A collectible (or collectable) is a manufactured item designed for people to collect. Collectibles are specifically created for the purpose of collecting. In this respect, they are distinguishable from other subjects of collections, which may also include natural objects (e.g., butterflies) and objects manufactured for purposes other than collecting (e.g., stamps). However, sometimes objects designed for other purposes, such as toys, become so popular among collectors that they are later marketed specifically to that audience. Star Warsaction figures are a good example of this phenomenon.
The earliest collectibles were included as incentives with other products, such as cigarette cards in packs of cigarettes. Popular items developed a secondary market and sometimes became the subject of "collectible crazes". Eventually many collectible items came to be sold separately, instead of being used as marketing tools to increase the appeal of other products.
To encourage collecting, manufacturers often create an entire series of a given collectible, with each item differentiated in some fashion. Examples include sports cards depicting individual players, or different designs of beanie baby. Enthusiasts will often try to assemble a complete set of the available variations.
Five Really Cool Things You Can Do With the New SportsLizard Adam McFarland Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:48:20 -0000 1. Get all your sports collectibles news in one place with Collector’s Voice Subscriptions. We pull headlines from the best independent blogs and collectibles sites on the web and deliver them to you in a daily email. We also offer a RSS feed for those interested in subscribing with a feed reader.
2. Search results and [...] The Very Best of SportsLizard Adam McFarland Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:05:46 -0000 Since launching SportsLizard in 2004 there’s been a whole lot of content published. I’d like to think most of it’s been pretty good, but there are a handful of articles and posts that I consider to be great reads for anyone who is involved in the hobby in any capacity. I’ve added a “Best of” [...] Interviewed by CardScape Adam McFarland Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:11:58 -0000 Last week I was interviewed by Mike over at CardScape.net regarding the economy and its impact on card values. I thought he asked a bunch of good questions on the topic.
Here’s a quick excerpt:
Does a down economy affect card values?
I think it has to. Cards are a commodity item, an unnecessary expense, and when faced [...]