subject: Collecting Fantasy Collectibles As A Hobby [print this page] The world of fantasy collectibles is a very broad church and a fascinating hobby that will keep you engaged for many years. In recent years the fantasy genre has really come to the fore in movies and literature for all ages. The Lord of the Rings films gave a great fillip to a style of movie that had earned itself a name as the province of low-budget nonsense majoring in scantily clad maidens in distress. Buffy the Vampire Slayer introduced a hitherto unseen sophistication and humor to the fantasy world.
Youngsters too have really taken to fantasy in recent years: Harry Potter, the boy wizard has become a world-wide phenomenon and the Twilight films are sparking scenes of fan worship older people will associate with the height of Beatlemania. With the explosive growth of the genre has come a similar explosion in associated memorabilia and collectible items: from film posters to spin-off books and costumes to beautifully realized figurines.
To get started in a fantasy collection is not difficult. Cinemas showing fantasy films will often stock a range of related collectibles too and toy stores and department stores too will have something in stock. Although the main target audience for much of this new fantasy material is young, people of all ages can enjoy collecting fantasy collectibles.
And, if you want to get more serious about your collection and perhaps branch out into collectibles not related to blockbusting film hits you'll want to find some specialist shops. Try your local comic book store which will often stock some of the more hard-to-find collectibles as part of their stock - you may wish to add a fantasy comic book collection to your hobby while you're at it.
Fantasy is particularly well-suited to the internet where you'll find any number of message boards, groups and forums related to particular fantasy franchises and genres as well as swap and sell sites. Although many of these collectibles are sold to be painted by the buyer and played with by children, for your collection to maintain the optimum value it's actually best to keep everything in its original packaging.
E-Bay is just the best known of the auction sites and certainly worth looking through; always bear in mind that many sellers will categorize these potentially valuable items as toys when you're searching. Collecting has turned into a worldwide business for many. What will your next collection hold?
