Lifestyle creep is a phenomenon where an increase in wage often leads to an increase in discretionary spending. This translates directly to collecting as well.
If your collecting budget increased by 2x, would your appetite for collecting increase proportionally? Why/Why not?
Yes, I’d have the funds to chase the entire EX Era run with all variants/repeating errors/promos/trophies/etc. Someone had around 60-70% of the entire reverse run on eBay last year (?) for around $40k in VLP+. I’d start there. They included a good portion of the ultra rares as well.
I’d do so to focus on the one era of PTCG that resonates with me the most. Monetizing nostalgia is a bad idea always, I find it becomes weaponized, though it would be (more) justifiable if I had a 2x multiplier on my collecting budget. I also realize where I am in the first place to even share this take, haha.
i might treat myself to a slightly nicer versions of cards that i want! for my wotc binder i’m probably gonna skip the shinings (except the raichu that i pulled myself when i was little) because the price point is too high, but if my budget doubled i could see myself splurging on a shining mewtwo or something.
mostly my goals are pretty unambitious though so an increase in budget would only get me to the same place faster 
resources are finite, human desire is infinite. - someone smart
The ultimate quest is a master set of everything. So I don’t think doubling, tripling, or dodecatupling my money would change much about my my appetite, just the speed of my ability to get things. So really, its about pacing myself appropriately. I don’t think I’ll be able to get good condition copies of the biggest of boys, and I am not interested in 1st edition. But if I had more money, maybe those parts would change. Not the quantity, just the quality of the copies of cards I get, and how soon.
Good thought experiment. I’ve already mulled this over. And yes, its hard to pace yourself on these things. But I’m pretty happy when I just get a good condition card thats like $3 when the other copies on the market look much worse. Or when I can get a deal on a lot as in a “lot” not a lot, but there are usually a lot of cards in a lot of cards, maybe thats why they call them lots…anyhow, it can feel good to find a quality one and get it cheap when it has tons of stuff I don’t own already.
No because I’ll be spending twice as fast, halving my delayed gratification and burn out sooner. Desire has a threshold
As a relatively new collector, and collecting a low value set, I don’t really have a budget so at the moment this wouldn’t really effect me. However, knowing myself I would definitely be more proactive if I knew I suddenly had twice as much to spend and would definitely be researching and purchasing more than I do currently.
I think my appetite for collecting would be the same, and even the goals would be the same, but I’d achieve them twice as fast.
I think I would only change future chase cards if my budget increased a lot more (maybe x10). Then I’d go after goals with much rarer items that I don’t even consider right now.
I would probably widen some of my goals i’ve made more limited, like going for whole ex eseries era instead of skipping the ultra ex cards and secret rares. Other than that i would perhaps buy few more cool lego pieces, but i also see a lot of other good uses for that money so i doubt my goals would widen a lot. Nevertheless, in my field no big salary increases incoming so very hypothetical thoughts 
Maybe a little bit, especially regarding graded cards. For my binders though, I’ve already decided what to buy, so I don’t see a huge difference in my spending behavior.
I’ve never had much money to begin with, so I pretty much learned the hard way to compromise and respect budgets.
It would accelerate some of my collection goals, which at the moment are mainly focused on products that aren’t cards (plush, figures, postcards, etc). Besides that I would maybe be more willing to spend on a couple high graded Japanese Shinings. That’s the only thing I can think of that would be different!
I’d spend more money to get rid of cards faster so I could make more money. I’d have to become wealthy to regain an appetite for Pokemon cards, as a start.
0 x 2 = 0 
Having less money can actually be a good thing, since you enjoy everything you get.
I kind of work with pauses. When I buy a lot, I start to notice that the cards mean less and less to me, so I quit for some time untill I start to look at the older cards again with appreciation. It also helps that my girlfriend gets mad at me when I don´t take these pauses.
On topic though; yeah, I would spend a lot more, but this is also because I see Pokémon as an investment (partly). More income means more possibilities.
It has in the past but im currently in the same boat as mrpandachum. The good news is a lack of funds makes a collection more focused along with more unique as its shaped with what you have available.
In the past I’d defintely would have said yes, but rn, I’d say no. I’m currently lacking the funds to keep up with new releases for all my collections. As reminder, all my active collections are: all English & non-English exclusive artworks for Pikachu; all language Seviper; all English & non-English exclusive FA Supporter/CHR cards; all Yu-Gi-Oh rarities; non-TCG Seviper stuff.
Although I have loads of ideas for new collections, I honestly am already collecting way too much at once. Double the budget would be very nice, but only so I can easier keep up with releases that cause trouble rn, while at the same time saving up for the high-end cards I might want one day (aka, the 8 missing Pikachu cards).
But tbf, if the answer was 5-10x the budget, I might start collecting Pikachu in all languages again after the 25th Pokémon Day. Although perhaps in a slower pace, since money wasn’t the only reason I stopped; stress from the one new Pikachu release every 1.5 day on average was also a very big reason.
Greetz,
Quuador
Do I complete oversized rayquaza card goal or buy a TG20? Either way it would be used to complete my goals for 2026
2x spending = 2x tax paid
So no
Wait we pay taxes here?
You are definitely getting a knock at the door now 
@fourthstartcg finna tell me about responsible tax paying 