When I’m figuring out what to get my loved ones as holiday gifts, I make a mental list of everything they collect. Candles, watches, vinyls, kitchenware, cameras — anything they can’t get enough of is sure to make them happy when they unwrap it. If my family members or friends haven’t started a collection yet, I help them do so, which is extra special. I love being the first person to buy them something, and watching their collection grow as they become more passionate about it is rewarding.
Below, I rounded up a handful of collectible gifts you may want to surprise your favorite people with this year. I’ll continue updating my list over the next few weeks to offer additional suggestions.
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The best collectible gifts of 2026
This year, I’m giving Lego lovers in my life sets that include the rechargeable Smart Bricks and Smart Tags, which debuted earlier this year. The Smart Tags communicate with the Smart Bricks, telling them to react with lights, colors and sounds depending on how your giftee interacts with them. Pokémon’s Training House with Pikachu Lego set comes with one Smart Brick, four Smart Tags and a charger, giving your giftee everything they need to experience the innovation. They’ll use the included 400 pieces to put together all the figures, and learn how to use the Smart Play System from the directions and a companion app.
Even if it feels like your recipient owns every type of candle, I can almost guarantee they haven’t seen anything like this set from Glasshouse Fragrances. It comes with the brand’s 13.4-ounce Kyoto in Bloom candle and a Spinning Carousel accessory, whose base sits on top of the jar so the festive charms hang above it. When your giftee lights the candle, the bright, flickering flame makes the dangling charms shimmer and twirl. They’ll also see the flame through the laser-cut windows on the sides of the festively decorated jar.
I collect custom jewelry, and Catbird’s Confetti Charm Bracelet is one of my favorite pieces. Its dainty, minimalistic design is ideal for everyday wear, and I love that I have a connection to every detail. To personalize it for your giftee, you pick out the one, three, five or seven charms you think they’d find most meaningful on Catbird’s website. Then, jewelers in the brand’s Brooklyn studio add them to an adjustable chain and ship out the final handmade piece. You can choose from charms like letters, birthstones, zodiac signs and other symbols — each is priced individually.
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Lennox recently released a second edition of its highly coveted Spice Village after retiring the original one in the early ‘90s — if your loved one has always dreamed of owning it, help them get started with this set of six jars. In future years, you can buy them additional sets to build up to the complete collection of 24 jars, and even expand into the brand’s other matching pieces. Each spice jar is shaped like a Victorian house, hand-painted with pastel colors and labeled with a spice’s name. The Garden District Spice Village Set comes with jars for rosemary, oregano, basil, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg.
You can’t help but smile when you see a Jellycat, which is why it’s so easy to start collecting them. My favorite ones to give and receive are Amuseables, which are mini stuffies of animated objects like food and plants — there are even sports and weather themed ones. The Boiled Egg was my first Jellycat Amusable, and I’ve since gotten other iterations of it like a limited-edition Easter Bunny egg and a scientist. The stuffed toys are small, which makes them great desk or shelf decor, and they’re usually compact enough to fit inside a stocking.
While Kodak’s Charmera isn’t as fancy or rare as the vintage cameras many collectors have their eye on, it makes for a fun gift that aligns with something they’re passionate about. It also takes quality photos — our team was impressed when we tested it. The tiny, rechargeable digital camera comes on a keychain, takes photos and videos, and lets your giftee download content directly to their phone using the included USB-C cable. (They can also plug the camera or its SD card into a computer — the SD doesn’t come with the camera, so consider buying one for them.)
The Charmera lets your giftee choose from four frames and seven filters in photo mode, and they’ll be surprised by what their camera looks like when they open the package since it’s a blind box.
My grandma has collected salt and pepper shakers for decades, which inspired me to do the same when I moved into my first apartment. My loved ones know that I’m always on the hunt for a quirky set, so they buy them for me during the holidays — perhaps you know someone who’d like them, too. Ban.do’s orange and orange juice carton shakers are exactly what I’d go for. Your giftee can display them on a shelf or make them part of their table’s centerpiece. And since they’re meant for dispensing seasonings, they’re functional in addition to being adorable.
While some people are Funko POP! collectors, others have one of the brand’s figurines on their wishlist because it revolves around a specific franchise they’re a fan of, be it a TV show, movie, book series or sports team. That means there’s a Funko POP! out there for almost everyone. For example, if your giftee loves all things Star Wars, buy them a Funko POP! of their favorite character. I got my brother this one of The Mandalorian a few years ago, which he displays on his bookshelf at home.
Anyone who owns a record player will be grateful to unwrap a vinyl from one of their favorite bands or artists. Before I start shopping, I ask my friend or family member to give me a list of options they’re hoping to add to their library — that helps me avoid buying them something they already have. I always look for extra special versions of the vinyls they want, like this glittery orange version of Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” There are also exclusive photos and album lyrics on the inside of the jacket.
I’m a sucker for a tchotchke, so I naturally fell in love with Dcuk’s wooden statues the minute I saw them. I have five (and counting), and they’re the most asked about pieces of decor in my home — if a loved one notices them, I gift them their first one to start their collection. Each Dcuk stands in a different position, wears a unique outfit and has its own name on the tag. I display them together on a dedicated shelf, but your giftee can also scatter them around their living space and challenge guests to find them as they collect more.
