You might not even realise it, but we all have prized possessions in our lives, things we couldn't bear to (and hopefully won't ever!) lose. But why are they so important to us? And what do most men and women consider to be their prize possession?
Prized possession meaning
The meaning of a prized possession is simply one thing or even multiple things that you simply couldn't imagine your life without. This might be something that means something to someone else but means the world to you, for whatever reason. It could be worth nothing or hundreds of pounds, what matters is what it means to you.
Why are prized possessions so important?
Naturally, prized possessions differ from person to person and so do our reasons for these things being so important to us. While some of us hold items dear that has been passed down to us from loved ones, others would deem their prized possessions to be relationships, whether that be a child or even a beloved pet.
Top prized possessions
A survey revealed that children's artwork, parents’ wedding rings, and baby clothes are among a woman’s most prized household possessions.
Men on the other hand declared their vinyl collection, smartphone and computer as some of their most treasured items.
When quizzed by Skipton Building Society, more than half of the 2,000 Brits polled said sentimental keepsakes were their dearest items – and yet, men claim their car is more important than photos of deceased friends or significant other.
A woman’s most cherished items of all are the family photos – while a man places the family home at the top of his list.
Both women and men agree their wedding rings are of utmost importance, coming in third and fourth respectively.
The family pet also makes the top 10 for both genders, as do photos of deceased relatives.
The study also shows people are more likely to cherish a possession which was given to them by someone else, rather than something they bought themselves.
And while more than four in 10 would like to replace their prized items if they were lost or stolen, only 27 per cent have every single one of their items insured.
Women's top 20 prized possessions
Family photos
Home
Wedding ring
Engagement ring
Family pet
Photographs of deceased relatives
Jewellery
Car
Smart phone
Childhood pictures
Laptop
Photographs of significant other
Children’s artwork
Photographs of deceased friends
Clothes
Books
Tablet
Baby clothes
A favourite book
Parents' wedding rings
Men’s top 20 prized possessions
Home
Family photos
Car
Wedding ring
Photographs of deceased relatives
Family pet
Laptop
Photographs of significant other
Computer
Smart phone
Books
Vinyl records
CD collection
Tablet
Television
Photographs of deceased friends
Computer
Childhood pictures
Internet
Jewellery
Protecting your possessions
Just 24 per cent of Brits have an inventory of everything in their house, and only 13 per cent were clever enough to photograph all of their treasured items so they can prove what they owned in the event of loss or theft.
When it comes to keeping valuable objects safe, 12 per cent of people keep them in the loft, while 16 per cent have a safe in their house. More than a fifth of people feel items are safer is they are kept upstairs, and 16 per cent don’t allow the children or pets to go near anything of value.
Just 16 per cent of people have a home security system in place, while 15 per cent have all their home insurance documents safely tucked away in one place in case they need them.
Kris Brewster at Skipton BS says: “The key to all of this is knowing what you value the most in your home and making sure you have appropriate cover in place in the event something goes wrong. You can’t put a price on something sentimental, so take steps to look after your prized possessions and protect them.”
The Yours team's most prized possessions
"My most prized possessions would probably be my grandmothers cameras. She passed away a few years ago, but she loved to take photos and my granddad kindly gave me her three cameras so that I can continue the tradition of taking photos of our family for future generations to look at!" - Lorna, Digital Writer
"Would have to be my two cats Smudge and Star. They are sisters and I bought them as kittens. They are always up to mischief and making me laugh!" - Jenny Cripps, News Editor
"I'd probably say an old copy of Winnie-the-Pooh that my parents used to read to me when I was little. I've taken very good care of it through the years and still like to look over the illustrations now and again. They used to read to me a lot when I was a child, and I think that's what sparked my interest in writing. It's something that I could never get rid of." - Stephanie, Digital Writer
"My second most prized possession after my bible is my childhood teddy who I named Kissifur. He’s about 35 years old and relatively pristine. I has a bit of an isolated childhood and so Kissifur became a good comforter and through my imagination, a trusted friend and confidant. He’s rainbow in colour, which always made me think of peace and probably explains why I like to colour-clash so much today! I refused to part with him despite moving house a whopping 12 times, getting married and moving into a smaller pad!" - Karen Griffiths, Administration Manager
"Mine is a Bontempi accordion my parents bought me for Christmas when I was about 7 (1969!!). I wanted to have piano lessons but they couldn’t afford them – or a piano – so Santa brought me the toy one. I mastered it quite quickly (it had a limited range) and it wasn’t long before I outgrew it. When I was 25 and working full-time, I managed to buy a second-hand piano and could afford to have lessons. Now I have a beautiful black upright Yamaha piano but I still have my little accordion stowed away safely in the attic." - Kate Hardy, Deputy Production Editor
"For me, my sausage dog Luna would be my most prized possession, followed (closely!) by my laptop as this holds not only lots of practical documents that hold together the parts of my life but years and years of photos that I've never got printed along with a video of the exact moment I got engaged in New Zealand." - Emily, Digital Writer
Can prized possessions change?
All the time! It's completely different for all of us and a lot of the time, depends where we are in our lives. For example, as a child you might be attached to a particular stuffed animal but as you grow older, this stops being as important to you. That said, some people find their prized possession stays the same throughout their life.