(MONEY Magazine) – SOME PEOPLE THINK SNOW WHEN VACATION TIME rolls around. Michael Muntner, 55, of Bethesda, Md. thinks snowdomes. Last year, looking to enlarge his 4,500-dome collection, he went to China. "I've always wanted to visit Greece," he says, "but there aren't many snowdomes there." Thousands of collectors share Muntner's devotion to the little flake-filled souvenirs--also called snowglobes and shakies--containing scenes that range from the Last Supper to the last Super Bowl. And they're willing to pay cold cash for domes that strike their fancy. "The kitschier the better," says Phil Blumenkrantz of Middletown, Conn., who has 550 and counting.

Hot: 19th-century shakies; those depicting defunct tourist attractions; rare ones like CBS' 1993 Super Bowl dome, only 100 of which were made and given as gifts to advertisers.

Not: Mass-produced snowdomes from the '80s and '90s.

Entry level ($10 to $25): Most pre-1980 snowdomes.

Mid-range ($25 to $75): Most 1930s to '40s glass snowdomes.

High-end ($75 to $300): Pre-1930s domes; rare ones that cross into other collecting areas, such as an early '80s limited-edition Batman.

Where to buy and sell: Antique-toy stores, flea markets, classified ads in Snow Biz (four issues a year, $10; P.O. Box 53262, Washington, D.C. 20009), and at Snow Fair, an August swap meet in Washington, D.C.

Resources: Snowdomes by Nancy McMichael (Abbeville, $21.95); A Collector's Guide to Snow Domes by Helene Guarnaccia ($18.95; Collector Books, P.O. Box 3009, Paducah, Ky. 42002).

--Karen Hube