The 'other' collectibles

Who's to say what makes an item collectible? Limited-edition, hand-painted and numbered statues are not the only thing that have a collectible appeal for adults. An old pen, a vintage mug, postcards from abroad—all may appeal to someone. Take a look on eBay, where a 1963 Jetsons or a 1970 Brady Bunch lunch box sells for $300 and up, or vintage Star Wars trading card packs can sell for as much as $200. Today's lunch boxes, keychains, shot glasses, band and illustrated T-shirts (or tees) and anime, comic, movie and TV trading cards can become tomorrow's collectibles.

Though teens still buy most of these items, retailers are finding that more and more adults are buying now too, because they know one day that Emily the Strange sticker or journal may be a collectible.

At Spencer's, the Egg Harbor, N.J.-based specialty retailer of music, film, television apparel, accessories and novelty items, the collectability of non-traditional categories depends on the property involved, says Mike Champion, the company's senior marketing manager.

One strong example has been The Simpsons merchandise, which has sold out in most or all of the store's categories. “At the top, it ranges from really mainstream—Family Guy, South Park—to more niche, like Nightmare Before Christmas,” he says. “The consumer base has been a fervent collector base. Most product categories that can be licensed have been brought into our store. With us being a specialty store, we're competing with mass, so with a license like Fox's Family Guy or The Simpsons, we look for something more edgy.”

David Scroggy, vice president of product development for Milwaukie, Ore.-based Dark Horse Comics, which provides several novelty items to Spencer's, says the company rarely aims to create products for the juvenile or teen market but rather focuses on items with adult appeal, like those inspired by Sin City, Hellboy and 1950s pin-up queen Bettie Page. Next year, Dark Horse will launch new lunch boxes in its Hot Lunch line, including designs by artists Gary Baseman, Amanda Visell and Shag, and boxes designed with soon-to-be-signed manga and anime properties.

“We feel we are in touch with talents and characters that may be 'under the radar' in the mass market, but are very strong with our young adult audience,” says Scroggy. “Our line is very diverse, so feedback is mixed…we've been gratified that overall, one consistent comment has been that retailers and consumers seem to recognize that, regardless of the subject matter or product category, there is a perception of our merchandise as being both fun and of a good quality.”

For Kamhi World, Clearwater, Fla., the adult audience is a big one for the company's impulse products, including keychains, talking pens and figures inspired by Family Guy as well as Napoleon Dynamite, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Nacho Libre. Jay Kamhi, owner and president of Kamhi World, tells PLAYTHINGS that most items appeal to teens, but more are being stocked in stores where adults shop. “Space in retail stores is valuable, and buyers are under a lot of pressure to maximize profits in their allocated planograms,” he says. “But after a year of powerful sales figures, I now can pretty much call the buyers at these chains, and they'll actually take my call.”