Minggu, 26 Agustus 2012

Collecting William and Kate Royal Wedding Souvenirs

Following the historic news that Prince William and Kate Middleton are to get married on April 29th 2011 at Westminster Abbey a hoard of Royal wedding souvenirs and memorabilia goes into production. If you're a patriotic royal watcher, or simply on the lookout for an investment opportunity, now is the time to start researching everything connected to William and Kate.

Mugs, cups and plates have always been a favourite collectible item during the build up to any special Royal event. There will certainly be a wide variety of all types of china with both Prince William and Princess Catherine's faces on them, along with the royal crests or perhaps Westminster Abbey in the background. These become collector's pieces and look very nice arranged along a shelf or in a cabinet.

Fine bone china with hand painted decorative occasions of the wedding is a good recommended choice to purchase, as these can carry their own value, even without the imprinted commemorative photos.

Royal thimbles will be on offer printed with photos of the happy couple. Royal commemorative thimbles date back well over a century and have long been an item of collectible value. Look out for thimbles that have been produced using an embossed method on precious metals such as gold, silver, or even platinum. Collecting these will be much higher in value, along with the commemorative element.

Start collecting any type of reading material on the newly weds to be. Magazines, books, pamphlets, newspaper articles, anything concerning William and Kate's historic journey. Kept together as a theme collection in immaculate condition, a full collection of printed reading material and photographs surrounding their engagement, wedding, and any other informative articles as a married couple, will always attract the attention of collectors looking for royal memorabilia.

Stamps are also another firm favourite collectible item. Not just from the UK, but from across the world. Nearly all Commonwealth countries will issue commemorative issue stamps, so get on to the postal websites to see what is available to buy.

If you are already a collector of stamps, why not create a royal theme collection. Build up a nice collection that covers the engagement period, the wedding, birth of any children, and so on. Themes like this are more likely to add value over time, especially if kept in folders and good condition.

Collect coins - Buy Commemorative coins with details of Prince William and Kate Middleton's engagement or wedding featured on them. These embossed coins will also carry the all-important dates of the events and can become a valuable investment as time goes on, especially if they are a limited edition. Search the Internet to find Royal coins concerning William and Kate's 2011 wedding and snap them up now, especially if only a certain amount is being produced.

You might also want to start a collection of Royal Wedding t-shirts. You could purchase licensed ones from your local stores or off the many Internet websites selling William and Kate merchandise. The royal couple on a T-shirt is probably not to everyone's taste, but still none the less a collectible souvenir, that in years to come to could add value to your unique vintage collection.

This will give you some idea as to what to look out for now and in the coming month's as anticipation grows towards the Royal Wedding. It is very much a personal choice for any collector but I would suggest if you want to buy an item that will give you long term value, steer clear of any tacky items that will flood the market in their thousands. That's not to say it is wrong if you just want to show your support by buying a mug or T-shirt that takes your fancy, but if you want to be a serious collector of Royal memorabilia, only purchase either good quality products or build up a unique theme collection. And remember to keep your items in the best condition possible by storing them safely, if your purchase is already boxed and packaged, then leave it like that.

Senin, 06 Agustus 2012

Royal Wedding Souvenirs and Memorabilia: How to Choose the Perfect Gift?

Immediately after the announcement of Prince William and Kate Middleton's Royal Wedding, manufacturers from all over the world started to sell a huge range of products. It's sometimes hard to understand what to buy, where to buy, how to secure your purchase and avoid fakes. This article will help you to make your way through this jungle.

In general, all these items can be classified in two categories: souvenirs and memorabilia.

1/ Souvenirs

Who is it for?
People buy them to make a funny and/or cheap present to a friend or a colleague (usually with the cheap price comes the poor quality).

What is it?
Souvenirs are the most widely produced items. You will find:

- Classic souvenirs: t-shirts, flags, mouse mats, ashtrays...

- Funny souvenirs: producers have been very creative. You will easily find crazy little things such as the Crown Jewels condoms, or even sick bags to 'Keep this handy on April 29th 2011'.

Where to find them?

- If you plan to visit London for the Royal Wedding, you will find them in every souvenirs shop on the high street.

- You can also find lots of souvenirs on Internet. Try eBay or Amazon.

Price: it's easy to find something for less than $15 / £10

2/ Memorabilia

Who is it for?
Royal Wedding memorabilia is not only for collectors. Buy these items if you want to:

- Make a quality present to a loved one,

- Find a lovely decoration for your home,

- Have a long lasting object to remember the Royal Wedding.

And of course... if you are a British Royalty fan, go for memorabilia!

What is it?

Most of the memorabilia is fine bone china, jewellery and commemorative plaques. There are also some nice books.

Memorabilia can be defined as quality commemoratives that will keep value over the time.

You will find two types of memorabilia:

- The official one, approved by Buckingham Palace, this is the best you can find.

- Production from small companies: to avoid bad surprises, go for the traditional manufacturers based in England (often in the North).

Price: Prices generally start around $30 / £20

Where to find them?

- Your best option is to go for a specialized website, such as www.royalweddingmemorabilia.net/

- It is more risky to buy on eBay or Amazon: lots of objects sold as 'official memorabilia' tend to be fakes.

- You can try to buy directly from the manufacturer, but they generally sell only to wholesalers.

Kat Willis is a fan of the British Royalty. She likes to collect memorabilia and share her passion with others.