Collecting has evolved from a niche hobby, enjoyed by the eccentric or wealthy, into a viable mainstream investment vehicle.
Rare, covetable and collectible items such as art, sports memorabilia, comic books, toys, watches and even Pokémon cards are no longer merely the preserve of enthusiasts.
The collectibles market is changing quickly. It is expected to reach an amazing US$450 billion by 2026. The investment opportunity is exciting, interesting and lucrative.
Part of the reason for the increase in collectible investment opportunities is the general decrease in stability and return from traditional investments. Investment portfolios need to become more diversified to remain relevant and yield good returns. You can expect collectibles to appreciate and gain value. Their tangible and rare nature of collectibles make them very appealing alternative assets.
What Are Collectibles?
Collectibles have both physical and intrinsic value. They also hold a unique value tied to their culture, history, or story. They are likely to stay stable or even increase in value when traditional investment markets are unstable. This makes them a good way to protect against uncertainty.
Collectibles and their attached values can be cyclical, even within their relative stability as an investment.
Items can lose a bit of favour and then pop up again as ‘hot tickets’ within a new generation imbuing the items with increased cultural significance and monetary value. Take, for example, certain comic books and vinyl records. They have evolved from everyday items to coveted assets imbued with meaning and values of a bygone era. This value comes about as society changes, as it has rapidly in the last century.
Once an item has been in existence long enough to have a cultural significance, the item gains value due to its scarcity and condition. The number of items still in existence and the way they are preserved contribute greatly toward ascertaining value. For example, early 20th Century baseball cards in perfect condition can have very high values.
As with any market, supply and demand dictate value.
Some of the factors that affect the evolution of collectibles as investment
The rapid technological advancements of the last 50 years and creation of the Internet has connected collectible buyers and sellers across the globe, creating a larger, more accessible, transparent, knowledgeable and diverse market.
Economic downturns and volatile economic landscapes have seen previously unlikely collectibles investors see the viability in the market. The influence of Pop Culture and celebrity is not to be ignored with the rise of collectibles investment. Values can shoot up with endorsements from cultural icons like Michael Jordan, Marilyn Monroe and Oprah Winfrey. Nostalgic and emotional connections to physical items increase their value, as with the resurgence in popularity and value of vinyl records.
Historically significant events and cultural markers can give items high value if they are synonymous with that period in time. Examples are radios from the 1950’s and the rise of rock n’ roll as popular music, or the Apollo 11 moon landing and TV sets from around 1969.
As technology in preservation techniques advances, and collectibles gain even more traction in investment value, their condition is maintained for longer, preserving and increasing their value over time. Global reach also means that geography means less, and what was once only valuable in one region has become valuable everywhere, for example, Japanese anime figures.
Everyday objects gain value because of human nature. We want to connect with our memories, culture, and history. The collectibles market is undoubtedly growing and maturing, creating new opportunities for collectors and investors.
The Collectibles Evolution - A Timeline
To understand where we are with collectibles as investments, lets have a look at how the concept started and evolved:
Pre-20th Century
Collectible art, rare coins, stamps and antiques were valued for their historical significance or pleasing aesthetics. Collectors collected due to prestige or personal interest, and not for investment potential or possible financial return. Collecting was the preserve of a few wealthy individuals and the broader public did not know about or view the collections as valuable assets.
Early 20th Century
The concept of organizing collections began to emerge, specifically with coins and stamps being created as part of official catalogs. This was pivotal in terms of people seeing a possible future for rare pieces to hold high financial value going forward.
Collectibles were mostly about personal interest, not investment.
Mid-20th Century
Although collecting was still a very niche activity, the post World War II era showed a steady climb in interest in collectible items such as baseball cards and stamps. Early adopters started seeing potential appreciation in value of these items, but the proof still remained to be seen.
1970s–1990s
It was during this period that a tangible shift in thinking around collectibles as investments took place. The rise of media access and information has changed the collectibles market. New dealers and industry standards have emerged. Grading and authentication of items like trading cards have made collectibles a popular investment.
New classes of collectibles gained traction and prestige, such as:
Comic Books and Action Figures – First edition superhero comics started to be viewed as long-term future investments. Things that were previously considered basement staples started emerging as valuable collectibles if kept in good condition – especially those from classic franchises such as Star Wars.
Trading Cards and Sports Memorabilia – A baseball card boom and the professionalisation of certification bodies such as PSA and Beckett gave gravitas to collectibles in terms of authenticity, condition and subsequent long-term investment viability. Cards such as a Mickey Mantle Baseball card from 1952 hold the current record price for an individual sports card - US$12.6 million on August 28, 2022.
Antiques, Art and Fine Wines – These, more traditional markets also expanded as personal treasures for connoisseurs to curate and as investment hedges against financial instability and inflation.
2000’s
The internet changed the collectible landscape dramatically. Technological integration and online marketplaces such as eBay allowed collectibles to be bought and sold easily and transparently. The previous geographic, cultural, financial and accessibility barriers were broken.
This change made markets more popular. They used to be very niche. Now, people trade many different items. This includes worn sneakers and beanie babies.
Items once seen as basement staples are now valuable collectibles. This is especially true for those from classic franchises like Star Wars, if they are kept in good condition. The concept of scarce or limited production products gaining value over time became securely entrenched in the global psyche.
2010s–Present We are dedicated to making these investment categories available to many people. We help investors, collectors, and enthusiasts join in various asset classes. These classes have prices set by the market. Investors can control their liquidity easily. Our services have lower ownership costs than our competitors. We also have simple investor qualifications and no annual fees.
