Frank- we have gone over this before
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I can easily say I am an investor and a collector. As a matter of fact I feel I am one of the more passionate collectors on the board. I still get a tingle when I get a card like the Thorpe recently, which I have no intention of selling (SEE BST tomorrow). At the same time I like to think I make smart decisions on what I buy. That way when I do go to sell them, hopefully in the very distant future, I can get my money back and maybe even a little more. Even if I don't get more I have had a lot of pleasure in collecting. I do consider them an investment almost as much as a collectible. How can I not consider them that way when I put out so much, relative to my other resources, for them?
As for my wife. Ever since I made a trip out to California, several years ago, and came back with a nice check in hand, she hasn't said a word. I handle all of the finances in the family and we both like it that way. She knows that I sometimes make a little and sometimes lose a little. It seems I get packages as least 3-4 times a week and she doesn't blink an eye. She's a great wife!!