COLLECTABLE

noun Also written collectible (especially in the US) (Lifestyle and Leisure) Any article which might form part of a collection or is sought after by collectors, especially a small and relatively inexpensive item or one expressly produced for collectors. Etymology: Formed by turning the adjective collectable into a noun. In its more general sense the adjective simply means 'that may be collected', but it has been used by collectors to mean 'worth collecting, sought after' since the end of the last century. History and Usage: Not a particularly new word--even as a noun--among collectors themselves, but one which has enjoyed increased exposure in the past decade, partly through the boom in collecting as a hobby. The noun is nearly always used in the plural. What distinguishes all these catalog 'collectibles' is that they are at once ugly, of doubtful value, and expensive. Paul Fussell Class (1983), p. 119 The wonderful thing about 'collectables' is that anyone with just a few extra pounds can become a collector. Miller's Collectables Price Guide 1989-90, volume 1, p. 5