Thinking about calling it a day on collecting.

[Brian Van Horn]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Brian...I agree with many of your concerns as well...aside from the fact that it's just not as exciting as it used to be...there are so few cards I desire that just never come up for sale...throw in the corruption and I may be close to calling it a day too!!

Pete,

I was trying to leave corruption out of my reasons, but I can't ignore the elephant in the room.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Brian Van Horn

Pete,

I was trying to leave corruption out of my reasons, but I can't ignore the elephant in the room.

Unfortunately it seems most collectors can.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Brian Van Horn

Pete,

I was trying to leave corruption out of my reasons, but I can't ignore the elephant in the room.

I have been collecting for close to 30 yrs and corruption has been around and doing quite well the entire time. Any time there is money to make(steal) there is corruption.

Like several other have said I to have had the same feelings you are having. I have taken several breaks from collecting over the years.

[veleno45]

I am surprised at the number of people that are considering "getting out". Brian, I hope you can get the love back and continue on. In the short time I have been on Net54 I have learned an immense amount about vintage cards from everyone here.

I am a 40-something white guy, and every February I am in my local schools giving talks and presentations on the Negro Leagues. I noticed that all anyone ever knew about was Jackie Robinson. The only books in the library were on Jackie Robinson. I had to take to the classes to talk about Paige, and Cool Papa Bell, and Gibson and so on. I do it because it is a passion of mine, but also if I do not do it, who will?

When collectors as knowledgable as the guys on this site want to get out, it is really a shame. I hope you can not only find your passion again, but view yourselves as mavens or curators for the vintage card and vintage baseball world. You guys help the newbies out and without that knowledge being passed on the bad aspects will just continue to grow.

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by veleno45

I am surprised at the number of people that are considering "getting out". Brian, I hope you can get the love back and continue on. In the short time I have been on Net54 I have learned an immense amount about vintage cards from everyone here.

I am a 40-something white guy, and every February I am in my local schools giving talks and presentations on the Negro Leagues. I noticed that all anyone ever knew about was Jackie Robinson. The only books in the library were on Jackie Robinson. I had to take to the classes to talk about Paige, and Cool Papa Bell, and Gibson and so on. I do it because it is a passion of mine, but also if I do not do it, who will?

When collectors as knowledgable as the guys on this site want to get out, it is really a shame. I hope you can not only find your passion again, but view yourselves as mavens or curators for the vintage card and vintage baseball world. You guys help the newbies out and without that knowledge being passed on the bad aspects will just continue to grow.

Kudos to you on teaching more obscure negro league stuff...do many of the kids seem interested?

Getting out of the hobby to me...if I were to ever leave would mean mainly liquidating the majority of my collection...but I would still frequent this board and be somewhat active in the hobby still...just not a collector.

[veleno45]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Kudos to you on teaching more obscure negro league stuff...do many of the kids seem interested?

The kids love it. Who ever knew there was a Black Babe Ruth, or a guy as fast as Cool Papa Bell. Heck, the teachers in the schools did not even realize a man from our town was a negro league all star. I had to print out a wiki page for them which the kids loved.

[GoCubsGo32]

I guess that's the difference between cards and photos. I used to mainly collect signed HOF RC , but it got a little boring seeing the same cards.When the rare HOF signed RC finally surface, prices go up,I can't afford it, since everyone else is waiting for those rares ones as well to surface. I got bored of just waiting waiting and then praying I could afford it when that one rare card surfaced.

I got my first Pre WW2 snapshot photo and just so happen to be HOFer Joe Cronin, and I was hook! Mainly because no two snapshot photos are really the same, they tell a story, and they are generally affordable. So I collect HOF snapshot photo, and when that hits a dry spell...I switch back over to signed HOF RC. It's like a rotation within your collection. Helps keeps the interested going so you don't hit the dry spells.

Point. Take a break from cards and try somethings new or try a new challenge with your collection.

[K-Nole]

Please dont leave the hobby.

Maybe take a break and maybe step back your collecting to Topps Set building or something. Right now you are collecting the highest of high in our hobby, maybe go back to some basics.

I know what you are saying about kids and our hobby, but there are children that are in our hobby. My 12 year old is the youngest at all the card shows we go to, by 10-12 years. But he needs good, honest collectors like yourself to help him.

