If you’re thinking of starting an online business and are passionate about anything, becoming a professional collector could be the perfect choice. You may not realize it, but you can collect almost anything, and there will always be someone happy to view and appraise your collection to unveil how much your stock is worth.

So, it’s clear that getting into collecting, whether you collect jewelry, sports memorabilia, or vintage clothes, can be profitable, but how do you get started? You can’t open a store without anything to sell. Instead, you should start small and find the best ways to grow your collection. 

What Do You Want to Collect?

First, you need to work out what you want to collect. Otherwise, you’ll have a scattered approach and will never get your business off the ground. 

When collecting anything, it’s always best to start with what you love. You have built-in knowledge about this subject, and collecting allows you to focus purely on this rather than trying to learn about something completely alien. 

You may already have a few items in your collection. This makes it easier to build your collection further as you can search for examples that are of a similar price and condition.

How Serious Do You Want to Be? 

There are many types of collectors. Some pick up items here and there if they can afford them. Others will search high and low across a range of resources to uncover the perfect item in mint condition. 

If you want to start collecting to start a business, you need to consider how serious you want to be. Often, this comes down to how much you can afford. There is no point in spending all your money to purchase rare but ultimately undesirable items as you will struggle to get a return on your investment. Instead, it’s best to start small and pick pieces that are attractive but not too pricey. 

Learn Even More 

No matter how much you think you know about what you choose to collect, there will always be someone who knows more. Rather than ignore this, you need to take the initiative to learn more. 

Part of being a collector is becoming a specialist in the finer details that others would typically ignore or miss. If you can identify the year and condition of something, it will be easier for you to find new additions to your collection. 

When doing this, you may also stumble across bargains at thrift stores. You never know when you might stumble across a potential goldmine, so it’s always worth learning as much as possible about what you want to collect. 

Get Enough Money 

Money is an obvious essential if you want to start a business collecting expensive or rare items. Of course, you may not be blessed with unlimited funds to start and complete your collection in a single purchase. 

Instead, you need to take it slowly and gradually build your collection. When doing this, it’s important to show patience, as it’s too easy to overspend on items you deem essential. 

Depending on how much money you have to start your business, you may be able to use some capital to purchase expensive items to sell them immediately. This guide to selling a Rolex can highlight why luxury accessory collections are so appealing and offer pointers on selling other expensive items from your collection. 

Join Collector Communities 

Collector communities and forums are a great way to expand your knowledge and meet like-minded people who could offer advice or introduce you to the right people to make your collection more appealing. 

Although these communities can be competitive (like all communities), they provide an exceptional learning experience. The contacts and connections you can make through these communities cannot be underestimated, and you will learn a lot too. 

Get Certification 

Certification is a must if you want to come across as one of the biggest experts in your field, especially if you want to build a strong, valuable set of authentic collectibles from any niche. This can include sports memorabilia, jewelry, books, and much more. 

It’s one thing to know how to distinguish authentic items from reproductions or fakes, and you may learn enough to become an authority on applying authenticity certificates to items that come your way. This certification can be the foundation on which you build your collector business and will give you the professionalism you need to obtain new clients and maintain interest. 

Be Prepared to Travel

If you don’t enjoy traveling, collecting is not for you. The fact is that many potentially valuable items are unlikely to be found just down the street. It's more likely that you will find them on the other side of the country. If you want to build the best collection possible, you must be prepared to travel.

Ideally, you should have a car to get around, but if not, taking a flight or train can make it easier (although not affordable) to meet with other collectors. If this feels like too much hassle, a collecting career may not be suitable. 

Grow Your Page 

A website and social media page are vital for boosting interest in your collection. Although you may not be prepared to sell everything yet (especially while you’re still putting your collection together), you can still share your finds with the world. 

Highlighting the scope and diversity of your portfolio could encourage wealthy customers to get in touch with you. They may offer you a deal that you cannot refuse, but don’t look at this as losing your most treasured items. Consider it an opportunity to find even more and keep your collection thriving.  

Becoming a collector is a fantastic way to dive even deeper into your hobby and even make some profit. But you can’t make a profit without first spending money. Because of this, it’s important to take gradual steps towards building your collection of items. We hope that the tips above will help you along the way towards having a thriving collection and business.

This is a collaborative post. I am so grateful for all who contribute to Glitz and Glam By Tiff.