collector's item

American  

noun

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

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collector's item British  

noun

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

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collector's item Idioms  

1. 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]

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Etymology

Origin of collector's item

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

"It's a collectors item, that gold medal, with cricket only appearing once at the Games, for the men at least," Gibbs said.

From BBC • Aug. 6, 2022

Made from cabinet-grade birch and premium hardware, it’s as much a collectors item as it is a great way to get charged up before a big game.

From Salon • Oct. 17, 2019

This was a collectors item for the Bears, one they’ll clutch to as they proceed into the postseason with the Packers in the rearview.

From Slate • Dec. 16, 2018

It was two years later that the DeLorean became a collectors item, after the sports car was transformed into a time machine in Back to the Future.

From The Guardian • Jan. 28, 2016

"People just really want the whole thing, they see it as a collectors item."

From Reuters • Dec. 1, 2011