Definition of Vintage Collectible
The term vintage refers to a particular span of time. Collectibles are items deemed worthy of collecting because of their history, manufacturing process or for personal or nostalgic reasons. Vintage items that are 100 years old or less. Items older than 100 years are referred to as antiques.
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History
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The origin of collecting objects might not be detectable, but the history of particular items being collected is. Books have been collected and cataloged for centuries. Vintage collectibles, however, are a recent phenomenon that began to appear during the middle of the 19th century and is directly linked to the Industrial Revolution. Through new manufacturing practices, society began to have the capability to produce items in large quantities. In turn, they also had more leisure time and income and developed into a consumer culture that began to collect whatever appealed to them most. It wasn't until World War II that collectibles and the hobby of collecting began to grow.
Dates
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Dating an item is necessary to identify something as vintage. The dating process may be as simple as finding a maker's (manufacturer or artist) mark and year stamped on the item. Items that are not stamped with a date might need further research. Locating a maker's mark and tracking down the year through the manufacturer or a historical record of the manufacturer or by identifying the manufacturing process, a particular design theme or material used and verifying its history are techniques used to date a collectible.
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Types
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Collectibles fall into several categories--ephemera or paper products (posters, greeting cards, paper dolls), objects (toys, decorative items, dishes, give-aways), coins, stamps, books and clothing. Collectible items gain value because they fit a popular theme or era or were made by a particular person or company. They were often mass produced for the sole purpose of collecting (coins, stamps, books) and not necessarily made of valuable materials.
Value
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The value of a vintage collectible will rise and fall relative to its popularity, availability or condition. Some items might hold more value as a collection or a group than alone (watches, costume jewelry, matchbooks). Value can be identified through pricing guides, certified appraisers and following recent sales prices. Businesses like Kovel's track the prices of antiques and collectibles and provide them to collectors and other interested parties who want to find out the value of an item.
Locate
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Vintage collectibles can be found in vintage resale stores, collectible stores and through online auction sites. Sometimes antiques venues have areas dedicated to collectibles. Associations and organizations have formed around particular types of collecting; the Midwest Comic Book Association, the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Cracker Jack Collectors Association are a few examples.
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