2008年夏季北京奥运会让近年来持续升温的民间收藏热又掀起了一次不小的高潮。奥运会相关的纪念币、邮票以及奥运会的奖牌、纪念牌、火炬、宣传画、证章、服装、器材、会标、吉祥物等都激起了众多收藏者的热烈追捧，许多物品的价格已经从最初的价格基础上了翻了10多倍甚至几十倍。这种火爆的景象似乎打消了人们之前的一些疑虑：在中国当前CPI持续上扬、人们生活负担有日益加重趋势的情形下，人们是否还会对收藏有兴趣、热情和能力。这表明经济形势中的不利因素并没有消减人们对于收藏的热情。 有资料显示，目前全世界各类收藏爱好者的总数达到了5亿之多。在中国，继北宋(960-1127)、晚明(十七世纪中期)、清代康乾盛世(十七世纪后期到十八世纪末)和民国初年(1912年)四次“收藏热”之后，近年来，第五次“收藏热”席卷了大江南北。而在今年的收藏市场上，最火爆的当属北京奥运会收藏品。 中国有句古语：乱世买黄金，盛世藏古董。收藏热的再一次兴起跟近30年来中国改革开放带来的人民生活水平的普遍提高有着密切的关系。同时也和近年来中国传统文化的重新受到重视有关。 相对于前几次收藏热，这一次收藏热的一大特点是收藏者的范围扩大，现在中国收藏者人数已递增至7000万以上，占全国总人口数的6%收藏，而在之前收藏都只是富贾权贵才能玩得起的爱好。中国国际收藏协会的统计说“现在全国的收藏媒体已经有50家之多，古玩市场也达到了60余个。” 另一特点就是收藏的种类更加丰富，从古玩字画之类到近现代各个历史时期的各类物品都成了收藏者们的追捧。 对于收藏越来越受到人们的喜爱这种现象，许多人认为这不失为一件利国利民的好事。收藏的初衷就是保护历史文化，让文明、传统得到传承。对个人来说，收藏能够怡情养性、满足人的求知和审美等多层次上的精神需要，同时作为一种合理的投资方式，收藏还能满足人们的物质需要。 但是，也有不少人担心由于许多人物质水平或精神追求并未达到一定高度，以至于让收藏热开始变味，有违收藏的初衷，成为少数人附庸风雅和追求一夜暴富的工具。而盲目的收藏不仅可能带来个人的财产损失，还可能损害自己和周围人的身心。人们对收藏的过分追求也使得收藏市场上制假、贩假风气日盛，促使某些人为牟取不义之财更加不择手段，最终扰乱了正常的收藏市场秩序，让一项高雅的爱好沦落成为一种追求暴利的活动。 中国收藏大家之一王世襄说，收藏的乐趣在于知识和欣赏。这位94岁高龄的收藏家收藏了140多件珍贵藏品，而在这收藏的背后，是王世襄对家具、漆器、竹刻等收藏品几十年的深入研究，特别是对明式家具的研究，奠定了该学科的研究基础。凡是王世襄玩过的东西，差不多都有研究心得流传于世。收藏的过程，就是对某一段历史和某一类文化知识的深入了解的过程，是很难用价钱来衡量的。其它收藏大家如马未都、路东之等，他们所藏的古典家具、明清瓷珍等都是价值不菲的藏品。他们大多将藏品呈列在博物馆希望更多的人能够看到并得从中增长知识和获得乐趣。对于一个真正的收藏者来说，实际的市场价值固然重要，但比价格更重要的是这些藏品背后所蕴含着的历史和文化的气息。收藏者的境界也正于此。

The 2008 Beijing Olympics stirred up another wave of enthusiasm for private collecting in China, a pastime that has become very popular in recent years. Commemorative banknotes, stamps related to the Olympics as well as prize medals, torches, publicity pictures, badges, costumes, emblems and mascots are all hot items for collectors. The price of many of these has doubled or even risen tenfold. This trend seems to have confirmed that, despite China's consumer prices continuing to sky rocket and living pressure becoming tougher, it is still possible for the public to maintain a keen interest in collecting. As an old Chinese saying goes, "In war times, people buy gold; while in prosperous times, people tend to collect antiques." The surging enthusiasm for collecting benefits from the improved living condition in the past 30 years since China adopted the reform and opening-up policy. It is also attributed to the renewed interest in Chinese traditional culture in recent years. Compared with the surging popularity in previous times, this time around collecting involves more people. China is currently home to over 70 million collectors, meaning 6 percent of its population is engaged in collecting. In the past, collecting was a privilege for the extremely wealthy only. According to statistics from the China International Collection Association, today, China has more than 50 collectors' groups and more than 60 antique markets. Besides, the variety of products being collected is increasing, from antiques, calligraphy and painting to various items from different historical periods. The increasing popularity for collecting is believed to be a good thing for the country and the people. The original intention of collecting was to protect history and culture so that civilization and tradition of China could be handed down generation after generation. For individuals, collecting will help fulfill their demand for a high-level spiritual and cultural life. At the same time, this is also a reasonable way of investment. However, some people are worried that, as many people have not yet reached necessary aesthetic level, collecting is no longer as pure an interest as it used to be. It's becoming a tool for some people to show off their knowledge or even to become wealthy overnight. Moreover, blind collecting may cause loss of personal property. People's excessive enthusiasm for collecting encourages the business of fake antiques. In order to make huge profits, some people commit fraud and spoil the market. A graceful hobby is slipping into an activity of grabbing huge profits at any cost. The process of collecting requires deep research into a certain period of history or certain kind of culture and this far outweighs any material value a piece may have. Collectors like Ma Weidu and Lu Dongzhi collect classical furniture and porcelain from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). Theirs are all invaluable collections and will be displayed in museums so that more people can enjoy them. As far as a real collector is concerned, although the market value of certain products is important, far more importance is the cultural and historical significance of the collection.