In this new periodic feature, Bob Brooke offers personal insights into the world of antiques and antiques collecting.

LATEST EXTRA!_______________________________________

Created to be Collected
by Bob Brooke

Today, people collect almost anything. But just because they collect a particular group of related items doesn’t mean that their collection will be worth anything in the future. In fact, some contemporary collectibles go in and out of favor faster than the blink of an eye.

While some of these collectibles do hold and eventually appreciate in value, many do not. One of the reasons for this is the producers of the items make and distribute way too many of them. Many modern collectibles also have a small collector base, thus the number of collectibles overwhelm the market.

Take Hess Toy Trucks, for example. When the Hess Oil Company first produced their namesake toy trucks, there was a lot of excitement among toy collectors. Originally, the trucks sold for a modest $1.39 in 1964, but as the years rolled on, the price kept increasing until today when the price of a truck, car, boat, or plane has gotten so high, it has exceeded its collectible value.

Too many people jumped on the Hess Truck bandwagon, some purchasing two trucks—one to keep sealed in its box and another for their child to play with. The company made lots of money because these novice collectors believed their trucks would be worth something someday. Unfortunately, only the earliest ones from the 1980s have any substantial value.

Another toy collectible that faded into obscurity was the Cabbage Patch doll. Along the same lines were the Beanie Babies. These two trendy collectibles left many novice collectors holding the bag.

So what’s the difference between traditional collectibles and those made purposely to be collected? Before the vast array of vintage collectibles and popularity of collecting them, traditional collections included stamps, coins, railroad items, airline items, baseball cards, etc. The main difference is that the former are items made for everyday uses or as part of advertising campaigns while the latter are produced to be collected.

A manufactured collectible is an item made specifically to be collected. Examples include plates, figurines, bells, graphics, steins, dolls, and art. Of all the collectible figurines, Hummels became one of the most collectible. These figurines originated from the artwork of Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel, a German artist and nun, whose drawings of children the Goebel Company transformed into porcelain figures beginning in 1935. Their popularity surged after World War II, particularly among American soldiers who brought them home as souvenirs, leading to a lasting collecting craze.

Manufacturers, looking to promote their products began to include the earliest manufactured collectibles as incentives with other products, such as cigarette cards in packs of cigarettes and baseball cards in packs of bubble gum. Popular items developed a secondary market and sometimes became the subject of "collectible crazes."

Cigarette makers over a century ago provided the earliest popularly collected versions of most trading cards—issuing one per pack. At that time, most of the cigarette cards featured images of sports figures, but eventually, cigarette manufacturers began including images of various subjects from outside the world of sports. These included scenes of famous places, exotic animals, and people from the world of entertainment.

But the cigarette makers decided to stop including trading cards in their packs. Bubble gum makers like Topps took up the reins. It became the leading producer of sports and non-sports trading cards, designing them to be collected into sets. But to do so required young collectors to buy lots and lots of packages of bubble gum in order to find the cards they needed to complete a set.

To encourage collecting, manufacturers often create an entire series of a given collectible, with each item differentiated from the others. Examples include sports cards depicting individual players, or different designs of Beanie Babies. Many collectors try to assemble a complete set of the available variations.

Collector editions are another way of supporting collectibles. They’re typically produced in a limited amount and often contain additional content that can add value to the collectible. These limited editions were originally applied to products related to the arts, such as books, prints, or recorded music and films.

Both retailers and manufacturers have used collectibles to increase sales. One use is in the form of licensed collectibles based on intellectual properties, such as images, characters and logos from literature, music, movies, radio, television, and video games. A large subsection of licensing includes advertising, brand name, and character collectibles, such as Snoopy and Charlie Brown. McDonalds did this with Snoopy.

Another use of collectibles in retail is in the form of prizes—items of nominal value packaged with or included in the price of a retail product at no additional cost—and premiums or items that can be "purchased" by redeeming coupons, boxtops, or proofs of purchase from the product along with a small fee to cover shipping and handling. Cereal manufacturers took advantage of the popularity of 1950s T.V. western characters, such as the Lone Ranger and Hopalong Cassidy.

And as if to prove their collectability, manufactured collectibles usually come with a Certificate of Authenticity. Also, each item is numbered, further implying its value. But value can be allusive. If there are too many items on the market, the demand for them goes down—and so does their value. So desperate collectors seek appraisals to prove the value of their collections.

The IRS created new regulations regarding appraisals. First, and foremost, any appraisal over one year old is worthless. Technically, it’s invalid, but can offer some insight. With drastically changing markets, most serious collectors view any appraisal over a year old with skepticism. Also, many “appraisals” and “certificates of authenticity” don’t have a date, name of the company, nor company address. These are completely worthless.

Early versions of a manufactured collectible, produced in smaller quantities before its popularity as a collectible developed, sometimes command exorbitant prices. Dolls and other toys made during an adult collector's childhood can command such premiums. Unless extremely rare or made as a one-of-a-kind, manufactured collectibles rarely prove to be a good investment.

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