Not O/T - Does Marriage Counseling Work?

[D. Broughman]

I think Andrew hit it on the head. You have to get her involved and let her know her input is important to you. I took my wife with me to antique shops and auctions and showed her things I thought where good to buy but let her make the call. We bought some and then looked them up and the value was higher. Now I have to watch her with the auction card she wants to buy but don't know the value.

[M's_Fan]

One of the most important factors to explain is liquidity and "exit strategy."

Explain how easy it would be to consign your cards to be sold, or sell yourself on eBay.

Also explain how inflation is likely hitting some day soon, and physical assets will be a good place to be.

[scooter729]

Erich,

How about you get some shills in the crowd to send bogus emails to you, offering 2x-3x what you paid for items in your collection??

Nah, I would say just show her some VCP prices to show what you could get for some of your items if you wanted to sell. It's hard to market to a non-collector how this could be better than a mutual fund portfolio for your investment dollar, but hopefully as your wife she'll be supportive of you!

[bbcard1]

Don't you guys just find a way to hide a little stash to spend on your cards? I usually stash my travel $. I have also planted clues to convince her that I have a raging hookers and blow habit and I expect she will be relieved when she finds out it is only baseball cards

[teetwoohsix]

Well,you can always get early hobby publications,and show her what these cards used to go for in the 70's-compared to what they are going for now

Regards,Clayton

P.S.Andrew & bigtrain-those were great answers.My wife has also learned about T206's,and loves to see the new cards I get-she is very supportive!!

[FUBAR]

I tell my wife/ gf that they do a monthly draw at the card store for a box of cards and luckily for me, i have won a few lately!

[Chicago206]

As I began tackling the T206 backs set, naturally I had to let the wife in on what was going on. Afterall, I very well couldnt just have $6,000 dissapear from the bank account without her noticing!

In the beginning, she just rolled her eyes and said "whatever". But that was for sub $200 purchases. When things started getting serious (Drum), she became a bit more interested in what I was "throwing our money away" on. Well, shortly after finishing the set, I decided to take a new direction. I ended up selling a few cards here on the BST. Since I was upfront on what I had spent on each new card as I bought them, and she has a mind like a steel trap (believe me thats NOT a good thing!), she was able to clearly see that my new hobby was a zero sum game. In other words, every card I sold was a break even on what we paid. This has really calmed her down as she now understands that im not just spending thousands on some goofy cardboard pictures of men. She now sees it as a legitimate investment, which as it turns out, is also a fun hobby for me. Im pretty much set with the green light on a BL460 now when the opportunity presents itself!

So in summary, IMO, the easiest and most effective way to show your better half the truth is to sell a few of your cards that might not fit your collection anymore. Every collector has some "dead weight" laying around (and no, im not talking about the wife!).

[jbsports33]

Erich,

The road is long and hard, it has been almost 10 years for me trying to get my wife to understand the process. I had to create a website, work at the shows and eBay to get her to see the benefit. It has worked and things are improving, but had to make it like a part-time business. Keep the business side to yourself for the most part and talk with her about simple things in the hobby.

Jimmy

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Chicago206

As I began tackling the T206 backs set, naturally I had to let the wife in on what was going on. Afterall, I very well couldnt just have $6,000 dissapear from the bank account without her noticing!

In the beginning, she just rolled her eyes and said "whatever". But that was for sub $200 purchases. When things started getting serious (Drum), she became a bit more interested in what I was "throwing our money away" on. Well, shortly after finishing the set, I decided to take a new direction. I ended up selling a few cards here on the BST. Since I was upfront on what I had spent on each new card as I bought them, and she has a mind like a steel trap (believe me thats NOT a good thing!), she was able to clearly see that my new hobby was a zero sum game. In other words, every card I sold was a break even on what we paid. This has really calmed her down as she now understands that im not just spending thousands on some goofy cardboard pictures of men. She now sees it as a legitimate investment, which as it turns out, is also a fun hobby for me. Im pretty much set with the green light on a BL460 now when the opportunity presents itself!

So in summary, IMO, the easiest and most effective way to show your better half the truth is to sell a few of your cards that might not fit your collection anymore. Every collector has some "dead weight" laying around (and no, im not talking about the wife!).

Post of the Year nominee, in the dark irony category.

[Chicago206]

Everyone came to Jim's defense recently in another thread. Hard to truly believe all those complimets he got when it seems to me he is simply an antagonistic jerk. He has demonstrated this over the span of several threads and several days.

[drc]

Just remember that marriage counseling isn't free. You have to have some money left over to pay for it.

[JP]

I don't really understand what your thread title has to do with your question....I guess it is a joke or said to attract attention. Either way, either your wife will be on board with the idea or she won't. If you still engage in the hobby even if she isn't on board, that is financial infidelity.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by JP

If you still engage in the hobby even if she isn't on board, that is financial infidelity.

JP. The moral compass of the board!

[B O'Brien]

"Hookers and blow"! I never expected to see that phrase on this page. It is then followed up nicely by "that is financial infidelity". The card world is a great place!

If you want to show some profit, I would love give you a 10% increase on that nice little PSA 5 OM Collins!

Other than the buy offer, I have nothing worthwhile to add to this one. I am mostly trying to use this thread in my own world to explain card spending to the wife when I do tap into the credit card. I pretty much need to sell something to buy anything new.

Bob

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by B O'Brien

"Hookers and blow"

I don't know if anyone is following the death of Malcolm McLaren, but this was essentially the 21st birthday present from McLaren to Steve Jones, who when asked to comment on McLaren's death said that it was the best birthday present he ever got!