Posted By:
J LevineJay,
You are right I am not poor...I own a condo (well, the bank owns nearly all of it--I just live there), I own a car (granted a '96 Chevy Cavalier w/ over 160,000 miles) and a computer (5 year old Dell). My $50 budget comes from saving nearly every penny and understanding that my hobby is important to me. I weigh every purchase, every month. I bid often but rarely win. I skip movies or large meals out to save money. Every extra dime I get goes to the condo or to the hobby (or to the occasional girlfriend--just broke up again).
I am a teacher in a job that demands 50-60 hour work weeks where I get paid only for 40 of those hours. I have summers off but I work to make ends meet. Do I want all your sympathy, nope...do I want a fair shot at cards, yes. I just wanted people to understand that on a limited budget, this hobby can be fun. I rarely feel jealous of them because I love my house, my car, my job, my computer and my hobby.
What I want is respect...what kills me is when I am offered something for what I think is a resonable price, I agree, and then some guy standing next to me at the show offers double (yes, this has happened). I am nearly always on the losing end of this. Paul, a dealer friend (Trevor and Adam W. know him as well), once offered something to me, I had wallet in hand and a guy offered almost double. Paul, handed me the card, took my money, and turned back to the guy and just said, "make Josh an offer, he owns it now." One of the classiest things I have seen in the hobby.
"Clunk" (me hopping off current soapbox)
-Joshua