Do you have the next hot collectible at home?"
We hunt and preserve because we have that darn collector’s gene. Or because nostalgia for antiques and vintage memorabilia owns our hearts. Or because we have that special eye for the unique, the rare. or oddly alluring.
But also — we can admit it! — sometimes this boom-era collectibles culture makes us, yep, speculate on future windfalls.
We asked the Chesapeake Collectibles appraisers about what might be off everybody’s radar at the moment, but could show up years from now as shoebox, attic, and storage unit gold. Here are excerpts (which seem like treasures in themselves).
Lisa Jones, our pottery/porcelain/glass expert, was in her typically ebullient mode: “I don’t think about what objects the younger generations will want to collect in the future. I only think about my generation, and as an eternal Gen Xer I am firmly holding onto my vintage ‘80s clothing, Duran Duran albums, and colorful chunky plastic jewelry. Seriously, I have earrings that would make Cyndi Lauper drool!”
Ed Moreno, our show’s silver authority, had a short but delightfully divergent list: “Cameo jewelry, travel alarm clocks, and high-end high-fidelity amplifiers such as Marantz and McIntosh.”
Ross Kelbaugh, our memorabilia and ephemera sage, confessed to some fun strategies that made him danged difficult to concisely excerpt: “I have a few ‘secret’ collections of items that were widely available for a time, inexpensive, and under the radar of most collectors. One category is recalls — things that for some reason have been recalled by the manufacturers or distributors. One of my favorites is a group of ‘Ghostblasters’ that were a promotion by Hardee’s restaurants when the Ghostbuster II movie came out. They were a set of four and each one made special ‘ghost’ sounds. They were recalled because they were powered by small batteries, with 15 reports of the batteries being swallowed by children. I got one when they first came out, never returned it, and later picked up a complete set in the original packaging at a flea market.”
As a bonus, click HERE to see one of the 1989 TV commercials for Hardee's Ghostblasters toy.
But wait, there’s more! Kelbaugh noted that he skips the McDonald’s Happy Meal toys that have an established fan base, but collects the accompanying boxes, tray liners and cups. His summary wisdom: “So the rule is to save the stuff that they don’t want you to have or gets thrown away.”
In conclusion — well, for now — generalist appraiser Genice Lee shared the important benefit of insights from living with a teen child who collects! Ever heard of Jujutsu Kaisen (the web says the translation is Sorcery Battle)? It’s a Japanese manga (graphic novels) series. It’s exceptionally popular among young fans of the genre, so the inevitable question arises: What’s the collectible angle that won’t be fully appreciated until a couple of decades pass?
Breaking news – registration is now open for the Chesapeake Collectibles’ Season 13 taping weekend on October 4-5! Visit mpt.org/programs/chesapeakecollectibles/ today to reserve your spot.
Watch encore episodes on MPT-HD and our live stream on Mondays at 7:30 pm or anytime on the free PBS app and online at video.mpt.tv/show/chesapeake-collectibles/.
