[raulus]

Thinking about it a bit more, I think the biggest issue for most of us is that we want to hold onto what we already have, and we want to add to it, because more is more. And selling some stuff to buy other stuff may not really be how we view our approach to collecting, particularly if we're really attached to the stuff we have. I just want it all. Is that really so much to ask!!!??

We probably all had some lofty goals about what we hoped to accomplish on our collecting journey. Over time we've carefully revised our goals as we've re-focused, or achieved a particular goal when we finish off a set or a team run or whatnot. Naturally, over the last couple of years the speed has really stalled a lot toward achieving those goals, to the point that nowadays a lot of those goals seem to be mirages in the distance, something that is virtually impossible to achieve, taunting us that we'll never get there. And that's not a lot of fun to contemplate.

There's probably any number of adjectives you could use to describe it. Low morale is just one way to attempt to capture it. Adam has used ennui. Personally, I might favor malaise. Some refer to their collecting spirit as going into hibernation. Whatever your preferred adjective, there's no question that for a lot of us, there's a different flavor these days.

A good part of it probably also feeds into an existential question for a lot of us. If I'm not really adding to my collection, then what am I doing? Part of the process of continuing to add to the collection allows us to avoid those questions by distracting ourselves with the illusion that we're making progress towards our goals and hopes and dreams. Without that progress, movement, and forward inertia, it allows our minds to wander to dark places, stuff like:

Why am I continuing to hold onto this cardboard? Am I really getting the enjoyment from it that I used to? If some of my friends are selling, then why am I holding? Damn, I could get a gigantic sack of cash if I sell today. Think of all the awesome stuff I could do with that cash... Why am I still in this game?

And even if we've pivoted from some of our earlier goals and we're focused on other stuff, maybe buying more modern pieces, futzing around with other sports, dabbling in memorabilia, or even just switching to lower quality pieces, it still forces us to confront a lot of those existential questions as it relates to our existing collections that now seem to be orphans when compared to the path forward. And those existential questions aren't easy to answer, particularly when it seems like we've been compelled to keep answering them day after day, week after week, month after month.

Add to it the fact that it seems like this situation might keep going on for an indefinite period of time makes it that much more exciting to keep coming up with the same answer every day that I'm just going to keep sitting tight, picking up a few bits here and there, picking my spots, and being patient with a hope that one day my ship will come in and I'll be able to get back to making real progress towards my goals. And yet faced with the very real possibility and depressing reality that might never really happen.

So yeah. All of that boils down to malaise for me. But pick your favorite adjective and run with it.