Collecting Collectables – A Trend That’s Here To Stay

Collectables have been around for centuries. Whether it’s collecting coins, cassette tapes or Labubus, people are attracted to owning items that hold a special value to them. The value of a collectible item predominantly comes from the personal significance and sentimental value it holds. They are also pretty universal as they are aimed at a myriad of different target markets – whether you are willing to pay a fiver to five hundred for it, or you’re a kid or a grown man. However, the true question is, what makes these collectables so desirable?  

Most of the time, the value of a collectable comes from the personal significance and sentimental value it holds, but collectable items can also be used as a way of monetary gain. For any mystery collectable, for example, cards – such as Match Attacks or Pokémon – as soon as you open that packet, you have instantly just increased or decreased the value. Some very sought after cards have even made it to auctions, with the most expensive collectible signed sports card featuring Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant sold for $12.932 million.   

There has also been a resurgence in the amount of people buying and collecting vinyls in the past year. Last year, the vinyl market experienced a 10.5% increase, resulting in the sale of 6.7 million records and revenue of £196 million in the UK. Consumers are investing in record players and collecting vinyl for a range of reasons: better sound quality, supporting artists, and maybe most importantly; decoration and aesthetic. Displaying vinyl is such an unmistakable way to demonstrate your music taste and personality and when done right, there is just something infinitesimally cool and chic about it.   

 

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However, in today’s day and age, especially with so much of our lives being on social media, we are constantly being bombarded with new content and the pressure to keep up to speed, especially on the consumerism side of things. We can see that overconsumption has been spurred on by social media, for example: collecting an excessive amount of Labubus or Sonny Angels, and this is also demonstrated through the excessive collection of vinyl.

Artists are continuing to release albums in vinyl format, while also releasing various different variants and limited editions of the same album. Taylor Swift has released over 30 variants of her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, and she is not the only one to promote and create the desire to buy them all. 

The comeback of collecting and buying vinyl have also led to vinyl shortages. Vinyl used to typically take two to three months to produce, but, due to demand, it later took closer to 10 to 14 months. Fortunately, a village in the Czech Republic has been responsible for manufacturing a large amount of vinyl which has taken a good bit of strain off of the supply chain. CD sales were slowly increasing in 2023 (by 2% more than the previous year), but seem to have recently dropped in popularity, mainly due to streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. 

 

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Labubus have taken the internet by a storm these past few months, with Pop Mart reporting a near 400% increase in demand so far in 2025. Its collectible ‘blind box’ strategy creates an element of mystery and excitement and gives the consumer an immediate dopamine rush when opening the box. Labubu unboxing videos have racked up millions of views and have heightened the demand for these creepy but cute plush toys.

With over 300 variants and many special editions, many people enjoy collecting them and showing them off online. Buying an excessive amount of Labubus is capitalism as its worst, as they are bought for their status and not their practicality. As they are also a fleeting trend, it is fair to assume that they will end up in landfill pretty quickly, which is very damaging to the environment.  

Collectables are more than just owning tangible things – they should bne about the sentiments, memories and identity. Whether it’s vinyl, cards or toys, collectables hold joy and appreciation and there is truly something meaningful out there for everyone. However, it is important to be mindful of the consumer culture pushed online as the algorithms are used to create want and desire on things that we don’t actually need. In the end, collectables stay desirable because they make us feel something – nostalgic, proud, or unique. Despite the ever changing trends, collectables will always be trending.

Words by by Ciara Martin