You ever consider that collecting might be a bad idea?

[CooperstownExpert]

Originally Posted by JohnnyFinance7

Let me offer my two cents. I recently started collecting again (in January) after a 30 year hiatus. When I was a kid, I wrote letters to baseball HOFers and was able to get a few autographs through the mail. I always remember looking forward to coming back from school and finding one of my SASE in the mail. Some players such as Joe Sewell took the time to write me back. Back then, I always wanted to see how many HOF autographs I could collect and I've always enjoyed the history of the game as well. Fast forward 30 years, and I'm trying to re-live my childhood and pick up autographs and rookie cards that I have always wanted.

Cool website by the way and that's awesome that you were able to find a Ty Cobb check for $40!

Back in the early to mid 1980s Cobb's granddaughter flooded the market with his checks. I think she sold them to dealers for $10!

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by CooperstownExpert

Back in the early to mid 1980s Cobb's granddaughter flooded the market with his checks. I think she sold them to dealers for $10!

A friend of the granddaughter brought 100 checks to NY. He found a local ad of mine.
I paid $20 apiece and got $60 each for them, selling them individually at shows and SCD.

[steve B]

I don't collect much in the way of autographs, but I do collect a lot of stuff, and not all of it sports.

It took me a long time to become a more "serious" collector. And I'm probably not entirely there yet.

I collect pretty much whatever I enjoy in some way. And I've finally escaped the need for "completeness". Collecting in a couple areas where completeness isn't really possible has helped a lot.

I enjoy stuff for a lot of reasons, Nostalgia, a sense of preserving something I find interesting, especially if it seems nobody else cares at all. And sometimes for a sense of discovery. (My wife says I like the hunt better than the catching, and she may be right)

I've seen a few hobbies get so the better things are out of reach (for me anyway) and the lesser ones are boring.

I do find that everyone who collects eventually takes a brief break to reassess their interests and goals.

Lately I've begun taking some of the stuff I've found and doing a little writeup about why it's special and putting it in a binder. It makes the item a bit more relateable, and more than just some old bit of paper in a box somewhere.

Here's a couple pages I did for a postcard I found in a postcard dealers stock and took a chance on. The hockey stic pic is from another member here, and added a lot to the overall page.

[homerunhitter]

Great topic! as ive struggled with this same question for many years. my two cents is, that buying autographs is like buying a brand new car, once you buy it it pretty much loses value. what i mean buy this is how many collectors bought a signed card for one price and then sold it for maybe half on ebay years later? yes, there are exception to the rule of course, but i venture to say that most people dont get back what they put into an item.

secondly, i always struggle with, why buy something and just stick it in a box or album and not look at it for months or even years, seems silly to me.

lately i started thinking,well, we came into the world with nothing, and it is certain that we cant take anything with us, so why buy all these great cards and collectibles if we just have to leave them to someone else that might not want them or might not want to deal with them.

I started selling some stuff and to be honest I kind of like the money in my pocket instead of the items!!!! its nice to buy stuff like a watch, a tv, rims for my cars, a new couch, with the money instead of buying an al kaline autograph or a tom seaver autograph. nice to pay for a nice vegas trip instead of a willie mays or ted williams autograph, nice to buy a new bicycle instead of a hank aaron autograph, nice to buy a nice sewing machine for my wife instead of a eddie mathews autograph, you get the point!

after thinking of all of this, then i start thinking from time to time, how cool it is to buy autographs! so its a roller coaster, up and down, yes and no.i like to collect, i dont like to collect, i like the money, i like the cards..a very tough question indeed!

[CooperstownExpert]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

Great topic! as ive struggled with this same question for many years. my two cents is, that buying autographs is like buying a brand new car, once you buy it it pretty much loses value. what i mean buy this is how many collectors bought a signed card for one price and then sold it for maybe half on ebay years later? yes, there are exception to the rule of course, but i venture to say that most people dont get back what they put into an item.

secondly, i always struggle with, why buy something and just stick it in a box or album and not look at it for months or even years, seems silly to me.

lately i started thinking,well, we came into the world with nothing, and it is certain that we cant take anything with us, so why buy all these great cards and collectibles if we just have to leave them to someone else that might not want them or might not want to deal with them.

I started selling some stuff and to be honest I kind of like the money in my pocket instead of the items!!!! its nice to buy stuff like a watch, a tv, rims for my cars, a new couch, with the money instead of buying an al kaline autograph or a tom seaver autograph. nice to pay for a nice vegas trip instead of a willie mays or ted williams autograph, nice to buy a new bicycle instead of a hank aaron autograph, nice to buy a nice sewing machine for my wife instead of a eddie mathews autograph, you get the point!

after thinking of all of this, then i start thinking from time to time, how cool it is to buy autographs! so its a roller coaster, up and down, yes and no.i like to collect, i dont like to collect, i like the money, i like the cards..a very tough question indeed!

It sounds like you're where I am thinking of going. Wish it was simpler! Great reply by the way.

[shelly]

Do not for get the Jackie Robinson checks from Rachel. $50 in the folder.

[whyconform]

Listen, we all have hobbies. Autograph collecting isn't my own....I love cars, and modified/raced/showed (not so much anymore). Talk about a depreciating money pit hobby. I also bowl competitively, but point being, people have hobbies to ENJOY.

Now, my gf rides horses. She owns a horse, and pays close to 500 (over with shoes/etc) for board monthly. There is NO way to recoup that money years down the road. It is simply a hobby, fun, and NOT an investment. I don't get it, but to her it's worth every penny.

I enjoy collecting, and love baseball. Owning an autograph collection is like having a small cooperstown, as the items were looked at and touched by the legend. Luckily for people like us, there IS value if you wanted to sell in the future. Knowing what will go up or down is the thing we don't know, but if you do this ONLY for investment purposes, then you're not in it for the right reasons.

For me, as long as I prioritize life, needs, keep it a hobby, and enjoy the chase, I'm happy. At the end of the day, unlike someone who owns a horse, or drinks as a hobby, or ski's, or golfs, or travels, there is Value in the collection should it need to be sold or money gets tight.

The toughest thing for me, is that when things started, I was able to get multiple packages a week, as things were affordable. Now, as needs are expensive, the packages are few and far in between, and you can tend to lose interest.

As long as you treat it as a hobby, I think you're fine. If it is causing financial hardships, or hurting family, then you have to consider what's more important.