Dice Collecting

I have been collecting dice for around 15 years. Dice collecting can be one of the more unusual and rewarding of hobbies. It can be cheap depending how much you want your collection to expand. Although it can also be a very expensive hobby depending what kind of dice you want. The best part is that no two dice collections will ever be the same, in numbers or variety. So you can be assured that your collection will be unique.

Below are some interesting facts about dice for those who are interested in collecting.

• Known uses of dice for gaming and gambling pre-date recorded history.
• Dice used to be made out of bone and ivory. More recently dice are made out of plastics. Dice can also be made out of wood and stone, but usually are not used for gaming.
• There are various sides to dice. The most common being 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 20-sided die. The rarer varieties can range from 1 to 100-sided die.
• Dice can come in a variety of sizes, colors, and unusual shapes.
• Las Vegas and other gambling establishments use dice for Craps and other gambling games. Their dice are considered to be 'precision' dice. They are made in such a way to prevent cheating.
• Dice grew in popularity and use through the use of board games and Dungeons and Dragons. Dice are used in D&D to determine the outcome of random events.

I will list the pros to starting your own dice collection.

• There are multiple ways that you can display a dice collection. You can lay them out on a flat surface, or as the picture above shows, you can place them in containers to show off fully filled.
• You can find dice in a variety of places. Las Vegas, online, and many stores. To find specialty dice you will have to go to gaming stores or online.
• With the right tools and materials, you can make sets of dice yourself.
• You will never run out of dice to add to your collection. New types and looks of dice are being produced frequently.
• Dice are easy to gift. Just tell family and friends to give you dice for special gift-giving events, and you will always be surprised. Since it can be difficult to figure out what kind of dice you have, each and every time you are given dice you will be excited to receive them.
• Dice can also be made into other types of items. Salt and Pepper shakers, pillows, necklaces, coasters, and obviously dice you hang in your rear-view mirror.
• People will be into your collection. Dice are sturdy and don't dirty up easily. So let friends and family handle them. Each time dice are handled and manipulated, your collection will look new and different for the next person to enjoy.
• Dice can cross over into other collections. There are Las Vegas dice, Star Trek dice, animal dice, all sorts of dice that you could display with your current collections.

Naturally they are some cons to dice collecting.

• No simple way to organize and sort your collection. It will be difficult to tell if you have two of the same die, making organization difficult. I am sure it is possible, but it would be time consuming.
• There is no easy way to display dice. If you want to display every die you have, you will need a large display case like the one shown in this section. Otherwise, you will have to fill up bowls or vases to show them off. If you have the time and ability, you can use small containers and display individual sets.
• The costs can skyrocket. Speciality made dice, as well as older sets of dice, can go for a lot of money. If you want the best of the best then you can be expected the fork over a lot of money. However this isn't required for dice collecting.
• Transporting them can be a pain. You won't be able to set them up exactly like you did before without a lot of effort. If you plan to move, display them at a fair, etc. expect a lot of heavy lifting and work.
• You will get duplicates - often. Unless you know each die one-by-one, you will have duplicates in your collection. If you are someone who likes having a collection of unique items then dice are not for you.
• It's easy to be taken. There is no guide that says how much dice are really worth or if one die is nicer than another. You have to trust your own judgement. You shouldn't be in this for the worth of the collection anyways. You should be doing it because you enjoy collecting.
• They are easy to lose. Dice tumble and roll around easily. I have lost quite a few after moving or organizing them a different way. They are also not a child's toy!
• You will never run out of dice to add to your collection. I know this was listed as a pro, and to me it is. But if you like having a complete collection of dice, you will never achieve that.

If you have the time, money, and patience you can have a really nice dice collection. You could even try to break the world record of dice if you wanted to! The pictures above are of my own collection. I submitted them to the county fair and won a ribbon. I also watched people looking at my collection. Of all of the displays, people hovered and looked mine over the longest. I was quite proud of my collection at that moment. You will be too.