The Value of Children's Collections

As a kid, did you have a baseball card collection? stuffed animals? stamps? coins? rocks? The list goes on. We all had something that we treasured, something that we saved up our allowance for, and when we got it, we "protected" it - with a special case, sleeve, or a tag protector - because it was just too good to mess up.

If you were one of those kids, your head for finances may have been jumpstarted at an early age. "Financial experts" now say that children who keep collections learn valuable core financial values, such as:

1. Saving & Spending
2. Delayed gratification
3. Investing
4. Buying, Selling & Trading

As a kid, I collected stamps, coins (a hobby borrowed from mom), and Beanie Babies. My brother collected books. What did you collect? Was it valuable when you stopped?