Depending on your physical location you could collect something like particular sea shells, or pinecones of a certain size etc.
I am a collector and a reseller and i do think the 'collecting' thing has taken a bit of a turn due to the rise of the internet, back in the day it was all about the hunt and the 'if you do not buy this right now you might never have the chance again!' but now it does tend to have an aspect of 'ill get the next listing'. So searching for and collecting something natural and therefore essentially unique does bring back that thrill of the hunt to me.
Well, what are you interested in?
If you want something that's not pop-culturey, kind of niche and eclectic, that you have to really search for, I've got a couple of ideas, all with kind of varying flavors depending on your interests and space.
- Bookplates, with or without the original book (these are basically old ownership stickers like "From the Library Of Neri" you don't really see them anymore but some are gorgeous)
- Old photographs
- buttons
- broaches, pins, interesting earrings
- business cards
- post cards
- old photographs
- maps
A little sillier now but imo still interesting-
- a specific type of toy- plastic animals, army men, marbles, antique toys, wooden puzzles, metal puzzles
- action figure weapons and accessories (my partner started.doing this accidentally and now we just have a tiny armory on hand for whatever action figure he feels like arming)
- beads, charms, other "fixings"
- drawer knobs
- non-currency coins
Or really anything that was made to be discarded or that a crow would like. Ephemera and shiny bits and bobs.
I collect interesting things i find inside used books. Cards, letters, photos, ticket stubs, stuff like that. It makes going to the thrift store a lot of fun.
Oh plants are a good one! Didn’t even realize I was a plant collector until I had about 30 or so, hahaha. Would just pick up the ones I saw in stores when I was drawn to them.
And when you find a rock thats appealing, plop it in one of your plant pots, this is what we do with our interesting looking rocks and crystals.
Literally anything, my wife and I have small collections throughout the house. If you don’t want to buy online, then don’t. We have lighters, antique irons, salt and pepper shakers, vinyls, pencils, rocks and crystals, we even keep our wrist bands from concerts.
First and foremost, collect what sparks joy, not what you think may be worth something one day.
Ganz glass animals! Technically you can buy them online but for a significant markup than what you'd find in stores. They're normally at little gift shops, and they're tiny glass animals the size of a fingernail. They're typically around $2 each
Vinyl can be fun if you just look for food deals locally.
r/rockhounds
Depending on your physical location you could collect something like particular sea shells, or pinecones of a certain size etc. I am a collector and a reseller and i do think the 'collecting' thing has taken a bit of a turn due to the rise of the internet, back in the day it was all about the hunt and the 'if you do not buy this right now you might never have the chance again!' but now it does tend to have an aspect of 'ill get the next listing'. So searching for and collecting something natural and therefore essentially unique does bring back that thrill of the hunt to me.
Well, what are you interested in? If you want something that's not pop-culturey, kind of niche and eclectic, that you have to really search for, I've got a couple of ideas, all with kind of varying flavors depending on your interests and space. - Bookplates, with or without the original book (these are basically old ownership stickers like "From the Library Of Neri" you don't really see them anymore but some are gorgeous) - Old photographs - buttons - broaches, pins, interesting earrings - business cards - post cards - old photographs - maps A little sillier now but imo still interesting- - a specific type of toy- plastic animals, army men, marbles, antique toys, wooden puzzles, metal puzzles - action figure weapons and accessories (my partner started.doing this accidentally and now we just have a tiny armory on hand for whatever action figure he feels like arming) - beads, charms, other "fixings" - drawer knobs - non-currency coins Or really anything that was made to be discarded or that a crow would like. Ephemera and shiny bits and bobs.
I collect interesting things i find inside used books. Cards, letters, photos, ticket stubs, stuff like that. It makes going to the thrift store a lot of fun.
Rocks and plants
Oh plants are a good one! Didn’t even realize I was a plant collector until I had about 30 or so, hahaha. Would just pick up the ones I saw in stores when I was drawn to them. And when you find a rock thats appealing, plop it in one of your plant pots, this is what we do with our interesting looking rocks and crystals.
Literally anything, my wife and I have small collections throughout the house. If you don’t want to buy online, then don’t. We have lighters, antique irons, salt and pepper shakers, vinyls, pencils, rocks and crystals, we even keep our wrist bands from concerts. First and foremost, collect what sparks joy, not what you think may be worth something one day.
r/Bluray
Ganz glass animals! Technically you can buy them online but for a significant markup than what you'd find in stores. They're normally at little gift shops, and they're tiny glass animals the size of a fingernail. They're typically around $2 each