What keeps you collecting?

[Anthony S.]

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

[Howe’s Hunter]

Originally Posted by Anthony S.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

That would be Compulsive Disorder Obsessive, for those of us who really have it. Gotta keep things in order.

[T206Collector]

Simply put -- the chase.

[thekingofclout]

No wife to spend all my money.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by thekingofclout

No wife to spend all my money.

Same here, although lately I've been trying to keep myself from spending all of my money...

[Anthony S.]

I originally came to this site back in 2007 with every intention of selling off my entire collection. I hadn't so much as glanced at my cards in 7 years and figured the time had come to sell off what had primarily been a childhood obsession (with a couple years in my early 30's thrown in for good measure). Within 30 minutes I was hooked again. Not only did I not sell any cards, other than a few dupes, I've since added several hundred to my collection. It's like dropping Charlie Sheen into the middle of a hooker convention. I'm powerless to stop.

[dstraate]

Absolutely nothing to add to this thread that hasn't been said already, so I'll just say this is a really great read. Appreciate all the thoughts.

Alright, back to staring at my computer screen.

[timzcardz]

In a word . . .

PATRIOTISM!



I'm doing my part to stimulate the economy.


Well that and I'm terrified at even the thought of withdrawal.

[Exhibitman]

What Jeff said...plus the friends I've made.

Besides, what else would I do with my free time and disposable income:

--Play golf? Run around with a bunch of middle-aged white men, chasing a little white ball in a park while dressed like a pimp...I'd rather have my teeth cleaned by a blind hygienist with a tremor.

--Work more? Uh, no thanks. It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.

--Buy more crap for the house? So I can not enjoy the new stuff while I am at work, just like I don't get to use everything I own now.

--Travel? The National has ruined that for me. After you've been to Baltimore and Cleveland in August, it's all a let-down from there.

--Work charitably for the betterment of my fellow man? Get real. I don't even like most people I know.

--Run for office? Hey, even a cynical, nasty, amoral, godless heathen like me has more self-respect than that.

Nope, I am a hopeless card addict without the means or inclination to break the cycle of collect and want more, collect and want more.

[quinnsryche]

The "Thrill of the Hunt". I just love rooting out stuff and then setting the sights on it. After that, hopefully I can afford it!

[alanu]

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending how you look at it, golf is my other hobby, I'm not very good, but still am addicted to that in addition to the card hobby. Come to think of it, I'm not all that good at the card hobby either.

[ethicsprof]

once i surrounded myself with three office walls full of framed favorites, THEY
reminded me each day of how much i love the history,the aesthetics, the game, and the colleagues.
now i just keep looking for more walls.
best,
barry

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

--Work more? Uh, no thanks. It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.

What if - and believe me this is hypothetical - but what if you were offered some kind of a stock option equity sharing program. Would that do anything for you?

[oldjudge]

Work charitably for the betterment of my fellow man? Get real. I don't even like most people I know.

Line of the week---thanks Adam!

[Northviewcats]

For me this is a timely topic. I don't really have an answer. I use to think that I would someday complete the monster, but when I started to care about a card's condition it has really slowed me up. I've only added a dozen or so T206s to my collection this year. At that rate it will take me twenty more years to complete the set, and I'm already getting pretty close to sixty. I have started buying other Prewar cards hoping that something would light a fire, but I haven't found a project that excites me. I also have played around with collecting Cuban cards (especial of those who played in the negro leagues), but there doesn't seem to be many of them available.

I have the most fun trying to find deals on eBay. I've been fairly successful at flipping cards to build a collection, but lately I've found that I would rather see my Paypal balance keep rising than spend the money on more cards.

I guess I've hit the card collecting doldrums. How do you get through this?


Best regards,

Joe

[Zach Wheat]

I think there are many reason...can commiserate with all of the above. I also like hearing and reading about stories on their lives....particularly when you hear Hans Lobert (Glory of Their Times CD Original Interview Version) - penniless in his hotel room, without even a TV to watch "base ball" - telling about the time he got his first pair of cleats; and how he didn't play for the money (he was broke and this was before the days MLB had a pension) and that he played for the love of the game.

Zach Wheat

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by 4815162342

What if - and believe me this is hypothetical - but what if you were offered some kind of a stock option equity sharing program. Would that do anything for you?

It's not just about me and my dream of doing nothing. It's about all of us. We don't have a lot of time on this earth! We weren't meant to spend it this way. Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about about mission statements.

We have been collecting for 30+ years.

Each year our learnings, our love for baseball and our passion for building a world class collection of rare cards and memorabilia grows stronger.

The hobby is our most important source of enjoyment. In fact, with the exception of the health of our family and the continued growth of our consulting business, there is nothing as important in the world than this hobby.

The thrill of uncovering something new, the fierce competition for the impossible card, the chance to interact with a select group of brilliant executives who share our passion, and our unquenchable thirst for knowledge about baseball history are just some of the reasons, why we love this hobby.


Bruce Dorskind
America's Toughest Want List

bdorskind@dorskindgroup.com

Record prices paid for the select group of extraordinary items that we seek!

[tiger8mush]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

It's not just about me and my dream of doing nothing. It's about all of us. We don't have a lot of time on this earth! We weren't meant to spend it this way. Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about about mission statements.

sounds like SOMEBODY has a case of the mondays!

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

It's not just about me and my dream of doing nothing. It's about all of us. We don't have a lot of time on this earth! We weren't meant to spend it this way. Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about about mission statements.

So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life.

[iggyman]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

We weren't meant to spend it this way. Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about about mission statements.

