Best hobby advice you've received.

[Steve_NY]

So many great statements -- but mine are quite similar: (I started collecting in 1957 and became a "dealer" in 1976 and I did start advertising items for sale by 1964 --wish I had those items back today):

1 -- Buy what you like -- if you get stuck with it, you still own something you like. So I do have about a 1,000 beanies but they are all Disney or Warners, so guess what, I still like them -- all of my Mickeys and other comic characters.

2 -- Just like the stock market, don't put all of your money into one stock/player. I might make an exception for Ruth, Mantle and many similar players.

3-- Focus on the "keys" that you can afford. Besides sports, I did the same in non sports and comic books. While non sports has cooled down, there are some keys and comic books that I literally have hundreds of or more.

4 -- Negotiate with everyone for a better price. It can't hurt to try and all they can do is say no. Yes, that can turn them off, so you buy something else.

5 -- When I started selling in 1976, it was for me a clear end to most of my collecting but it did not stop me from investing in "quality" and often "quantity". It's tough to sell at shows almost every weekend in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990's, and continue collecting when you were buying collections 5 to ten times a week. Those acquisitions were next weeks sales.

6 -- Have a mind of your own and don't always follow the trends. For me it has always been to figure out the next hot item, buy a ton of it and wait for the market to catch up. Not sure that would work now, but look at the last year!!

Steve