Thought provoking video
 

This is real sobering:

https://youtu.be/v382gF6TR-Q

For many of this is almost the norm.

Bordering on an addiction and also and enjoyment.

I have made great friends from the hobby and spend time talking or texting them related to the cards.
I have made alot of time and I do spend time researching and exploring every auction, ebay etc to check for cards, pricing etc.
I have sometimes overextended my budget and resources to get specific cards.
Then I have to step back from buying for sometime (ie months or more) to regroup the funds.
The Hardest part is the day the auction ends and especially the evenings in extended time and get into the bid frenzy.
Then when I do the Oops and get something I really did mean to or over bought then I sell or auction something to get back in line

But it is an addiction and it takes alot of control

And I love it:):):)

I have seen this same video done many times recently. All these people that bought into Geoff Wilson's "Sportscard Investor" crap and the like during an obvious temporary spike.

The amount of credit card debt these folks took on and the needed price corrections will cause a flood of these junk slabs to hit the market. Fads come and go, most of these newbies will be stuck with a bankruptcy and boxes of crap as deep as the 88-to mid 90's crap wax people were buried under till they were able to pass it on to new suckers in the past 3 years.

At least the bankruptcy lawyers will make a ton over the next 4 years.

This is a good example of what is really going on behind the gambling scene -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWcVIsp43Rc

That is a great video.

I did a lot of case/box buying from the late 80s till around 2002/3. From the beginning of eBay until around 2001 I don't think I lost money on a box. Then it almost instantly went to you rarely broke even and you better have the new product first to get the best prices to break even.

Now once in a while I will buy a box of junk wax to open and throw away.:)

Yes, I think this is true for all of us. I think we could also say many of us border on hoarding additions.

I collected as a kid. Every Christmas, birthday, and anytime I received some fun money I would buy cards, magazines, Starting Lineup, etc. When I graduated college and came home, I suddenly had the realization: "What am I going to do with 50k penny cards from 1987 - 2004?" I did what was easiest - I donated them to the YMCA to give away to players. With every move I've gotten rid of more and more.

After that I realized to buy smarter.

I am real lucky I learned lessons about collecting before I became independent and had a family. People who started collecting since 2020, who started as adults and possibly had families, they are going to learn some hard lessons.

Smartest thing I changed to was just buying a handful of packs each year to put away in single pack lucite storage boxes for my grandchildren someday and a fun pack opening session in about 2030ish, lol.

I don't buy boxes because it seems completely illogical. I only want a couple cards from each set. Usually the RCs for all the Detroit teams and a couple prospects I like. I can usually get every card I want for well under the price of a single hobby box. Much, much better for my liking.