Amazing.......how the heck do you know what I do for a living??? Anyways, back to the subject at hand. I collect baseball cards for a simple reason. It keeps the kid inside of me alive. Just the other day, after getting home from a long & frustrating day of staring at a computer screen, a puffy envelope is waiting for me on the kitchen table. While trying to stay cool, calm, and collected in front of my wife, I anxiously wait until she heads for the bedroom. At which point, I tear into the envelope like Hugh Hefner on Viagra. Inside, is a recently purchased lot of 1936 Wide and Fine Pens.

Well, I'm going through them, mumbling........got it, got it, need it, got it; when all of a sudden, I notice some cards with a little writing on the back side. You know what, those eight cards put a big old smile on my face. As was mentioned once in a prior thread, sometimes the cards talk to me.........do they talk to you???

Here are two pics of the back side of the cards....
Picture 046.jpg

Picture 050.jpg

Thanks for the cards Raymond! I'm glad they helped you make it through the five grade. I'm sure you will be happy to know, that with your assistance, they helped me get through a frustrating day. Thanks again!

Lovely Day...

[WillBBC]

It furthers my quest for knowledge.

I love baseball history and sports history in general and few things give you as much as a connection as a collectible from an era. Be it the 19th century, early 20th or even today.

Cards and collectibles also paint such an incredible picture of cultural periods. I love hitting up antique shops and just thumbing through early 20th century items. Be it cards, stamps, miniature flags, pictures, memos, you name it.

[Anthony S.]

Originally Posted by StuckInOmaha

That would be Compulsive Disorder Obsessive, for those of us who really have it. Gotta keep things in order.

Hmm. Come to think of it I always wondered why my shrink only charged $4 and a sandwich per session and insisted on meeting on a park bench. I just thought he was outdoorsy.

[mayx2]

The hunt for new and exciting things to add to my collection! Lou

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by Anthony S.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

BINGO!

I'm just lucky that the object of my obsession is not nearly as expensive as some of y'all.

[Northviewcats]

Your comments and suggestions really do help. Two of your observations really ring true for me, if I understand you correctly. Avoid "forced buys." This happens all the time to me when I buy a card, just to buy a card. I can't find what I'm looking for so I feel forced to buy something, just because it is a good buy. Later I find myself flipping it, or just hanging on to the card because it wasn't as good a buy as I thought it was. In addition, when bigger money is involved the need to find value becomes more important. Recently, I sent a large lot (over eighty cards) of my T-206s to SGC for grading. These were the "jewels" that I bought ungraded off eBay and at shows in my first couple of years collecting. Although, I have no beefs about the grades they received it did humble me a bit that not one of the cards made it to an EX. I've since become skeptical about buying any ungraded cards on eBay because I don't have the skill to determine value from a picture. This has also made me, perhaps too concerned with the economics of collecting cards. If I buy this card for my collection will I ever get my money out of it. Always thinking about the value of a purchase kind of ruins it. One of the cards that I sent in was a very sharp Polar Bear, Dark-cap Matty. I paid a little over $300.00 on eBay and I was hoping to get between a 40-60 from SGC. I started a thread on it here on Net 54 and while everyone who posted said I should get it graded, several members said that it looked trimmed on the bottom. They were right and it came back authentic. Now, even though it looks better in the holder than another SGC 50 Matty that I own, I find myself hanging on to the card, because I don't want to lose money on it. I realize this silly, but I have a whole shoebox full of silliness in my closet that I probably should sell.

I also think that you are right on the mark when you say that "we've seen them all." This reminds me of something Brian Dwyer told me when I asked him what he collected. His response was when "you've held two Wagners in your hand at the same time nothing else seems very interesting." (I'm paraphrasing Brian here, but the gist of the idea is correct.) Now, I never have held a Wagner in my hand, but most of the cards that I could afford, I have purchased and they no longer awe me. I find myself asking, do I have to spend $1,000 on a Cobb to get the excitement back? If so, how much will the next fix cost?

As depressing as this sounds I really do feel better knowing that other collectors have the same concerns and have made the same mistakes. I'm sure that I will regain the excitement if I can focus in on the aspects that make me happy. If this means for the time being flipping cards and building up a huge war chest for later purchases, when I know what I want to collect than so much the better.

Thanks again Chris for your help.

Best regards,

Joe

[Brian Van Horn]

"What keeps you collecting?"

Addiction is fun!

It's like a never ending journey. People ask me what the focus of my collection is and I answer there is no focus. I see something, I ask the price or I bid on it. If I lose, I lose. It is not the end of the world. Another card always comes up and another purchase is made or another pursuit begins. I subscribe to the motto of life in collecting that variety is the spice of life. It's always enjoyable.

[Bilko G]

i keep telling myself that its a great investment

[Matthew H]

I don't subscribe to the baby boomer theory either. I'm not a baby boomer. My father is and he has absolutely no interest in collecting. My grandma collects thimbles and spoons, that form of collecting may fizzle with their generation; Not sports cards (or comic books).

Kids still collect cards. When that stops, then maybe we might be looking at last generation (maybe).

What does pre-war baseball cards have to do with the baby boomer generation anyway?

[T205]

The thrill of the chase, the sweet taste of victory, and the disappointment of defeat. Nothin' like it in this world! Also the history of the game. I believe someone else said this and I agree. Its fun to wonder where a certain card has been in its lifetime. Its funny though all the cards I get seem to find a home in Japan, taking a trip around the world to end up in my collection!

[Chris D.]

The love of the game and its rich history. I have been collecting on and off my whole life. Obviously, when I was a kid. Again in my late teens/early 20's. And now since 2004/2005 when I was in my mid-30's. I have taken breaks here and there, but I keep coming back. I have been collecting vintage for the last 5 or 6 years and it's like owning a piece of history. I love the game. I even play in a 35+ men's wood bat league and it's a blast. My 15 year-old daughter loves it too and I'm glad I can leave her something from a bond we shared after I'm gone in another 60 years.