The urge to collect precious items is a common one. From young girls who like to collect dolls to celebrities with collections of valuable vintage cars, nearly everyone has a passion to collect one kind of item or another.
The precious items that were once owned by the queens and kings are now collected by businessmen, successful investors, and anyone with a little money to spare. In this article, we’re going to dive into the most valuable types of collectables you can own.
1. Art
Art is one of the most tradition types of collections: wealthy people have collected paintings and other forms of artwork for hundreds of years. Today, art collecting remains more popular than ever, whether as a major investment or simply due to an interest in fine art. Although art work can be extremely valuable – Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvador Mundi was sold for $450 million in 2017 – there are also much more affordable options for entry-level art collectors.
2. Antique Furniture Pieces
Antique furniture is another popular and highly valuable collectable. However, in order to be successful in collecting valuable antique furniture, you need to have a certain degree of knowledge. The value of these items depends on a number of factors, including the designer, style and intricate details. These factors can be difficult to discern if you’re not an expert. On the other hand, if you are not looking for a financial investment but rather lovely pieces to decorate your home, you can simply choose the antique furniture you like and enjoy using it!
3. Rare Coins and Currency
Coin collecting can also be highly lucrative, but also requires a certain degree of knowledge to be successful. Rare coins and currency can be very valuable, but you need to know what you’re looking for. A rare US quarter from 1916, for example, can be worth up to $3000 for a single coin, or up to $5000 for an uncirculated coin. For amateurs, this is a great way to learn about periods of history and other countries by collecting their coins. A big advantage of coin collections is that they are relatively easy to store and keep in mint condition.
4. Classic Cars
Classic cars, from the earliest turn-of-the-century models to the American classics of the 1970s, are another very valuable and relatively common collectable. A large collection of classic cars is certainly not realistic for everyone, considering not only the cost of the items themselves but also storage and maintenance expenses. It is not only cars from 50 or 100 years ago that can be extremely valuable: more modern but rare and exotic models can also be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
5. Toys
Children love to collect toys, from dolls to matchbox cars. However, collecting toys is not just for children: many adults collect rare and vintage toys of all kind and some of these can be very valuable. People may keep their own toys from childhood as mementos, or collect other toys that remind them of those days. As with any collectable, this kind of demand makes the items valuable. Dolls, action figures, Star Wars figures and board games are some of the most popular toys to collect.
6. Stamps
Stamps are another very traditional form of collectible that can also be very valuable. The philatelic art is stronger than ever: successful Singaporean businessman Richard Tan, for example, spent more than $2.5 million on his stamp collection. This is a fascinating hobby for people who are interested in arts and history. It is a great pastime for people who like to learn about different places, their origins, and the environment and politics at the time these stamps were developed. Stamp collection is an excellent way to learn about different places and their history.
7. Luxury Watches
Timepieces are another popular collectible, and when it comes to luxury watches, these collections can be worth millions. Although you can find relatively affordable second hand watches online, some rare models can be extremely valuable. Unlike other types of collectibles, the value of a watch is not linked to its age but more to do with brand, condition and provenance. That is, a watch that was worn by a famous person or at a famous event is extremely valuable. For example, some of the most valuable timepieces in the world today are watches carried by Neil Armstrong on the first moon landing, and Sir Edmund Hillary when climbed Mt Everest.
8. Jewellery
Collecting jewellery is a luxury that is certainly not available to everyone. With each piece of fine jewellery being worth thousands or even millions of dollars, it is not surprising that fine jewellery collections are extremely valuable. Being much easier to secure than large collections of classic cars, for example, it is not surprising that along with celebrities and socialities, large companies are now also amassing large collections of jewels as an investment.