Have you ever wanted to just sell your Autograph collection?

[Mr. Zipper]

Agree with Fudd. If you can't pay for tires, yet have a house full of collectibles, you need to re-prioritize. Certainly there are some things you can easily sell without missing them too much. If you can't pay for something with cash, you can't afford it.

We haven't carried a credit card balance in many years. Yep... I've probably missed out on a few items because I didn't have enough cash in my fun account at the time, but it's a great feeling not having credit card bills.

http://www.daveramsey.com/home/

[mschwade]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper

We haven't carried a credit card balance in many years. Yep... I've probably missed out on a few items because I didn't have enough cash in my fun account at the time, but it's a great feeling not having credit card bills.

http://www.daveramsey.com/home/

Leads to another topic.... How does one build their fun account? Is it only from items you sell? Do you get an "allowance" each payday? Just curious how others work, specifically when you have another half.

[jgmp123]

Originally Posted by mschwade

Leads to another topic.... How does one build their fun account? Is it only from items you sell? Do you get an "allowance" each payday? Just curious how others work, specifically when you have another half.

We budget accordingly each month and have a set amount for "Fun/Spending"....Depending on your income this can get you pretty far in your collecting hobby or force you to look back to your 13 year old self and save up to get what you want. I have been collecting since I was an early teen, so the sheer amount of "stuff" I have collected has recently been sold to put the money towards other pieces.

I recommend factoring in any debt you have to the budget and aggressively get that taken care of before you begin making any major purchases. Once you are debt free and can budget for "fun things", your life will be much easier. I know it could be "easier said than done", but the way I look at it, if you are in debt then you don't need that next autograph or card.

[HexsHeroes]

.

Bam Bam. It is when a passion crosses over the line and becomes an obsession, and then an addition, that priorities become meaningless.

I wasn't going to comment much about this, but have had a change of heart, because this points towards an ugly truth, and is also personal.

At that point, there is only one priority; acquire that next item. It does not mean that "right choices" are not recognized, but that choosing is a
tormenting battle within. I have been there. Twice. And both times I sold a wonderful collection (first time coins; second time vintage baseball cards) inorder
to pay off the outstanding debt used to acquire those treasures, and to try and start clean again. Twenty-two years later, I now (happily) have a
small autograph collection, and virtually no debt.

Am I looking for sympathy or praise, or condone such action ? Absolutely not. I knew right from wrong, made poor choices and paid the consequences for
them. But whether I admit it or not, I had an addiction. And most days, it was a tormenting struggle.

So my advice for Bam Bam, realize you may have an addiction, and seek help.

Thanks.

[Luke]

I agree with everyone saying you need to take a step back and re-prioritize. I am pretty sure I would sell and get out of debt if I were you. I don't think I would quit collecting. I would start again with a portion of disposable income and make sure not to get into debt again.

One thing to think about: As long as you are in debt, you're basically paying a tax for holding your collection. You could do the math on how much $ you are paying each year on interest, and see just how much your collection is costing you. You're basically paying rent on having the collection. If you sell everything except for your favorite couple items and start again but this time within your means, you'll save a ton of money.