Am I torturing myself?
 

I am getting married in June, and as a promise to my fiance, and to save money, I will not be purchasing any autographs till after the wedding. This unfortunately has not stopped me from checking ebay daily, as well as all the big auction houses. Is this healthy, do continue to "focus" on the hobby knowing you can't pick up something even if the price is great or its a "list" item.

I have been doing TTM a little (because its like 5 bucks per autograph) but I have little patience when it comes to waiting like that, but at least I get results.

Would a 10 yr old with a sweet tooth do well in a candy store if he was trying to quit eating candy?

Are you asking if you're torturing yourself by not buying autographs or getting married in general? :)

I think you're doing the right thing by continuing to do TTM at least. You should be able to buy yourself a nice wedding gift in the form of an autograph.

Yea and I know exactly what it is.... can't wait

i continually follow the hobby and i haven't bought an autograph in 4 years because i can't afford it. i still love to look. it's not torture because unless you are in your 90's there will always be time.

ttm is a fun hobby onto itself. i have interest in all 4 sports so there's always a player that catches my interest. have sent letters off to canada, sweden etc and it's always fun when you get a folded up letter you know it's yours. of course there are some you really want to come back (hello brett hull) but they might never come.

Really? Brett is a willing ttm signer.

Isaac,

Congrats on the upcoming wedding...It's not torture to still just "look"...Heck, I still subscribe to Jim and Richard's upcoming sales emails....I would consider that torture in itself....LOOKING AT THINGS I MAY NEVER BE ABLE TO BUY!!!

Not sure why but it is a fact...on average married men live longer than their unmarried counterparts. Therefore, you will have more years left to buy autographs.

Just make sure if a rare one you never see comes along that is on your want list you find a way to get it while you can. A dear friend in the hobby once told me, "It's easier to beg forgiveness than ask for permission." But don't abuse it!

You can still "collect" information, even if you're not buying anything now, and that can help you to make a more informed purchase down the road when you do start buying again. It doesn't cost anything (except time) to build exemplar files of players you're interested in from scans posted online or to track prices for particular signers. And projects like your scouring and compiling of Hunt's monthly auction histories should help keep you busy until after the honeymoon as well.

Just because you can't spend money in the hobby doesn't mean you can't continue to learn, and taking a break to further build that knowledge base may actually be a plus in the long run.

And by the way, congratulations on the upcoming nuptials!

yea i was banking on that. nothing yet tho, maybe i'll try again with hockey back.

That's because wives kill their husbands very slowly...kinda like putting a frog in a pot of cold water and then turning up the heat :D

Congratulations on the upcoming wedding! Mine is next year, so I'm in the same boat with you--no spending until those bills are paid (I am a card guy and have been able to pick up some inexpensive type cards without issue). My advice is to try your best to use this time wisely. Instead of checking eBay repeatedly for the handful of cards I really want, I've been reading up on everything possible on this site. I do feel a bit tortured when I see something I've searched for for years pop up and can't pull the trigger. That said, it was harder to find a good girl than it will ever be to find any of the cards on my list.

Here here on that last sentence!

Isaac, I had so many things to say but since your getting married I will just say Best Wishes:p

thanks Shelly!

Ahh, still in the Honeymoon phase, LOL.