Collecting is now verging on a national epidemic, even among schoolchildren, and the ABC's Collectors show is largely to blame. It has taken collecting out of the exclusive domain of expensive antiques and introduced it to a new generation, those more likely to collect vintage video games than 17th-century clocks. Professor Adrian Franklin is the show's resident academic.

One of his themes is that collectors should be just as interested in the new as well as the old. He elaborates on this in his new book, A Collector's Year.

There's a good example on the cover of the book. Shown is one of those streamlined Ericofon telephones, designed in the 1950s but introduced here in 1963 by the Postmaster-General's Department (now Telstra). These were given away to customers with more than one line.

These have only recently taken off as a collectable but you can now expect to pay $250 or more for one, depending on the colour. In his book, Franklin examines why some objects graduate from trash to treasure and others don't.

Among Franklin's hit list of hot collectables are such diverse themes as special-occasion postcards (April Fools' Day, Valentine's and Christmas), retro furniture and, yes, mobile phones.

His prediction on one episode of Collectors, that mobiles are definitely worth collecting, brought a mixed reaction from the panel. His postscript to this is that not all mobiles will necessarily have value but some design items, like the Nokia, should have.

The first designs, as large as house bricks, are already being collected and in some cases exhibited in the collector's home as if they were sculpture.

His tip is to identify a collecting fad as it emerges and buy while things are still affordable. In the book he also reveals what most collectors never would - where they find the really good stuff.

Also explored are quirky collections that may never have an investment value but are fascinating social history. He's especially impressed by one devoted to Polish toilet paper. Then there's the lawyer who collects dirt (as in the physical stuff) from his world travels and has specimens from the White House, the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The oddest collection Franklin's ever heard of was mentioned when he was appearing on talkback radio.

A caller who had been a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London recalled a gentleman offering to donate his collection of dried greyhound turds. These were special, the collector pointed out, each one deposited by the winning dishlicker at the track where he had worked all his life.

This is proof that the joy of collecting transcends all boundaries. Lord Alistair McAlpine, one of the world's great fine-art collectors, is also noted for his collection of police truncheons.

Franklin is himself a collector in several areas and his love of Whitefriars art glass has often been mentioned on the show. This is a good case study in the fine art of timing, or luck in his case. He started picking up this style of glassware while studying in London in the early '80s.

Whitefriars had yet to be classified as a design classic so it could be found in any op shop for as little as 50 pence ($1.20) an item.

Since then it has been rediscovered and featured in retrospective exhibitions. Individual pieces are now fetching as much as ?2000 ($5089) at auction.

Something similar is happening with his latest passion, for modern men's watches, although he admits he might have caught this wave a little too late.

These watches are already selling for big money on eBay but the feeling is that the fad has only just started and bargains can still be found.

Some research is required. Many thousands of watches have been produced but only a few are considered classics.

These include the Spaceman Automatic, Pulsar Digital, Rado Diastar and just about anything by Rolex and Jaeger in the modern period. Another worth buying is the Bucherer Jump Hour automatic, partly because Roger Moore is thought to have worn one during his James Bond period.

These now fetch about $500. The main appeal of watches to Franklin is that he believes they are an important sociological phenomenon. "It's a little space in which men can express their personality," he says.

"The first thing that people notice about a man is their shoes, then they drift up to look at the watch."

There is also demand for Swatch watches, especially the limited editions. One extremely limited edition has already sold for more than $1 million.

Another of note is the Orb Swatch by fashion designer Vivienne Westwood which Franklin noticed recently on eBay complete with original packaging.

"I took my eye off it and it went for $232, which would have been a good investment," he says with regret.

$150

The first quartz digital watches are now collectable and still fairly cheap. The Pulsar Alarm Chronograph dates from 1978.

$500

The Rado Diastar, released in 1980, is a symbol of the decade of excess. Real diamonds are used as hour markers.

$1500

Considered a contemporary classic, the 1966 Jaeger- LeCoultre features 18 carat gold with a Jet Face design.

My collection

"I've got more vases than any other man on the planet," says Adrian Franklin from the ABC's Collectors .

He has so many, including at least a thousand examples of Whitefriars art glass, that he keeps them in storage. Another passion is vinyl records, one he shares with his 21-year-old son.

Since joining the show he's noticed a trend for children to collect. "They are finding things under the radar that we don't seem to notice," he says.

Adrian grew up in England and has been fascinated by collectors ever since his grandmother took him to the Portobello Road Markets in London. His father was a lover of natural history who had a series of books on a variety of subjects, covering everything from wild fruits to birds eggs. In this way he learnt to identify things and place them in groups. This, he says, led to his career as an anthropologist. He now heads the school of sociology and social work at the University of Tasmania.

His present passion is for modern watches, especially the distinctive designs of the '60s, '70s and '80s. Examples from his growing collection are shown here.

Adrian Franklin's A Collector's Year (New South Paperback), $29.95, is out now.