Comments on: Pretty n’ Rare

By: Lesserbeing

Lesserbeing — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:26:23 +0000

I’ve got doubles of things too, mainly from bulk purchases needed to complete a set of something. SPACE is the big issue rather than lack of time or any other factor.

Trying to dump it is something of a burden I agree.

By: MattB

MattB — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:35:45 +0000

Despite having a lot of collectible things, I’ve never really been much of a collector per-se. I can happily let most collectors editions, and genuinely rare items pass me buy. About ten years ago I to buy more of them than I do today, but even back then it was never compulsive in any sense.

Even today there are exceptions, but they have to be things I really want and it doesn’t happen very often. Simply being hard to obtain or scarce is not enough to get my interest.

I think the main reason is that I focus mainly on what items are worth to me. Not simply in terms of monetary cost, but also in terms of how much actual enjoyment I’ll get out of the item, what I could do with the money instead, how much space it takes, etc, etc. There’s no hard and fast rules, it’s more a gut feel kind of thing.

On the flip side, I don’t really sell anything ever so I guess there is at least some collectors instinct in me. ^_^

By: Heather

Heather — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:21:51 +0000

I love finding unusual or rare things for my collections, too. Case in point: the antique linen I just picked up. Do I know what I’m going to do with it? Of course not! But I had to have it. So I can’t help, but I understand perfectly.

By: mundens

mundens — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:17:11 +0000

I also collect things. While it has it’s drawbacks, it also has it’s good side, such as being able to spend a lazy afternoon re-acquainting oneself with things long packed away.

I have thousands of books, comics, DVDs, role-playing games, wargames, and associated figures / models. I still have stamp collections from when I was a boy. I keep track of my purchases in a spreadsheet, and can say that I have spent approximately $53.6K on miniature figures and models, warganes and role-playing games, since I started keeping track over ten years ago.

On the other hand, I’ve sold off duplicates and things I didn’t want that came as part of bulk purchases, and have sold around $14.5K of stuff, all of it at a profit, meaning my overall cost was only around 40K. this means that on average it’s cost me less than 4K per year, so I don;t think itr was excessive expenditure given what some people spend on booze and cigarettes in a year, or lavish on their car or boat or spend on fishing or sporting gear.

Also, in keeping track of them I’ve also recorded the retail price of those things that I’ve purchased, usually at significant discount or second-hand, and while it’s cost me around 40K, I have close to $100K worth of stuff.

I sometimes think of myself as a dragon, especially when sitting in the middle of my hoard.

The drawback is that it’s very hard for me to move house, and I probably never will again unless forced to.

But I’ve given up being upset at my collecting, I just have to accept that it’s in my nature. I think I would have loved to have been employed as a museum curator or librarian. Unfortunately I make more money in other ways. Should I win lotto I shall retire, and become the curator / librarian of my own collection full time! ^__^

By: Blu

Blu — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:54:50 +0000

First, that wall hanging is awesome! Flying Santa is cool and the frame is lovely.

As for collecting, my big passion is books. My bookshelves are 3 books deep with books piled on the floor. I see no reason to either reduce my purchasing or give away any books. I don’t have a problem. I don’t have an addiction. I just have a lot of books. (And I am not in denial!)