Any thoughts on desirable collectibles, items that are ‘underpriced’ or are going to get scarcer & scarcer?  Things to pick up now while we can?

I’m curious what the next 10 years will do for items like:

25th Anniversary box sets, especially sealed,

Strategic Reviews, still common & not expensive, and very cool imho

OD&D supplements, especially early prints and in good condition (most of the ones I see seem to have condition issues)

Any predictions for collectibles that can be had today that our future selves will be glad we picked up when we could?

aia wrote in Predictions:
What you highlighted are items in the ramp-up pipe and they will likely grow in terms of demand.
I have a concern in the other sense: it seems obvious from market prices that some (or better most) of the nonTSR items are decreasing... all the small print production has a general trend of reduction: items like the spellcaster bible is sold for less that it was sold 10/15 years ago. This is smtg I don't understand as D&D, even the unlicensed products, should be in the radar of new collectors...
Any explanation?

High interest rates. Dis-inflation. No growth in western world. That would be my first impression, as what you describe is affecting most other assets too.

gyg wrote in Predictions:I feel this is because all of the "new" collectors of D&D  are only interested in core TSR stuff, they simply have no connection to things like zines and other small press nonsense that to us  made the game what it was back in the day.
Sad really but not unsurprising.

Agreed.
I said much the same the last time this came up.

mordrin wrote in The Future of RPGs as a collectible?:I think a major crossroads will come when material gets to the age where almost everyone who played it is gone.
Some things that are early or iconic will probably remain in demand well - TOEE, first print PHB, etc.

But things that we recognize that a collector or player 25 years younger has zero recollection of, familiarity with, nostalgia for, interest in playing?  What of that kind of stuff?
Who's going to want a complete set of Companions Islandia modules?

I feel like it's going to become rather boom or bust-ish at that point.

The "usable item" purchases will disappear and the "nostalgic I had/played/always wanted, but never had this BITD" purchases are going to die off as gamers from that era die off.

I am enjoying the lull in prices right now, the craziness of the past couple of years has given way to some much needed affordability.  I don't collect for profit but for preservation and I am not far from completing my collecting goals...  As for a prediction, I think people will always seek out quality, so if you have items in nice condition, i believe there will always be a market for them.   The rarer the item, the better.

-SKA

I have some humility, so I wont make any more predictions. I believed the 50th anniversary was my deadline for completing my collection for years. I thought people who collected new alternate covers would see how cool the old stuff was. I also thought CGC grading items would define condition for folks who collect comics and cards - which is a "lot" of people. A "lot" meaning 1.6 million Pokemon PSA cards have sold on ebay in the last 90 days and 110k comics.

My collection worked out. My display is full. Many things did get a more expensive and I cant really afford the things I dont already have - even if they come up for sale. However, I am dumbfounded by the rise in price of the other things I collect. Specifically Pokemon, some newer Magic the Gathering and Artbox Harry Potter cards. There is a gamification of games right now - like the gamification of crypto, stocks on Robinhood etc. But this has been true in everything from cars to porcelain signs and 1920s furniture. I am sure the game bubble will burst. Again. For the 3rd time in Pokemon and second in Magic. Comics have already burst for the third time in the last 35 years. However, and this is not speculation... collectables are a not just niche market. They are an industry.