Every year and particularly every holiday season there are going to be big collecting trends that emerge. The most popular toys and products of the season quickly turn into huge sensations. They often sell out in the stores and a huge demand is created, resulting in massive increases in prices and lots of online auctions and reselling.

In the past there have been all kinds of fad trends like this, from Pogs to Beanie Babies to Tickle Me Elmo. This past holiday season, the toy that made major waves was Zhu Zhu pets. For most people, you have to run around struggling to find these toys, and if you do find them you may have to pay high prices.

But if you stayed ahead of the learning curve and found the trends before they explode in popularity, then you'll be the one in a position to start capitalizing on these trends. There are many different ways you can go about this, but it all involves staying tuned in to what has the potential to burst onto the scene, and following consumer preferences and trends as well.

Take advantage of the wide world of social networking and online news sites. You can quickly learn about trends by following companies on Twitter or Wooxie, or by watching for the most reTweeted posts by major tech news sites like Mashable or TechCrunch.

You can also find trends directly by watching for new products that emerge in strong numbers on sites like eBay. Then you can create your own websites to market them, or you can buy a lot of them up to resell once the demand kicks in.

If you're like most people you find out about the big trend of the season when it's too late and you end up dealing with the consequences. Next time, stay ahead of the game, find the new trends for yourself and then capitalize on them to earn some extra cash.