... the total "collectibles" space. That is, how big (or small / niche) is Casino Collectibles as compared to all the things people collect.

I let Google do my researching on this one, simply asking: "what are the most popular collectibles?" An interesting assortment of lists & websites comes up. Too many links to show here, but try it if you're curious.

I will say that the expected areas: coins, comics, trading cards, etc. are somewhere on most lists ... plus a lot more (art, jewelry, wine, watches, etc.) Some unexpected are there too: stamps, beanie babies & more, though seems they have peaked. "Gaming" is listed at times, but it means vintage Nintendo game equipment and such, not Gambling!

Rick & the crew at Pawn Stars need to be up on this, plus the trends up or down. But that begs the question, why collect: to buy low/sell high; acquire (early), hold (for investment), sell (at near peak)... that is, to make money. Or is the incentive to enjoy the collectible space for personal reasons (hobby, history, personal nostalgia, holding on to a past experience) regardless of profit or loss? Or mixed motives?

And finally, what does pondering about collectibles generally have to do with our "niche" space of casino collectibles? I'll leave that as a question for you to ponder, if you choose.

Here's just 3 (of many!) links that I found interesting --
(One comment: on the somewhat disjointed Wikipedia list on collectible spaces, one on the list is "Nazi collectibles". All I can say is YUK!!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_collectables
"50 Great Collectibles" with comments
https://intelligentcollector.com/50-great-collectibles/
"Pop Culture Collectibles" with comments
https://prestigeestateservices.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-pop-culture-collectibles-2024-edition/#:~:text=Pop%20Culture%20Collectibles%20encompass%20a%20vast%20array%20of%20items%20that,%2C%20gaming%20merchandise%2C%20and%20more.