Thinking about calling it a day on collecting.

[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

[oldjudge]

Brian--if you've been a collector for a long time it's tough to get out of collecting entirely. I suggest finding something new to collect. An area with some historical significance where things are not expensive, so there is less of an incentive for sleaze bags to try to rip you off. Also, avoid areas with registry sets where people feel the need to have someone who knows little what they are grading tell them indirectly what their things are worth. Another prime example below:

[barrysloate]

Jay- I remember many years back having an Old Judge portrait card (the player escapes me) with the most perfect deep rich photo quality you could ever find on an N172. But because of a tiny bit of paper loss on the back, maybe the size of the tip of a pencil eraser, it was graded Poor. And the card you posted is a NR MT+. No matter how many times you tell them they've got it wrong, they keep repeating their mistakes. What a shame.

[mrvster]

no matter how hard you try, your in

take a break for a little while

[tbob]

Brian- I wish you the best, whatever you decide. I would offer one bit of advice from one who's been there, when you get mired in a collecting funk, resist the temptation to start selling off pre-war card sets. About ten years ago I sold off complete sets of many caramel cards and have just now completed getting them all back again. It's too frigging hard to find some of the cards now as many collectors, for investment sake or collection sake, have buried the cards in to their collections like the T213 tobacco Coupons. Cards which were available ten years ago are now difficult to find and you'll find yourself kicking yourself for selling them. I know when I decided to "re-put" together the E95, E96, E97, E99 and E100 sets, especially in nice condition, it was tough. E98s would fall in to that group also but for the Black Swamp Find which has made it easier, albeit a little pricey. Sets like the 1909 Zeenuts will never disappear from my collection because it is now impossible to put together the whole set from scratch.
Think twice! For me, I only collect 1909-1919 in the pre-war because that is my favorite time in history. Find a niche, that's mine. Sure I have sets like the DeLong, Tatoo Orbit, George Miller but the 1909-1919 era is my niche.
I wish you the best in your decision....

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by tbob

Brian- I wish you the best, whatever you decide. I would offer one bit of advice from one who's been there, when you get mired in a collecting funk, resist the temptation to start selling off pre-war card sets. About ten years ago I sold off complete sets of many caramel cards and have just now completed getting them all back again. It's too frigging hard to find some of the cards now as many collectors, for investment sake or collection sake, have buried the cards in to their collections like the T213 tobacco Coupons. Cards which were available ten years ago are now difficult to find and you'll find yourself kicking yourself for selling them. I know when I decided to "re-put" together the E95, E96, E97, E99 and E100 sets, especially in nice condition, it was tough. E98s would fall in to that group also but for the Black Swamp Find which has made it easier, albeit a little pricey. Sets like the 1909 Zeenuts will never disappear from my collection because it is now impossible to put together the whole set from scratch.
Think twice! For me, I only collect 1909-1919 in the pre-war because that is my favorite time in history. Find a niche, that's mine. Sure I have sets like the DeLong, Tatoo Orbit, George Miller but the 1909-1919 era is my niche.
I wish you the best in your decision....

1909 Zeenuts? That does sound like an impossible set to complete.

[autograf]

NEVER let the 1909 Zeenuts go.........

Everyone's giving you great advice. Keep us up-to-date on what you do. I like the PAUSE, refresh, try something else out for a while. I'm doing some 1950's/1960's Topps sets right now. It's been fun.....

Good luck!

[Brian Van Horn]

Thank you, Tom. It was a pleasure meeting you and Ken Cohen and Cohen's table at Robert Morris a couple years ago. The IRS agent made me a little nervous. I don't know why. I reported all my income.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Brian Van Horn

Thank you, Tom. It was a pleasure meeting you and Ken Cohen and Cohen's table at Robert Morris a couple years ago. The IRS agent made me a little nervous. I don't know why. I reported all my income.

In 1990 I was set up at a show with my table of vintage oddball cards. The dealer next to me had stacks of 1989 Upper Deck and was selling Griffey and Sheffield rookies like they were going out of style. I think he was pricing them a few bucks below market. We got to talking and he started bragging about the thousands of undeclared dollars he was making every weekend selling Griffey rookies. $10,000 one show, $5,000 another show, and so on. Eventually he asked me what I did and I told him that I practiced law. He asked what kind and I said I am a tax lawyer with the IRS's tax fraud division. He turned about fifty shades of whiter then green. I thought he was going to puke.

The moral of the story is that if you are making a fortune in cash and aren't booking the revenue, STFU.

[bobbyw8469]

I certainly skip over anything demanding paypal f/f payment.

People usually want that kind of payment, because they are usually wholesaling cards over here with a very small profit margin (I can only speak for myself - I know some sellers are charging thru the roof for their stuff - maybe the can afford to pay all the fees, since they are sky high anyway. If we are going to get beat down to below wholesale prices, we might as well sell everything on Ebay, pay the fees, where we get a gazillion more eyeballs than we do just on Net54. Just a thought....

[Exhibitman]

I've retrenched and refocused substantially over the last year. Part of it was finance and part was recognizing that my collection had become The Collection. It had a life of its own. I find myself re-energized by asking myself to collect only what really interests me. I got rid of 90% of my slabbed cards and replaced the ones I really liked with much cheaper lower grade raw cards. I also culled a lot of the bulk of sets I favor and kept only a few cards from them that I found aesthetically pleasing. Ultimately all you can do is what feels right. If money is not an issue I'd echo the others' recommendations not to sell while you are down. I'd also add, come to the national. It always re-energizes me. Finally, for now, try a different thing. For me it was photos

[ValKehl]

Hi Brian,
Ever since I joined Net 54 several years ago, I have thoroughly enjoyed your frequent and enthusiastic participation on Net 54. Just today, I marveled at the many very tough Schapiras, W503s, V89s, etc. that you showed in the Roaring 1920's thread. To me, you are obviously a collector who loves scarce cards regardless of condition, as do I. And, I suspect that collecting has been too much a part of your life for too long a time for you to be able to walk away from the hobby and not regret doing so a year from now. So, I fully concur with the other members who suggest that you take a break from collecting and, unless there is a financial need, not part with your cards, especially the scarce ones (except, perhaps, for your WaJo and Sam Rice cards that I covet ), until you are absolutely sure collecting is outta your system.
Best, whatever you decide,
Val

[Tomman1961]

Some of you may have seen my post of what do I do as I am in financial difficulties. I took most advice. I graded some cards and sold them off. It took a big burden off the family. 5 years ago I had stage 3 cancer, and I thought-what the hell am I doing with this stuff?(cards). I am cured of cancer, but that thought still is in my head. But I still have the collecting bug. I am now very interested-and highly enjoy- a different piece of BB memorabilia.
Please-this is not a classified ad to sell my stuff. I know where to go. It is a comment only, about loosing interest in one collecting avenue, but picking up another. If I sell off my entire cards collection that does not mean much any more, I can use the cash, and I can also have some $ to continue to purchase BB memorabilia. For example-I am not into cards anymore, but I might love pre-WW2 equipment. No, that's not my passion-Just an example.