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154 Examples of Collectibles

John Spacey, November 25, 2021

Collectibles are things that people collect. People commonly collect things they find interesting, inspiring or beautiful. This serves a function in preserving the past and cultivating an appreciation of things. It is also common for people to collect things out of a sense of nostalgia for the past whereby the past is gone but one almost feels as if we can reach out and touch it. The following are common examples of collectibles.

Action Figures	Animation Cel
Architectural Ornamentation (e.g. weathervanes)	Arrowheads
Art	Ashtrays
Autographs	Balls (e.g. golf balls)
Bells	Belt Buckles
Bicycles	Bookends
Bookmarks	Books
Bottle Caps	Bottles
Boxes	Brochures
Buttons	Cameras
Candlesticks	Canes
Cars	Carvings
Chandeliers	Clocks
Clothes Hangers	Coasters
Coins	Collectible Card Games
Comic Books	Commemorative Items
Compasses	Corkscrews
Crafts	Cultural Items
Decanters	Digital Collectibles
Dinosaur Bones	Dollhouses
Dolls	Doorstops
Electric Lights	Ephemera
Erasers	Fans
Figurines	Film Memorabilia
Fishing Lures	Folk Art
Fossils	Fountain Pens
Fridge Magnets	Furniture
Garden Statues	Glasses / Sunglasses
Glassware	Guitar Picks
Handbags	Hats
Helmets	Historical Documents
Household Silver	Humidors
Interior Decorations (e.g. wallpaper)	Jewelry
Jewels & Precious Stones	Key Chains
Kimono	Lanterns
Letter Openers	License Plates
Lighters	Lobby Cards
Magazines	Manga
Maps	Marbles
Masks	Match Books
Medals & Badges	Memorabilia
Meteorites	Minerals / Rocks
Mirrors	Models
Movie Props	Movie Tapes & Disks
Music Boxes	Music Memorabilia
Musical Instruments	Natural Artifacts
Nautical Antiques	Nutcrackers
Paintings	Paper Currency
Paperweights	Patches
Perfume / Perfume Bottles	Pins
Plates	Pocket Watches
Pocketknives	Porcelain & Ceramics
Postcards	Posters
Pottery	Prints
Promotional Items (e.g. cereal prizes)	Puppets
Puzzles	Quilts
Radios	Records, Tapes & CDs
Religious Items	Rugs & Carpets
Salt & Pepper Shakers	Scientific Instruments
Screens & Panels	Sculpture
Seashells	Shoes
Shot Glasses	Signs
Skateboards	Souvenirs
Spoons	Sports Cards
Sports Memorabilia	Stamps
Stationery	Steins
Stickers	Stock & Bond Certificates
Surfboards	T-shirts
Teapots	Textiles
Thimbles	Ticket Stubs
Ties	Tins (e.g. cookie tins)
Tools	Toys
Trading Cards	Typewriters
Video Games	Vintage Fashion
Vintage Tech	Wallets
Watches	Whistles
Wine	Wristbands

Commemorative items are produced at a point in time as a limited run in order to celebrate something.

Ephemera are disposable items that aren't meant to last. These can quickly become rare. For example, concert posters that promote an event and are then torn down.

Memorabilia are artifacts of history. For example, a baseball from a world series game.

It is common for collections to be themed such that they seek various items from a time, place, event, culture, tradition or aesthetic. For example, an art deco collection that includes a variety of items such as art, furniture, architectural ornaments, wallpaper, magazines and posters.

Collectible vs Collectable

Collectible and collectable are synonymous with both being correct spellings. American English tends towards collectible and British English towards collectable.

In Defense of Collecting

Collecting is often summarily written off as being materialistic or stuck in the past. It nevertheless serves a purpose in preserving the past and identifying value that may be lost in new products. It is sustainable where you use the things you are collecting or find value in saving things that might have become waste. Collectors also typically have a strong sense of mono no aware -- a Japanese term that can be translated a "feeling for things." Collectors see things as emotionally durable, as having value that doesn't fade. They may form deep appreciation for things that tends to reward talented artists, craftspeople and designers. Life would surely be less rich if nobody ever bothered to preserve things of value.