I don’t control my collection.
My collection controls me.
It forces me to use my bank account to keep buying shiny cardboard.
4 Likes
The biggest anchor I have to my spending is that I’ve also been saving for a deposit for a house at the same time, for a year or two now. When my savings gets to certain milestones I always try to ensure it doesn’t drop below that. Every month or so there seems to be one or two purchases on average however which is still more than I intended for. The trouble is with some of my collection goals I just have to pull the trigger sometimes at a moments notice. Having a sizeable savings fund and the assumption that whatever I buy I will sooner or later be worth more than I paid for it is a dangerous combo. I’m very patient with my collecting broadly speaking, but when the right card appears at the right price it’s always been in my best interest to get it done on the spot. I take the short term cost to ensure that I acquire certain cards/products before it would be a bigger cost were I to buy that card in two years time. This past month has probably been my weakest for a long time, a few cards popped up all in one weekend that I just couldn’t turn down and they weren’t cheap at all.
Hmmm. my buying habits are bulletproof and tend to work very well! I do buy and sell to supplement my card purchases. The best part that comes in is i have always abused paypals 6 months no interest financing. if i dont have the money for the grossly expensive items I just charge it. I always pay it off on time as well before interest ever hits tho. It also helps that I own my car and already am living in a house. I also have 20k in emergency funds in case my habits ever get out of hand… At this time it’s difficult to not want to just buy everything I need for my goals asap with prices rising. If you can afford it, get it. It’s an investment and I know it’ll be worth it. And besides I pour my heart into this hobby and it’s hard to stop. Always remember, Spend wisely.
Also as for goals I usually have 2 psa 10 goals at a time. complete 2 psa 10 holo sets at a time this way you can expand to buy something else at a better deal instead of focusing on 1 set… hope that makes sense lol. as I close down on a set i start building another set cuz some cards are just too hard to find at the time and prices may increase before you start your new goal… so I just don’t wait
5 Likes
The 6 month no interest or payments on paypal is certainly a dangerous thing, but it has served me well as a useful tool. I typically will only use it if I have enough semi-liquid inventory on hand that I’m willing to part with. An example is a PSA 6 1st ed charizard I have. I would rather keep this, but if needed I could get rid of it for at least $700 rather quickly. So the 6 month thing gives me an option to buy a card that’s on sale right now that may be selling for a ridiculously good price that I can’t pass up. So I throw it on paypal 6 month and use it as a sort of transient stage until I strategize how to pay for it (by either selling inventory, or waiting for graded cards to return to sell those). If I ever get close to the end of the 6 months, I can just sell the charizard (or whatever other card it might be that I’m willing to part with). the key is just never breaking the rule: don’t do it if you don’t have the liquid inventory to back it up.
I am in no way suggesting anyone should even start using this tool regularly (I don’t want any newer collector’s to read this and think it’s necessarily a good idea)…
…but it certainly can be useful and thus far it’s allowed me to get good prices on cards that at the time I maybe didn’t have cash on hand for.
Very well put. I’m guessing that’s a paypal US only thing?
I also don’t advise people to go into debts, even at 0% interest, but sometimes there are deals that are too good to pass on.
I ask for advice on how I can keep my collection under control and I get a laugh track, pictures of piles and piles of cards and advice on how to use money I don’t have.
10/10 e4, don’t ever change 
5 Likes
the question is how do you control your collection! the answer is very clear. it either controls you or you control it lol.