Contemporary Collectibles

A collectable (collectible or collector's item) is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector, and not necessarily monetarily valuable or antique. A "manufactured collectible" (often referred to as a contemporary collectible) is an item made specifically for people to collect. Examples of items commonly sold as collectibles include plates, figurines, bells, graphics, steins, and dolls. Special editions, limited editions and variants on these terms fall under the category of manufactured collectables and are used as a marketing incentive for various types of product. They were originally applied to products related to the arts—such as books, prints or recorded music and films—but are now used for cars, fine wine and many other collectables. A special edition typically includes extra material of some kind. A limited edition is restricted in the number of copies produced, although that number may or may not be low. Items sold in limited editions may be limited by an announced quantity, or by a particular period of production (for items that are not mass-produced), often one year. In either case, items may or may not be numbered. Modern collectibles including movie memorabilia, McDonald's Toys, beanie babies, and other popular recent productions. Film memorabilia are objects considered of value because of their connection to the cinema. These include costumes, props, advertising posters, and scripts, among other things. Fans have always coveted memorabilia. In the early days, most people sought autographs or original photographs or posters. Prior to the internet, collectors had to rely on a handful of news magazines that were full of various sellers offering mail order catalogues or asking to buy bulk lots, or particular items of interest. Occasionally, events would be organized which were structured around a live auction. Collectors and dealers spread out across the globe and no real consistent and reliable way to communicate with one another. Movie studios were slow to recognize the value of their property, and stored or reused props after their use in their initial productions. Often, workers would just take souvenirs or sell items without permission, aware that their employers did not particularly care. One of the more notorious of these was costumer Kent Warner, who amassed a large private collection and made money selling to interested buyers. One of his friends claimed that Warner rescued Humphrey Bogart's Casablanca trench coat, which had been slated for burning. Collecting changed in 1970 when MGM decided to auction off hundreds of thousands of items to clear out storage areas. The auction was an immense success and made people take notice.