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]

Example Sentences

“Some kids came up to me at a gig one time and asked if I had any of Earwigs’ original 45s, which had become a collector’s item, but at the time I didn’t know it,” said the Orange County-based musician who still gigs regularly in O.C. and Nashville.

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The collector’s item is selling for hundreds of dollars online.

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Top level members also got what was billed as an “ultra rare collector’s item” — a ticket with Dodger Stadium dirt from the game in which the Dodgers clinched the National League West championship against the San Diego Padres.

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Mr Jackson Jnr said the restored console was "definitely" a piece of equipment that could be used to make music again, but equally could be a collector's item.

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The collector’s item – handed out in change to a local man – is the same shape as an ordinary 20p piece.

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