Collecting Is Fun!

Collecting as a Hobby
Have you ever felt a little bored? When you have run out of ideas for things to do, it’s usually time to find a hobby. Collecting is a fun and satisfying hobby that you can enjoy for many years to come, and there are so many great things in the world for you to choose to collect. The things you decide to start collecting now might still be your favorite things to collect when you get older, or you might also decide to collect something totally different when you get older. But for now, any collection can be a lot of fun.

Some things you might think about collecting are small and some are large. So, you need to make sure you have enough space for your collection. Smaller things might be extra fun because you can take them places easily and show them off. Here are some ideas about what you can collect.

Things to Collect
You can collect anything you want, as long as your mom and dad give you permission. One really interesting item to collect is stamps. Stamps come in many different colors and sizes. If you have a pen pal, you can even ask him or her to send you stamps from wherever he or she lives. You can also ask your friends and family members to save their stamps for you. Other popular things to collect are:

• Trading Pins
• Comic Books
• Trading Cards
• Coins
• Seashells
• Rocks
• Lego
• Dolls or Stuffed Animals
• Toy Cars
• Adventure Stickers

There are so many options and lots of different reasons to start your own collection. Here are some of the best.

Collecting Helps You Remember Things, People or Places
One reason to collect things is to remember something, somewhere, or someone you care about. When you go on a trip, you might want something to bring back home with you. Something like a t-shirt, a postcard, or a hat lasts a long time and brings back great memories. Another good thing to collect is a pin that shows where you went on your trip, like this one of the Grand Canyon.

Collecting Helps You Learn
There are lots of things you can collect that can help you learn about history or the world around you. For example, many coins have pictures of famous people or places on them. Some have images of other symbols representing certain places or times. Stamps also teach us a lot about history and important people who have made a difference in the world.

You Can Use Your Collection to Make Friends

Collecting is a great way to make new friends. You can talk about your collection at show and tell in school or even show it to other kids on the bus. If you collect things like stamps, coins, or pins, you can give any duplicates you have to friends as presents or trade with friends who collect the same thing. That way, you can all build your collections faster.

Collecting for Fun or Later Value
The most important reason to collect something is FUN! But, after time, some collections can become very valuable. For example, a baseball card you add to your collection today could be worth a lot of money many years from now. But because you can’t predict what something will be worth in the future, for now, it’s best to focus on collecting just for the fun of it.

Taking Care of Your Collection
No matter what you collect, you need to take care of your collection. Make sure you learn how to do that. Some collectibles, like comic books, can fade if left in the sun. Some collectibles shouldn’t ever get wet. Some items also break easily, so you have to be careful about how you store and carry them. Taking proper care of your collection will ensure that you can enjoy it for a very long time.

Find amazing collectibles at the Spartan & the Green Egg website, where Explorers can find adventure awaiting.