For many, ang pows are merely envelopes containing monetary gifts for children to mark Chinese New Year but for collector Lily Chee Abdullah, the red packets are treasures themselves.

Chee, whose ang pow collection is so extensive she has lost count, started collecting six years ago.

It all began when she helped her sister source some ang pow for the latter's collection.

This made her take a closer look at the items usually discarded by recipients, to find their hidden and often overlooked value.

“Somehow, I find it so fascinating...