So those looking for inspiration for their portfolios would be well advised to head to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, over the coming months.
The Victorian-built portion of the museum reopened on July 29 following a £47.4m refurbishment, and there are plenty of items on display that would achieve hefty sums if they ever appeared on the private markets or at auction.
Collectors of all persuasions will find something to excite and inspire, whether it is a girder from the Tay Bridge in Dundee, Scotland, a 1930s gyrocopter or the jaws of a sperm whale.
Then there is the oldest surviving colour television to gawp at. We recently brought you the story of the £16,800 sale of a 1936 Marconi television at Bonhams: the world's oldest working television set.
 An ancient Egyptian bronze cat made £45,600 at Bonhams earlier this year |
The museum also houses a fine range of ancient Egyptian artefacts, including artworks and models, left behind in tombs and temples.
The most valuable Egyptian pieces are highly prized by collectors, such is the fascination with this period of history.
An ancient Egyptian bronze cat sold for £45,600 at Bonhams in April.
"Our collections tell great stories about the world, how Scots saw that world, and the disproportionate impact they had upon it," commented Sir Angus Grossart, chairman of the National Museums Scotland's board of trustees.
"The intellectual and collecting impact of the Scottish diaspora has been profound."
The refurbished wing houses 8,000 objects, the majority of which have not been seen for decades. It brings the number of items on display at the museum to 20,000.
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