It can be educational as well as a means of saving and investing but, most importantly of all, it is very enjoyable and will provide much pleasure to the keen collector. For some, their aim is to build a collection of notes based on a theme, eg annual dated notes, star notes, misprints, uncut notes, or collecting sets of notes consisting of each of the different designs by denomination. It can be a financially rewarding hobby, as scarce notes and notes in top condition are keenly sought by collectors and investors. Over the years the prices of rare and scarce notes have risen dramatically. The different series of Australian notes form a very interesting collection because they reflect not only technology changes, but also the notes tend to reflect the artistic and cultural values of the era in which they were issued, and they form an important part of Australia's history.
Polymer notes provide yet another unique collecting theme.
Australian notes have the added feature of incorporating the year of manufacture within the note's serial number. This enables collectors to acquire notes based on the year in which they are produced. There is also a growing interest in collecting polymer notes from the increasing number of countries which are issuing them. Note Printing Australia Limited makes available numismatic collectables on a regular basis, based on new note issues, commemorative notes of historical events, blocks of four notes and pairs. It offers collectors a free newsletter service.