The Toy Collector
Toy Collectors were once limited to antiques and very specialist people, but today with the easy of the internet and world wide site such as eBay and forums, collecting from the comfort of your own home has never been easier. The marketplace is open to all ages, genders and locations.
To become a Toy Collector in the true sense of the term you will have to do your homework and research, whether you are going to go onto the internet or into shops you need to know what you are looking for and what is not worth your hard earnt cash.
Before joining the toy collectors community you need to know some basic things, be honest with yourself and know why you want to collect toys, if it is to recapture some of those youthful years and wonderful memories, if so then the type of toys you want to collect will already been in your mind, although the type of toy collections are almost limitless what most people find is they start with one type of toy and rapidly progress into other areas as their interest grows.
If on the other hand your interest is financially based for investment and profit, your research and homework is of major importance.
Learning about quality, condition and pricing is essential for any collector, you can look at examples on the net, but there is nothing like hands on learning, tramping the boards so to speak, hands on experience is always the best learning ground. Learn about pristine, or near pristine condition of toys including their boxes.
The availability of any toy is also of great importance, the less there are available in the marketplace, the more valuable they become, that is important when you are buying and selling.
It is also vitally important to know basic rules of toy collectors, the difference between an antique or a collectable. An antique is over one hundred years old, and is always a collectable. However, a collectable toy is not always an antique it maybe well under one hundred years old, even an up to date modern toy, but it has a place as a collectable and a value for collecting it.
There are two values you need to ascertain on all your toys in your collection, the monetary value and your sentimental value. There well may be items that you do not want to ever sell on, there are others that knowing what others are willing to pay is key to your investment plan. But it is personal and you need to know your own boundaries.
As a true toy collector, you must enjoy the toys that are going to surround you, the aspects of this hobby are not just the acquiring and selling but the presentation and ownership, the appreciation and satisfaction of what you have. However, you also want your collection to be of value to others for a return on your investment as sometime.
