
There are several benefits associated with collecting.
Find a Purpose
One of the most prominent benefits of collecting is the sense of purpose that it provides. It’s so easy to fall into a routine where you work, pay bills, and try to juggle responsibilities at the expense of doing anything for yourself.
Collecting items, no matter how big or small they are, allows you to focus on things that bring you pleasure.
Whether you’re looking to complete a set of baseball cards from a particular season, or you want to acquire all the vinyl records of an artist that you love, this sense of purpose is a powerful tool that provides a litany of benefits that go beyond the process of building a collection.
Psychological Benefits
There are plenty of psychological benefits associated with setting a goal and reaching it. This concept even applies to the world of collecting.
If you want to collect every comic book featuring Batman, the sense of accomplishment that you’ll feel when you put that last comic into its protective sleeve is hard to beat.
This sense of accomplishment is often just as rewarding as the joy that you’ll feel when you find something that’s missing from your collection.
Many people don’t realize what a good stress reducer collecting is. When you spend all of your time at work or school, it’s only natural to experience stress based on the number of things that you have to get done.
When you add family obligations and other responsibilities that we all face, stress is often a constant companion. Immersing yourself in something that brings you joy is a great way to reduce stress.
Even when you’re not actively buying something to add to your collection, the process of researching items is a source of joy.
Finding Community
Finally, collecting allows you to meet people who share some of the same interests.
Whether it’s through online platforms that allow you to connect with people who can help you build your set while you also help them with theirs, or by going to conventions where collectors of a particular item come together, the social connection of collecting is one of the most enjoyable parts.
It gives you the potential to make friendships that will last a lifetime.
There’s a reason that humans have been collecting for thousands of years. It gives you the chance to search for items that have some type of meaning to you. Whatever you choose to collect, the most important aspect is to have fun. Remember, the joy of collecting is found in the journey.