Well I would think that it really comes down to what you are collecting, but more often than not probably. That is my experience at least, but if you really hold onto something than who knows.
It depends on who you ask. For the collector, it certainly isn't a waste of money. For the practical people, they will think that it's a waste of money to buy things they can't even use and will only be put on display. I think it depends on the item, I heard old bills and money can fetch a lot of money with the right buyer.
