For as long as I can remember, collectibles have been huge in my family. My grandmother collected costume jewelry as well as old books. It does not matter how useless something seems, there will always be someone to collect it.

I remember a television program in which a man was fascinated by macaroni and cheese boxes. He collected over 100,000 of these boxes from around the globe, covering several different eras. Although this wouldn't necessarily constitute as profitable collectibles, this man clearly found value in his macaroni boxes.

There are several reasons why people will begin a collection. Perhaps they mentioned to friends and family that they liked owls, then before long, their friends and family members were bringing home owl-themed items they had picked up while on vacation to pass along as gifts.

The most profitable of the collectible family is anything from the Coca-Cola history. Some people choose items of nostalgia, such as jack in the boxes, or old games, others tend to collect things from other companies like Pepsi or Budweiser.

There are some kinds of collectibles which will never decrease in value, and will always be eagerly sought after by collectors. The first rule of building a good collection is that the piece must bring joy to you, and be of value to you.

Be careful if you start collecting the trendy or popular items of the day; you could end up knee deep in a bunch of "stuff" that you can't even give away, let alone sell. A promise of future reward (cash) should only be your secondary purpose in obtaining collectibles.

Collectibles as in an investment is a pretty tricky because, as with so many collecting trends nowadays, the value of your collectible may never increase. So, if you decide to buy into a trend, re-sell it when you can assure yourself a profit. Only collect what you can live with, as there's no guarantee that your collectible will sell and you might need to be prepared to live with what you bought.