Bentley Meeker had amassed 4,500 bottles of wine by 2009 when the recession began to affect his lighting and event business. So, as painful as it was to part with some of the finest wines in his collection, he began selling them.

“I had to liquidate all of my good stuff,” he said, estimating he sold some 1,500 bottles.

But he has no regrets. “What started out as a passion project kept my company afloat for easily a year,” he said, estimating that he netted $200,000 to $300,000. “We raised the cushion we needed to get through the recession, and I held on to key staff.”

Collectible assets include wine, spirits, coins, trading cards as well as more unusual items, like lighters, belt buckles and even shrunken heads. These collections cost money and time to assemble and certainly have a value to their owners, but can they be considered legitimate investments? That depends on the market.

For many collectors, the only option to buy, sell or even value these assets is through online auction platforms like eBay or enthusiast sites, but for others, their possessions are treated as fine art.