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Originally Posted by Snapolit1
Great stuff. I appreciate the "collect what no one else is collecting" point. But that was easier to do decades ago. I feel like everyone collects everything now.
It's like how do you make money in real estate. One proven strategy is buy into a lousy neighborhood before it turns nice. But everytime I see a lousy neighborhood I see nothing but a lousy neighborhood. You used to be able to go on ebay and buy rundown houses in Detroit for $5. No idea if that is true anymore.
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That's the really difficult part. If I was any good at it, my collection would be a lot nicer.
The list of stuff that's already had its day and just isn't "big" anymore is huge.
Telephone/telegraph Insulators
Old bottles
Old ads for cars etc.
Beer cans
Hummel type things
Fiesta ware
Jadeite
Rocks and minerals
Old light bulbs
Old radios
Breyer horses
All stuff I've been into a little or not such a little. Maybe a lot less on the Hummel type stuff, but Mom liked it, so I learned about the series she liked. My sister was/is into the Breyer horses.
None of that stuff was really big, but most of it had published price guides.
Even some really fringe stuff has had its surges, I'm in a facebook group for people that collect vises, clamps and anvils... Yes, some people collect anvils. They often lament how only a couple years ago nice usable ones were maybe $1 a pound, but now that the show "forged in Fire" is popular, the millennials are bidding them up at farm auctions, and $3-4 is the going rate. (I watch the show with my 8 year old daughter, it's pretty good.)
I don't collect, but it's a goodplace to learn about them. Eventually I want one, and maybe if I can scrape together the money one of the decorated European ones from the 15-1700s
Someone could have had a nice little return if they'd bought a bunch maybe 4-5 years ago. But that opportunity has passed.