Starting a collection

The list of types of collections grows each year, with people finding value in all kinds of everyday items. Some of these collections include:

• Stamp collections
• Antique items
• Limited edition figures
• Coin collections
• And many more

Many people will collect items for either sentimental value or as an investment for the future, either way it is important to store your collectables safely and efficiently.

Getting started

If you are thinking about starting a collection, the first thing you will need to do is to find a theme for your collection. Know exactly what you want to collect so you don’t end up with a million different ‘collections’ with hardly anything in any of them.

Do your research on the kind of collection you are thinking of starting. Know how much items will normally cost and what you might be able to sell them for (if you wish to sell them in the future). It is important to know how much this hobby will cost you, as you don’t want to end up in debt.

Getting organised

Being organised is key to keeping track of your collection, not everyone will want two of the same item in their collection. As your collection begins to grow, it can become difficult to know what items you have and haven’t got. The simplest way to keep track is to create a spreadsheet listing all of your collectables, you can also include a column with items that you wish to have and tick them off as you collect them.

To make your spreadsheet even easier to read and locate collectables, it is a good idea to group your collectables by something they have in common, either the year they were produced or the type of collectable they are.

If your collection would be worth a lot of money, cataloguing your collectables is important so you have something to give the insurance company, if anything should go wrong.

Storing your collectables

Keeping your collectables safe is important, not only from being stolen but also from being damaged. Any damaged items will not be sold for as high a price as if they were in perfect condition.

For small collections you can keep them in your home and store them in a display cabinet for everyone to see.

With any sized collection of antiques, it is important that you store them in an air-tight container and keep them out of direct sunlight, to avoid fading and loss of detail.

If you have a larger collection then it is best to keep them in a box and rotate the collectables you have on display. When storing your collectables, keep them wrapped in bubble-wrap and boxed up, to ensure they are as safe as possible.

If you don’t have enough room for the boxes in your house then investing in a storage unit is the best thing for you to do. You will be able to keep your collectables safe and out of your way at home.

Starting collections can be a fun and interesting hobby but it can also be expensive. The key thing to remember when starting your own collection is to have fun and make sure that you have enough money to begin this collection and to keep running it too.