[Brian Van Horn]

Speaking about the Negro Leagues, I picked up this book and Ralph Kiner's biography on the way home from the post office on Saturday:

[Vintagecatcher]

Hi Brian,

I have been going through a "down phase" recently myself.

Sometimes it's good just to take a break from the hobby. The hardest thing to do in this hobby is to be patient especially when it seems that all of the items on your want list have vanished. Sometimes it's good to take a break and sit back and enjoy your current collection.


Be well,


Patrick

[toledo_mudhen]

Originally Posted by veleno45

The kids love it. Who ever knew there was a Black Babe Ruth, or a guy as fast as Cool Papa Bell. Heck, the teachers in the schools did not even realize a man from our town was a negro league all star. I had to print out a wiki page for them which the kids loved.

If you ever want to do something that will re-ignite your passion make a trip to 18th and Vine in Downtown Kansas City. The Negro League Baseball Museum is awesome - plan on spending the whole day. It doesn't get much better than this...

http://nlbm.com/

[sac_bunt]

Originally Posted by toledo_mudhen

If you ever want to do something that will re-ignite your passion make a trip to 18th and Vine in Downtown Kansas City. The Negro League Baseball Museum is awesome - plan on spending the whole day. It doesn't get much better than this...

http://nlbm.com/

I AGREE 100%!
A wonderful place to immerse yourself in a very rich part of baseball history.
My first visit to the nlbm I got the privilege to meet Buck O'Neil just before he passed. I feel pretty lucky.

[yanksfan09]

My advice would be to take a break and not sell anything that's really special or hard to replace just yet. Take a long break and see if you start to get the itch again. Maybe wait up to a year or so even before you part with any of your favorite stuff. You may regret it later. If you have no interest still after a long break then do as you see fit.
Best of luck.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by yanksfan09

My advice would be to take a break and not sell anything that's really special or hard to replace just yet. Take a long break and see if you start to get the itch again. Maybe wait up to a year or so even before you part with any of your favorite stuff. You may regret it later. If you have no interest still after a long break then do as you see fit.
Best of luck.

I agree. Take a break and come back.....then decide if you want to get out. I have seen a lot of collectors get out only to come back in. And amassing a nice collection takes time so it's not so easy once you liquidate your good stuff. I am 100% sure I could never replace my collection completely if I got out. I just need to figure out a way to pay for my daughters college and still have most of my collection. Where there is a will.......

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by yanksfan09

My advice would be to take a break and not sell anything that's really special or hard to replace just yet.

Super-huge +1 on not selling some things. I took a 6-year break and sold everything except my favorite piece and a few that I was too lazy to sell. I'm really wish I had saved a few more things.

[clydepepper]

Don't drink so much or read the label

[glchen]

Maybe you just need a break. Stop reading net54 and scavenging ebay and the auction houses for a while, and see where that leads you. I remember last year, Steven was thinking that the hobby was becoming stale for him: Link. However, after a little while, I believe he's come back and still collecting. Maybe it will be similar for you.

[rainier2004]

Originally Posted by glchen

Maybe you just need a break. Stop reading net54 and scavenging ebay and the auction houses for a while, and see where that leads you. I remember last year, Steven was thinking that the hobby was becoming stale for him: Link. However, after a little while, I believe he's come back and still collecting. Maybe it will be similar for you.

Nice memory Gary.

Someone told me to pack all my cards up and put them away for awhile. I think they were gone 2 months and in that time I really shifted gears in my collection. It actually led to where I am today as I am selling or finishing all projects, every last one of them by the holidays this year.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by glchen

Maybe you just need a break. Stop reading net54 and scavenging ebay and the auction houses for a while, and see where that leads you.

This is good advice. Sometimes even a week or two completely away can really help.

[ethicsprof]

I would sure hate to see you go, ole buddy.
all the best,
barry

[slidekellyslide]

Things that fit my baseball collection come up so rarely any more that I had to switch gears to feed my need to collect so I switched to collecting postcards of my hometown. I still search for the local minor league and Nebraska Indians items that I love, but I found that finding an obscure postcard for a couple of bucks gives me just as big a thrill as finding items for my baseball collection. Maybe you just need to switch to a new (cheaper) hobby for a while?