Dear Lee,

There are many places to buy antiques and collectibles. Just as a baseball player goes from neighborhood games, to school teams, to farm teams, to the big leagues, the collectible or antique can move up in prestige and price. The more you know about your favorite collectible, the better chance you have to spot a bargain.

Many rare, expensive pieces start out as low-priced secondhand goods. You might find them at house sales and online sites like Craig’s List. The next move is to local antique shops, thrift stores, church rummage sales, farm auctions, flea markets and online sites like eBay. Prices are a little higher.

Serious collectors find it best to go to specialized shows for bottles, dinnerware, art pottery, prints, dolls, toys, advertising or glass. The merchandise is higher in price, but you find many things that fit in your collection.

Got a lot of money to spend? Go to online or on-land auction galleries and important antique shows. The best of the best is there. Dealers are experts, pieces are in great condition and prices are very high.

Many pieces started at a much less expensive level before tastes changed. Large tin advertising signs from the early 1900s were literally trash before the 1960s. We have signs that were used to patch holes in a roof that are now selling for over $1,000. Majolica vases that once cost less than $25 now sell for hundreds to thousands of dollars. Used 1950s plastic chairs once sold for under $25 each, but if they were made by an important company, a single chair could bring $1,000 today.

But change means some things go down in value. An average 18th-century Chippendale desk that cost thousands of dollars in 1960 now sells for $500. Hummel figurines, Beam bottles, Royal Doulton character jugs and even 18th-century Dr. Wall Worcester cups sell for much less than they did 20 or even 40 years ago.

Collecting is a passion, not an investment. Go to museums, read books, talk to other collectors and search all types of sales. Then buy what you like, use it, display it, enjoy it. It probably will be a good investment in terms of dollars. And even if your collection goes out of style and prices go down, think of it as a sort of piggy bank. Each year you put money into it that you would have used for some other type of entertainment. At least part of the money you spent will come back when you sell—an unexpected “savings account.”