Top 10 Miniature Things to Collect

With the long winter months looming in our future, what better to do than to pick up a new hobby.  Starting a collection is a great hobby to get into, and can be more time consuming and interesting than you think.  One of the most popular things to collect currently are miniatures.  Below are the top ten miniature things to collect. 

1. Goat Guns

Our number one pick for miniature collectibles is Goat Guns.  These are surprisingly accurate miniature replicas of real weapons.  Goat Guns are made from die cast metal, so they feel like the real thing in your hand.  They have functional pieces that fit together like those of a real gun.  The great thing about these miniatures is that, unlike other collectibles on our list, they come completely unassembled.  Not only is building these tiny models a great hobby, but it makes for a great display as well. 

2. Food and Drinks

One of the cutest and most easily collectible miniature things is food.  In recent years, there has been a huge rise in popularity of miniature foods and drinks.  And it’s easy to see why.  These cute and detailed renderings of popular foods, like spaghetti and meatballs or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, are impressively realistic. Some miniature artists recreate entire meals, like Thanksgiving dinner, while others recreate brand items, like Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing or cans of Spam. Either way, there are endless possibilities for collecting in this category. 

3. TV and Movie Sets

Some miniature artists focus their talents on recreating sets from popular TV shows or movies. If you are a movie buff, there are recreations of all kinds of famous movie scenes. Some favorites are from The Wizard of Oz, The Godfather, or Forrest Gump. If movies aren’t really your thing, but TV shows are, there are multitudes of movie set recreations as well.  Search for the general set, like Central Perk from Friends, or for specific scenes from episodes that are your favorite.

4. Games

Whether you like video games, board games, or arcade games, there are a multitude of tiny gaming replicas to collect.  Build your collection around one gaming category, like video games, or broaden your collection to include all types of games.  Collecting micro-games is especially fun and exciting because some can actually still be played, like tiny pinball or tiny chess. 

5. Clothing and Accessories

If fashion is your thing, then collecting tiny clothing and accessories may be of interest to you.  Create a mini-wardrobe that matches your current one, or collect clothing that is completely different from what you would wear. Can’t afford designer brands in real life?  Maybe collecting miniature versions of Fendi purses and Manolo heels will satisfy your craving. An adorable plus of collecting miniature clothing is the tiny hangers and clothing racks that come with it!  Or, if you want the clothing to be on display, you can dress miniature people in your favorite outfits. 

6. Instruments

For the musically inclined, there are all kinds of miniature instruments to collect. There are hundreds of instruments, from modern to medieval, to gather and display as you wish.  Collect enough instruments for a full band, or even an orchestra.  Like some of the other categories, there are some miniature instruments that can actually be played.  If this is something you are interested in, make sure to read the description of the model carefully so that you are actually buying a working instrument. Some examples of working miniature instruments are a harp, guitar, or trumpet.

7. People

Collecting models of miniature people is very popular. Some of the people you will find are just standing in normal positions.  These are great models to treat as little dolls if you’d like to dress them and pose them as you would like.  Others are doing more active things, like running or dancing or playing some type of sport.  If you want to collect miniature models of people that look like you and your family and friends, you can contact an artist to have them handmade specifically for you.  Otherwise, you can pick and choose models of people that look interesting to you.  

8. Houses and Buildings

Another great category of miniatures to collect is buildings and houses.  Collect enough buildings from the city in which you live to create a complete replica.  If that seems like too ambitious of a project for you, simply recreate your town’s main street or your neighborhood. For those who like to travel the world, collecting miniature versions of buildings from cities in which you have visited is a fun pastime.  It’s also a great souvenir option, and a great way to reminisce upon great memories. 

9. Animals

For the animal lover, miniature animal models are a great collector’s item. Create your own zoo with any type of exotic animal that you can think of.  A fun and interesting way to collect miniature animals is to obtain the most common animal from each country around the world. If that is too large of a scale for you, try starting with replicas of pets that you have had throughout your life.  Domesticated animals are easy to find miniatures of, and having them in your house will help you remember your animals fondly.  

10. Dioramas

Last on our list, but not least, is the category of miniature dioramas.  While most of the other categories allow you to collect single items that are purchased separately, a diorama gives you an entire scene all in one. This is a great collectible item for those who are very interested in history.  For example, someone who loves learning about the Civil War could collect scenes of different battles from the war, like the Battle of Bull Run or the Battle of Gettysburg.  There are miniature dioramas of almost any historical moment that you could be interested in.