Top 10 Most Valuable Types of Collectibles in the World
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Top 10 Most Valuable Types of Collectibles in the World

Collectibles are a passion for many people. From multi-million dollar collectible cars to Star Wars action figures to rare collectible coins, the genres of collectibles are many. Doculife Dec 2, 2020·8 min read

One thing that is consistent however is the passion collectors have for the act of finding, organizing and displaying their collection of treasures.

Below is a list of popular collectibles and some of the most valuable items within each genre.

1. Comic Book Collecting

A 1938 copy of Action Comics #1 sold in 2014 for $3.21 million on eBay. Action Comics #1 featured the first appearance of Superman and originally cost only 10 cents. It is easily the highest amount paid for a comic book in history.

In 1962 Marvel Comics released Amazing Fantasy, №15, the last issue in the series, featuring the very first appearance of Spiderman. The comic originally cost 12 cents. In 2011 a comic book collector paid a reported $1.1 million for the right to own a copy.

Collecting comics is a fun hobby and passion. Many comic book collectors focus on a character they identify with or a brand like DC or Marvel. Displaying your comic book collection online is a great way to share your collection with other comic book collectors far and wide.

2. Coin Collecting

In 1894 the San Francisco Mint produced only 24 Barber dimes, named after its designer. This is one of the rarest coins to collect and even more rarely come up for sale. For reasons that cannot be verified the mint superintendent chose to only strike 24 and share them with banker friends. The dime was not scheduled to be minted for that year. At a January 7, 2016 auction by Heritage the finest example to date sold for $1,997,500.

Collecting coins is a great hobby shared by many. There is many unique currencies around the world to collect. Putting your coin collection online to share with other coin collecting enthusiasts has never been easier.

3. Stamp Collecting

Stamp collecting has fascinated collectors for decades. The rarest of collectible stamps typically come from mistakes or short run, rare proof sheets. The rarer the stamp — combined with its age — the more valuable it is to collect.

This 24 cent stamp pictured above was produced in 1918. It is appropriately nicknamed the “Inverted Jenny” for its upside-down biplane. Only 100 were made. Most recently one sold in 2016 for $1.35 million.

Organizing your own stamp collection into stamp collecting books is a great way to preserve and showcase the collection. Taking pictures of each stamp combined with a written history in a digital album is a great way to showcase your stamp collection online to other collectors around the world.

4. Trading Card Collecting

Even those who have never collected a baseball card know the Honus Wagner tobacco card. It’s fame exceeds the sport and hobby into the mainstream due to its scarcity and value.

In 2016 a 1909–11 T206 Honus Wagner baseball card fetched $3.12 million making it the most valuable baseball card in history. Reportedly, fewer than 200 copies of the card were ever made.

While this is an extreme example of a valuable baseball card, baseball card collecting is a massively popular hobby with multiple baseball card companies producing cards and limited edition sets. Baseball card collecting shows are still popular from coast to coast. Most display their collection in 9 pocket plastic sleeves in a 3-ring binder, or acrylic baseball card holders.

Sharing your trading card collection online in a digital form has never been easier. Display your most prized and valuable cards for other collectors to see and enjoy, along with certification and back history if desired.

5. Movie Collectibles

Movie collectibles are highly sought after items due to their scarcity and attached story. Typically the collectible is a movie prop, one of only a few made if not the only one, and used or worn by someone famous.

For example in 2014 the original costume worn by the Cowardly Lion in the wildly popular classic “Wizard of Oz” sold at auction for $3.1 million, and is said to be made of real fur.

Harrison Ford’s BlasTech DL-44 blaster prop from “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” sold for a whopping $550,000 at auction in 2018 to the museum chain Ripley’s Believe it or Not!.

Movie collectibles come in all forms however, from props to costumes to movie posters to autographs. Often times a fan of a movie collects everything they can about that one movie. Other enthusiasts collect items they like according to genre like horror or science fiction movies.

Share your movie collectibles collection online with movie collectible enthusiasts everywhere. Add notes to the history of a piece along with articles of authenticity and even video clips where the movie collectible is featured.

6. Collectible Watches

Collecting watches can be a great investment. They can also make you look stylish and trendy, while being functional. Watches are one of the rare collectibles that you can actually use from time to time, at the right occasion, unlike many of the other items featured on this list. Collecting watches is a fun hobby and passion. Watches are typically valued by the materials used, scarcity of the model, and its maker’s history. Below is an example of the very valuable, rare collectible watches.

The most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction is the Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 in Stainless Steel for just over $11 million. Cased in high-grade stainless steel, the 1518 is the first in a limited edition four-piece series by Patek Phillipe.

7. Collectible Wine

Thomas Jefferson was said to be America’s first wine connoisseur. Before becoming president he was Minister to France in 1785 until the start of the French Revolution. After his return he would order wine for himself and George Washington from France, asking the bottles be marked with their initials.

This particular bottle was found behind a bricked up cellar wall in an old building in France. Its preservation was near perfect. There are almost no preserved examples of 18th century wines, so the 1787 bottle of LaFite with the initials “Th. J.” was a great find for the world of wine enthusiasts.

The bottle sold at auction to the son of the Forbes magazine empire for $157,000, the highest price ever paid for a bottle of wine.

Wine collecting is a great passion, one in which you can enjoy through drinking when the time is right. Sharing your wine collection online is very satisfying. Wine has such a rich story history with regards to how and where it is grown and the history of the winery itself. Adding all this context to the collected wine can make it even more valuable.

8. Antique Collectibles

This 900 year old bowl fetched $37.68 million at auction in Hong Kong. Its price is due to its age and rarity. The kiln with which it was produced ran for only a couple decades, and produced these striking pottery with a blue green finish and ice-crackle pattern throughout. The bowl measures only 13cm and was used for washing brushes.

You never know what you might find at that next yard sale. During the summer of 2007 in New York State a small white bowl was purchased for a mere $3. Little did the buyer know, and would soon discover, the Chinese porcelain bowl was 1,000 years old and eventually sold at auction for $2.2 million.

9. Collectible Cars

One of the longest cars in the world is also one of the most expensive. The 1931 Bugatti Type 41 Coupe, also known as The Royale, measured 21 feet from bumper to bumper. It featured a massive 12.7 liter V8. It sold at auction in 1987 for $9.7 million, worth more than $20 million in todays dollars. It was sold again in 2001 to an anonymous buyer. Only 6 were ever produced.

Ferraris are one of the most collectible cars for the rich and famous looking to make an investment. For example a 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale sold for $26.4 million at auction in 2015. Ferraris make up 22 of the top 30 most expensive cars ever sold.

Showcasing your car collection online for other car collector enthusiasts around the world to enjoy has never been easier. Display photos, notes on history, sale documents, previous owner profiles and more to make your car collection complete.

10. Collectible Hand Bags

One might not think a purse or handbag to be that valuable, but here are some stunning examples of them worth hundreds of thousands and yes, millions.

Hermés, one of the most famous fashion accessory brands out of Paris, partnered with jeweler Pierce Hardy to create the Kelly Rose Gold bag. Only 12 were made and feature 1160 diamonds and is made of solid rose gold. The bag is valued at $2 million.

Another bag by Hermés worth $1.4 million was designed by Japanese designer Ginza Tanaka. The Hermés Birkin bag is made of platinum and features 1000 diamonds with an 8-karat removable diamond that can also be worn as a broach accessory.

While not all bags are worth millions, many are worth thousands to hundreds of thousands. Showcasing your collection online has never been easier. Share your handbag collection with other collectors around the world.