After finding a reliable source of essentials like food, water and

clothing, after securing a mate and adequate shelter, mankind turns to

satisfying less essential, but nevertheless important, goals. One of those goals is

the acquisition of material goods.

Almost all of us feel a strong urge to surround ourselves with tangible items that are interesting, beautiful, rare or otherwise appealing - in other words, objects that are collectibles. It's almost as if it's part of our nature.

Collectibles are ...

Just about any type of object you could possibly imagine, including some that you would never think of as being collectible. Without a doubt, some of the items that intrigue you would not interest other people that you know. After all, "one man's trash is another man's treasure." But as we all know, something, somehow, somewhere, appeals to every one of us, and those things can form the basis of a large or small collection.

Items that relate to or somehow touch upon a topic that interests or appeals to people are, to those people, collectible. Put 100 people into a room, and because everyone's interests are so different, there probably won't be much duplication in what they collect. Collectors seek thousands of different types of items, everything from dolls to barbed wire, rare first-edition books to vinyl records, vintage clothing to movie memorabilia,

matchbook covers to vintage postcards. Just pick whatever type of object or topic interests you.

The thrill of the hunt.

Many people are willing and even eager to expend a great deal of time, money and/or energy in order to obtain collectibles and collectible memorabilia, simply because the items relate to a favorite subject or theme. Some collectibles are very valuable, but others are inexpensive or evenfree.

The main reason that most collectors seek out and acquire collectibles isn't because they are valuable (although some are) - it's because to the collector, collectibles and their subject are fascinating. The advent of the internet and online shopping has made the acquisition of collectibles even more exciting than in the past, expanding the scope of the hunt by opening up the entire world as a place to look for "that certain something."

Thousands upon thousands of items are collectible today. And many other items, including some that seem mundane and ordinary today, will become collectibles

in the future. Collectors are very passionate - and very diligent - about their collections. And they are always "on the hunt" for collectibles that relate to their topic.

Sometimes a collector must spend quite a bit of money in order to add a very hard-to-find item to his or her collection. Other collectibles are relatively inexpensive, and obtaining these types of pieces may require more time and effort than money. But collectors happily invest their time, trying to find these types of collectibles, even though they may have very little monetary value. A collector will go to great lengths to track down and obtain an inexpensive

piece that fills an important place in his or her collection. And jump for joy when that important, but inexpensive, collectible is finally located. For a collector, the "thrill of the hunt," and finally finding an elusive collectible, is an extremely satisfying feeling.