Mackenzie-Childs’s black and white Courtly Check line is status symbol kitchen and homeware as far as I’m concerned. It includes pots and pans, countertop appliances, mugs, picture frames and holiday goods like ornaments and stockings — there’s something for you to gift your loved one well into the future if they’re as obsessed with the pattern as other Mackenzie-Child loyalists. The brand’s tea kettle is a solid piece to start their collection because it’s useful for boiling water, and it can stay on their stovetop, acting as a piece of decor.
Adding a new ornament to my loved ones’ Christmas trees each year is one of my favorite traditions. In 2025, I personalized an ornament for each family through Artifact Uprising. The brand’s two-sided Pressed Glass Photo Ornament comes in oval, landscape and circle shapes, and you can upload any photo to be printed inside it — I chose to focus on pets in the past, but in 2026, I’m going with snapshots from our most memorable trips. You can also add a tag with the year to mark the keepsake. It comes with a ribbon that helps you hang it on branches.
Even though they probably have tons of them, getting a new mug will make the tea- or coffee-drinker in your life excited about sipping their favorite warm beverage. Anthropologie sells dozens of beautifully decorated options, like this one covered in a cityscape illustration. You can pick from scenes of Philadelphia, New York City, the North Pole, London, Paris, Toronto, Chicago and Dallas. The brand recommends hand-washing the mug and avoiding putting it in the microwave.
Jonathan Adler’s Vice Munchies Canister has to be one of the chicest cookie jars I’ve ever seen — I’d bet your loved one who collects them would agree. Its 77-ounce capacity can house a batch of at least a dozen desserts, and the gasket around the lid creates an airtight seal to help them stay fresh. If the inside of the jar gets messy, they can put it in the dishwasher (top rack), but the brand recommends hand washing it.
Almost every NBC Selected staff member has Sonny Angels on their desk — a few of us started collecting them years ago, and now we buy them for each other on special occasions and trade figurines. Do the same with your giftee this holiday season. There are numerous varieties to choose from, like fruit, flowers, marine life, snacks and animals, but your recipient won’t know exactly which one is inside the blind box until they open it, which is half the fun.
Have someone in your life who wants to start collecting watches? Casio makes digital ones that are an approachable entry point: they’re easy to use, durable for everyday wear and analog enough that they feel like a major departure from high-tech smartwatches. They’re also a more budget-friendly pick for gift givers. Casio’s F91W Series watch is water-resistant, and it can act as a stopwatch and alarm clock. It has about a seven year battery life, according to the brand.
Every year, Le Creuset debuts a few new pieces of cookware around the holidays, which the brand’s devotees wait for impatiently— your loved one might be one of them. This 24-ounce mini cocotte is a standout 2026 addition, especially due to details like a star-shaped knob and snowflake print on the lid. It’s made from stoneware and is covered in a non-porous, non-reactive and scratch-resistant glaze, so it doesn’t easily stain or absorb flavors. The interior is relatively nonstick, and it retains heat well.
I’ve become obsessed with buying myself items that have my dog’s name and face on them — I swore I’d never be that mom, but I’m officially a year in and I have lots of chihuahua-dachshund knick knacks, in part thanks to gifts from my loved ones. If pet parents you know are anything like me (and NBC Selected senior editor Shalwah Evans who also collects things emblazoned with her dog’s face), they’ll adore presents centered around their furry friends.
This blanket, for example, is completely customizable. You choose a color and size for the blanket, enter the pet’s name and upload a photo. Canelo emails you a proof of the illustration before weaving your recipient’s blanket to make sure it’s perfect.
Expanding your recipient’s library is one of the most thoughtful things you can do for their book collection. I always put cookbooks on my wishlist, especially those published in the last year or so. Since I own all her other books, “Something from Nothing” by Alison Roman seemed like the appropriate option to ask Santa for next month. It’s filled with recipes that call for ingredients commonly found in people’s pantries, helping readers get food on the table quickly, deliciously and as mess-free as possible.
American Girl dolls are the first items I collected as a child — I know firsthand how special getting one is, so it should come from someone who understands their recipient’s connection to them now and what it will be in the future. Daisy Davenport is the 2027 Girl of the Year, making her one of the hottest gifts. Along with the doll, your giftee gets an illustrated book to help them better understand Daisy’s story.
“I’ve been a soccer fan for a while now, and I can honestly say that one of my absolute favorite parts of footy culture is the jerseys,” says NBC Selected associate reporter Ashley Morris, who collects them. Someone in your life may feel the same and appreciate getting a new jersey to represent their favorite team this holiday season.
“I have the jerseys of national teams from all over the world, but for me, nothing tops an Arsenal kit,” says Morris. “This jersey is a fan replica version, but it’s still lightweight and breathable, plus it has the gold Premier League championship patch on the sleeve. You can get it customized with your giftee’s favorite player, or even their own name, on the back.”
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How I picked the best collectible gifts in 2026
To recommend the best collectible gifts, I drew on my own experience as an avid collector and shopping editor who tests hundreds (if not thousands) of products year round. I also received recommendations from my team of shopping editors (and collectors) here at NBC Selected. Every option on my final list comes from a brand we’ve previously covered or that we’ve tried.
Some of the products were sent to us from brands as a courtesy for testing, and others we bought ourselves as gifts for loved ones, some are collectible gifts we received.
Why trust NBC Selected?
I’m a reporter at NBC Selected, where I’ve been writing gift guides for more than six years. I’ve covered topics like Advent calendars, gifts for coffee lovers and Hanukkah gifts. For this article, I compiled a list of the best collectible gifts of 2026, including highly-rated options, NBC Selected reader favorites and ones our team tested.
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