2010s–Present
The collectibles arena was re-revolutionised and added to with the dramatic rise of blockchain technology and Digital Art and NFTs (Non Fungible Tokens) as valuable collectibles. Digital art, in-game items, and even virtual real estate became valuable commodities. NFTs showed how the notion of ownership could evolve with technology.
The flattening and globalisation of the collectibles market continues, rare-item investment has become far more mainstream. Classically traditional auction houses, previously associated with wealth and elitism, such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s, regularly hold auctions for the valuable ‘non traditional’ itemssuch as pop art, comics and sports memorabilia. Celebrities, royalty, international investors and everyday people have all become players in the global collectibles market.
What terms do we use when we talk about the evolution of collectibles as an investment?
Fractional Ownership: New technologies and platforms have emerged that allow investors to buy fractional shares in high-value collectibles. Companies like aSharex offer a way for people to invest in rare, vintage items, art and other collectibles buying shares within that one item. This reduces the barriers to entry and democratises the collectibles process dramatically. Average investors can access the high-growth potential of valuable collectibles that would ordinarily be out of their investment portfolio bracket as way too expensive.
Alternative Asset Class: The need and desire to diversify an investment portfolio due to rising stock market volatility and low interest rates has seen many investors turn to tangible assets.
Luxury watches, rare vintage vehicles, historical coins, fine art and sports memorabilia are all viable financial investment asset alternatives. Nostalgic and emotional ties to physical items make them more valuable. This is seen in the growing popularity and value of vinyl records.
Antiques, art, and fine wines are traditional markets. They grew as personal treasures for collectors. They also serve as investments against financial instability and inflation.These items are known to help protect against economic instability. They also have the potential for long-term value growth.
Limited Edition Items and Pop Culture: A dramatic rise in all items nostalgic, especially to less technologically driven times has added great value to pop culture memorabilia. With the rise of streaming services, items related to movies, TV shows, and even specific brands (limited edition sneakers) are high investment contenders. Rarity and an intense fan culture surrounding certain items has led to viable increases in value.
Digital Collectibles and Cryptocurrency: Collectibles (beyond NFTs) related to cryptocurrency and digital tokens have raised a lot of interest. Virtual real estate, rare domain names and original digital art have become positioned as highly collectible, creating the next wave of high potential investment value for early adopters and forward thinkers.
What are the investment risks with the new era of collectibles?
With collectibles becoming viable investment options, not purely a hobbyist indulgence, come some attached risks.
Condition and authenticity: Values are very dependent on this, and fraudulent or counterfeit products have proliferated. Grading services and reputation are critical because of this.
Liquidity: Collectibles cannot often be sold very quickly, especially in depressed economic times. Value can be very subjective according to personal whims, cultural zeitgeist and speculation.
Volatility: A market that sees dramatic increases naturally has the other side of the coin – dramatic decreases.
What is next in the Evolution of Collectibles as an Investment Opportunity?
The next big thing in collectibles and investment is that rare dragon or unicorn we all wish we could predict with certainty, for our own back pockets. What can be said with certainty is that the future is buzzing with opportunity and expansion for the collectible enthusiast and the serious investor.
The continual integration of digital platforms and technology as well as the desire for rare items and tangible market for nostalgic and historical objects and cultural markers and differentiators is more than likely to expand significantly.
Key Movements to Watch:
Eco-Conscious and Sustainable Collectibles: Environmental concerns and facts will continue to grow, shifting to collectibles with eco-friendly aspects to them.
Blockchain and NFTs: Blockchain technology in the collectibles market is in the early stages and hard to predict accurately but has potential to shift the way we think about rarity and ownership.
Cultural Shifts and New Markets: Pop culture collectibles will continue to evolve, with new categories gaining traction as investment vehicles.
Collecting as Self Expression and Investment: Hybrid and remote work means that the home and personal environment have more invested in them. Curating unique collections and integrating them into their living spaces makes collecting a form of self-expression and a valuable investment.
Read more : Emerging Trends in Alternative Investments in 2025
‘Collectible Galleries’ as Features
A collectible gallery is a bespoke area created to display a curated collection. This is where the passion and the investment meet for people who spend a lot of time and money on their collections.
Creating a gallery can protect an investment and allow it to appreciate over time and remain in good condition using climate-controlled display. High security systems and customised curation enhances aesthetic value of homes and increases interest value considerably.
Sports and celebrity worlds often collide – a sports memorabilia gallery could see game stained clothing, signed balls, rare trading cards, autographed balls and worn sneakers displayed with beautiful, custom lighting and plaque inscriptions that give historical context.
Pokémon collectors might create a space with glass shelves. These shelves will show off their rare cards. This keeps the cards safe and easy to see.
The rise of these private galleries is a natural extension of the growing interest in collectibles as an investment class. As collectors accumulate more valuable items, there is a desire not just to store them but to display them in a way that reflects their personal connection to the items and the significant financial investment they represent.
Digital Platforms Democratize High-Value Asset Ownership
aShareX is the first and only fractional auction house. Our new technology allows fractional bidders to compete with traditional 100% bidders. They can bid for valuable assets like art, collectibles, gems, cars, real estate, and more.
With a commitment to making these investment categories accessible to a broad audience, we empower investors, collectors and enthusiasts to participate in a variety of asset classes with market-determined prices, investor-controlled liquidity, ease-of-use, lower costs of ownership than competitors, modest investor qualifications and no annual fees.
Why not have some fun and Test Drive an Auction with no risk involved?
Leave a Comment