THE number of avid collectors has multiplied by hundreds in recent years as TV and the media have jumped on the bandwagon with an increasing number of programmes.

The biggest problem is that these shows have created a shortage of goodies coming onto the market.

Everyone's hanging on to their belongings, becoming magpies and hoarders in the hope that they'll be able to cash in on a fortune.

This weekend a so-called guide to hidden treasures was published which revealed a list of household items from the 50s to 90s which "could help people strike it rich."

I don't think so.

How many people do you know would pay £50 for a 1950s Goblin teasmade or £500 for a huge pair of Emma platforms from the 70s.

They certainly wouldn't bring that kind of money in the Leigh area. You'd be lucky to be able to give them away.

Neither could I see habitual car booters dishing out £15 for a plastic flour shaker from the 70s.

It's the same with the well known price guides, popular with collectors - and I fear used by charity shop valuers these days.

Many dealers advise that to get a realistic price for an item featured you should halve the given price, then halve it again.

Collecting has become a mania, but I fear that collectables from the 90s will never be worth much, because too many people have stored them away unopened and in mint condition.

I became an addict in the 1970s, but like every other I wish I knew then what I know now!