MAKING money from collecting is a growing industry.
Whether it’s art, toys, coins, stamps – or even comic books – items are considered collectible if they’re worth more now than when they were originally sold.
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For example, if you were lucky enough to buy a Star Wars Back Vinyl Jawa action figure for $5 (£4) in 1980 and it’s still in great condition, you can now expect it to fetch upwards of $7,739 (£6,099).
Meanwhile, some rare Pokemon trading cards have increased in value by over 10,000% since their release in 1996, according to XTB.com.
So what kind of items should you be looking out for now that could make you a small fortune in the future?
The Sun spoke to collectibles experts to find the must-buy items.
Before you go spending thousands on potential collectible items, it’s worth bearing in mind collectibles aren’t guaranteed to make any profit – and it’s all about doing your research.
Deadpool & Wolverine figurines
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Everyone went Barbie-mad after last year’s box-office hit – and the collectors’ market reported a boost in sales of vintage Barbie dolls afterwards.
Ahead of the newly released Deadpool & Wolverine film, action figures of the Marvel superheroes were launched by Hasbro – and Rachel reckons the competition to get them plus their scarcity will make them collectibles of the future.
“Toy manufacturers like Mattel and Hasbro etc have been doing this since the 1980s and toys from that time – Transformers, Masters of the Universe, Barbie, My Little Pony) are very collectable today,” Rachel Toy, owner of Rachel’s Vintage Retro, said.
Ikea’s comeback collection
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To celebrate 80 years of IKEA, the brand re-issued some of their most iconic homewares this year in a collection called Nytillverkad.
They include 1950s side tables, 1970s coat stands and 1980s fabrics – and Rachel says these could be worth buying because they are limited edition.
Special edition Taylor Swift vinyls
Another item worth looking out for is special edition vinyl versions of pop megastar Taylor Swift’s albums.
Only a few are available of each release and some have special features like coloured vinyl, bonus tracks and special inserts.
“If an artist is popular, their music will always be collectible, now and into the future,” says Rachel.
“When the artist fades from the limelight there is usually a nostalgia for their music as fans get older and new fans find them.”
Rachel says the most valuable collectibles are “usually things that they didn’t make many of at the time”, as well as luxury brand items with iconic designs – such as those by Tiffany, Rolex, Gucci and Harrods.
One of the most important factors is how good condition the item is.
Ideally you want it to be in perfect mint condition with no damage or repairs.
When it comes to toys, ones that have not been played with and still in their original packaging are the most sought after.
Gold coins
Another potentially valuable investment could be in gold coins – particularly those with historical significance.
In 2016, the first of the Queen’s Beast series – the Lion of England – cost around £900 at launch.
Today the coin is valued at around £3,500 ‘loose’ (just the coin) with a graded coin (authenticated, graded for quality, and then sealed for protection) valued upwards of £4,000.
Paul Williams, managing director at Solomon Global, says these three collectible coins are worth looking out for and are likely to increase in value.
2023 Britannia
The Royal Mint produces a different design of Britannia coins every year and they’re considered highly collectible.
However it could be particularly worth investing in 2023 Britannia coins with the late Queen Elizabeth II’s effigy, as only 20,000 to 30,000 of these were produced.
By comparison, about 850,000 Britannia coins are produced each year.
King Charles Coronation Coin
These were in a limited 10,000 production and it’s the only coin where the King wears his crown.
Queen’s Beast series
Mr Williams says this limited 10,000 run is “the most popular series of coins ever made”.
These coins are based on the ten statues which stood guard outside Westminster Abbey for the Queen’s Coronation in 1953.
Solomon Global says all of these coins mentioned are likely to increase in value more than the spot value of gold (which is usually 10% per year).
It recommends holding onto gold coins for at least three to five years, and as long as possible, to get the maximum value increase.
What are the most rare and valuable coins?
- Five rarest coins – do you have one?
- The 13 most valuable £2 coins in circulation
- How valuable are the rarest £1 coins?
- Most rare and valuable 50p coins in circulation
- Rare and most valuable 20p coins that could be worth up to £750
- Rarest 10p coins in circulation
- Rare 2p coins revealed
- How to check if you have a rare and valuable banknote
How rising football stars could earn you some extra cash
If you’re a football fan, that knowledge could be worth something.
Daniel Fisher is general manager of livestream shopping platform Whatnot UK, and says football trading cards are extremely collectible if you know what to look out for.
He says that during the Euros this year, two Topps Finest Lionel Messi trading cards sold for £26,000.
Cards often become more valuable towards the end of a top player’s career, but people will also search for the rookie years of a player who has now made it big.
For example, he says Manchester City star Erling Haaland’s rookie year has now become “very, very valuable”.
If you’re wanting to make some money on football trading cards, he recommends looking at the players coming into this Premier League season and making a call on whether they might become a big star of the future.
The hot rookie sports card right now is Spain’s Lamine Yamal.
“People understandably believe he has a big career ahead and these cards may therefore go up in value in the future,” Daniel said.
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