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

But for Libow, who bought it as a collector’s item as much as an investment, it’s a labor of love.

From Los Angeles Times

“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.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From BBC