by Catalogs.com Info Guru Terri Wallace

The internet has made collecting easier than ever.

Rare collectibles no longer take a lifetime to track down; now they are often no further away than your computer keyboard. With just one winning bid, your precious will be delivered to your door and into your eagerly waiting hands. If you haven’t already started a collection, or if you are looking to branch out into a new niche, here are some of the more popular eBay collectibles.

10. Militaria

Militaria is the collecting of military related items. Whether you collect swords, guns, armor, or uniforms, eBay has collectibles for all kinds of militaria. You can also find storage solutions, display racks, and replacements parts for your collection.

9. Coins

Coin collecting, often described as “the hobby of kings,” is a popular past-time, and it can also be quite profitable. Collectors can discover ancient coins, foreign coins, and rare coins on eBay and can grow their collection without breaking the bank. Storage and display options are also available.

8. Dolls

Major brand dolls, antique dolls, handmade dolls, and rare collector’s items are all available on eBay, just awaiting your bid. Collectors can expand their niche and bid on doll houses, clothing, and accessories to keep the newest member of their doll family stylish.

7. Photographic Images

Collectors of photographic images have a wide variety of types to peruse, including: tintypes, ambrotypes, daguerretypes, and vintage photographs. Moments of time captured, smiles frozen, eyes still full of life…never dreaming of the future generations that would help preserve them.

6. Postcards

Collectors of postcards collect more than just words on paper; they collect scraps of the past. A sentence or two carefully penned in delicate script, then carried over rough terrain, through uncertain weather, and then delivered into the hands of a loved one living half a continent away. Whether you prefer postcards from a certain time period, with images of a certain style, or which commemorate a specific event, you are sure to find it on eBay.

5. Fossils

Fortunately for collectors, fossils—those traces of plants and animals left behind in sediment—are plentiful and allow them to reach back through the ages and touch something that has enduring thousands… even millions… of years. Fossils, and the appreciation of them have endured longer than the original plants and animals did.

4. Rocks/Crystals

Quartz, breccia, igneous, and metamorphic rocks are just a few of the wonderful specimens you will find to add to your rock collection. Perhaps the best part of collecting in the modern age is that you only need to dig around the eBay website instead of digging around in the dirt! Books are available to help identify the specimens in your collection, and display options are plentiful.

3. Autographs

From Neil Armstrong to Neil Gaiman, autograph collectors will find a treasure trove of options. Find your niche, whether it is movie stars, literary rock stars, musicians, politicians, or athletes, and then start bidding!

2. Trading Cards

Whether you prefer sports cards, vintage Garbage Pail Kids, or your favorite movie franchise, chances are good that you can find it on-line. You can also find storage solutions for your trading card collection so that your investment stays pristine. Selling your sports collectibles online? Consult a good sports memorabilia price guide so that you understand how to set your starting bids, reserves and Buy It Now prices.

1. Comics (and/or Graphic Novels)

It doesn’t matter if The Sandman keeps you awake, or if vintage Archie tickles your funny-bone, eBay is home to a wide variety of comics and graphic novels. Acid free sleeves are also available to help prevent damage and to better preserve the pages for future generations.