A collectible is an object that people enjoy gathering and keeping as part of a collection, usually because it's rare, interesting, or meaningful to them. Baseball cards, vintage comic books, stamps, coins, action figures, and rare minerals are all examples of collectibles. Some people collect things because they love the hunt for rare items, others because they hope the items will become more valuable over time, and still others simply because they enjoy having a complete set of something they care about.

What makes something collectible often depends on scarcity and condition. A common penny isn't collectible, but a penny with a rare minting error might be. A beat-up comic book isn't worth much, but the same comic in pristine condition could be valuable. Limited edition items, like special coins released for the Olympics or numbered art prints, are designed to be collectible from the start.

The word can also describe whether something can be collected. If a debt is collectible, it means someone can actually get that money back. But when most people use the word, they're talking about treasured objects: those special things worth seeking out, protecting carefully, and displaying with pride.