Why are you holding onto or collecting ?

[G1911]

I will hold forever.

I skipped the rediscovery phase most seem to post about. I started with Batman cards when I was 3 years old in 1994, Football when I was 6, Baseball when I was 9, Tobacco when I was 11, Boxing shortly after that. All my cards were creased or dinged from constantly looking through, reading the backs and endless sorting and resorting. I had to stop buying when real life hit and I went to college and was completely broke and struggling, but my interest never waned. I continued monitoring and researching what I was into. Started spending a little after I got a "real job", and that has scaled with job growth. I'm lucky enough to be able to comfortably spend what I want on the hobby, but I still am drawn to the cards of my childhood and not the expensive stuff. Sharp corners still bear no appeal, and so I happily build in poor-very good range. I don't even 'take care of them' now; most of my cards are kept outside of any sleeves or protection. I used to penny sleeve vintage, but stopped seeing any point in it. If this T card is in Fair grade with a heavy crease and around corners, what is the sleeve for? I find it most pleasant this way, using them as I see intended.

I treat hobby money as beer money, what goes in doesn't come out and is my side fun. I've only just started to sell some of my low-end duplicates to clear space and get them somewhere they will not be collecting dust in a box of dupe junk, but the selling will never extend beyond that. If I have a card, it's because I wanted and bought it with the expectation that this picture is just paper that won't be worth anything and I'm flushing the cash down the drain. Keeps it 100% fun, 0% stress. I have no good answer for why cards are my odd obsession and hobby, but as it has been that way my entire life, I doubt it ever changes and I will sell. Low grade = quantity, my heirs will have one heck of a lot of sorting to do one day (and will probably sell off the tough variations for nothing). Hold forever

[Rickyy]

I have sold off some cards (mostly pre war type cards) due to no longer interested in them and because of the current crazy prices you can get for them... now focusing a lot more on post war stuff. I still have my Topps complete non graded set (70 -79, some 70's cello packs and rack packs) and post war type cards. I kept the tougher pre war type card stuff (Ruth, Cobb etc) because I still like them and also don't want to fork over the money needed now to buy them. It's purely a hobby for me and so I keep what I like until I am no longer interested.

Ricky Y

[mrmopar]

Originally Posted by G1911

I will hold forever.

I treat hobby money as beer money, what goes in doesn't come out and is my side fun.

I like this concept. I kind of felt the same way as I collected, except that would have been an awful lot of beer consumed for the same money. As I sit here now, we are in a good spot financially, so anything that may have gone into my collection is not critical to my survival, which is a great spot to be in.

I have spent enough on cards and stuff that it really makes sense to try to get some of that back if I am done though. Whether that is me selling them or an heir selling them after I am gone. If we ever reach the point where pulling money back out is critical, then it will happen. Until them, I may have a hard time breaking the seal on starting to sell stuff I really like.