collector's item

noun

1. an article or object of particular interest or value because of its uniqueness or scarcity.

collector's item

noun

1. a thing regarded as being exquisite or rare and thus worthy of the interest of one who collects such things

Word History and Origins

Origin of collector's item¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Idioms and Phrases

An object of great interest, value, or rarity, as in This necklace is a collector's item. Originating in the early 1900s as collector's piece, a usage still common in Britain, the term in its present form is occasionally transferred to persons as well, as in The Beach Boys became a collector's item on the tour. [c. 1930]