Sorry to hear that you’re feeling regret, @triple. I think that’s a very reasonable response when you part with something that you hold closely.
Although regret feels awful, it also reveals our deepest desires with objectivity. If you regret selling a specific card, then you know with certainty that it should belong in your collection again soon. The knowledge earned from experiencing regret is costly if prices continue to rise, but it can also efficiently narrow our focus as collectors and ultimately provide a roadmap for our future collecting goals.
I hope that when you build back your collection, your goals are even clearer. Hope this helps!
You still have a couple big cards so it’s not all bad, but do yourself a favor and have a plan for the money you make. Maybe buy some lower grade cards or buy some of what you lost back, but do something with those funds. Have a plan and invest it or payoff the house. Make things easier and make it worth it in some way. Don’t have regret but an advantage for the future. Some cards you will never get back but you can still enjoy the hobby.
If the money is better used elsewhere that is all that matters. There are many many things like health, taking care of family, improving living conditions and well being that far exceed any card or potential lost profit. You cannot even put prices on some of them, some you can, like a new pool lol But seriously if you sold to use better elsewhere, you did the mature and responsible thing, sleep well.
Remember, cards are just material things. Family, experiences, and memories are far more important. If the money helps you invest in any of those three things, then any regret you feel now will be temporary.
TMB Wind and Masters Scroll is still rarer and more valuable than 90% of people’s entire collections (mine very much included!). At least you’ve kept something back for the memories. You must have sold an amazing collection.
I’m guessing you thought long and hard about your decision prior to listing. Think about why you made that choice, and how that money will be used to improve your life.
All these folk out here virtue-signalling saying “don’t live with regret”. It’s like telling an addict to “just stop”. It doesn’t work like that. It takes time to process and deal with things.
A much truer expression is that “time heals all wounds”. You clearly regret your decision now because it’s still raw, and you’ve made a post about it. You will feel less bad in 3 months, a year, etc. The regret will never fully fade away, but you’ll come to terms with it.
Best of luck in your future, and I hope whatever you buy instead brings you happiness.
I’ve already sold off around 5% of my collection. After seeing this video today, I want to sell off at least another 5%. Insane Biblical levels of greed like this makes me think you’ll be able to buy back most of your collection for significantly less than what you sold it for in a year from now.
Was going to say “no way”, but then I looked it up on eBay and saw the $200k sale…JFC.
Would require it to go down to ~$7400/card, which is actually not implausible, especially if the 10 premium collapses (last I checked, PSA 9s were under $2k). Frankly, I’d still rather buy 4 PSA 9s of it for $8k than a PSA 10 for $8k lol.
I want to second what Slade said.
As someone with regrets both professional and personal, all I have to say is that I hope you made the decision with reasons, time, and considered the potential regret. I know that for MY collection, I’ve repeatedly asked, what would I TRULY regret? If you’ve prepared yourself for that, and decided to go ahead with it anyway, I would think it is a decision made well. Otherwise, I hope it is at least a decision you can look back on and say, “I made this decision for a reason,” and IF YOU DID do that, you should take solace in that fact. You made it for a reason.
Personally, I regret leaving my previous life-style behind, but I remind myself, I did it for a reason. And it was not a shallow one. People have challenged me on it, but I remind myself from time to time, I chose what I chose because I thought it was best. That’s the best we can do.
Firstly congrats on your sales and the closing of one chapter of your Pokemon collecting Journey. I was reading through your replies on one of the posts, and a particular sentence of “just knowing everything in 1 basket wasn’t very settling even though I never really considered my collection an investment” caught my attention. Here is my input:
The next step of investments (index funds you mentioned), or purchases that could help make your personal and family life easier, were made possible through the sales of your collection. Whilst the collection journey, from your perspective, was just organic collecting; over time the collection increased vastly and you realised a monetary gain that many folds out-weight your initial purchase price. If you look at it from an investment point of view just for a quick second, essentially your passion for Pokémon allowed you to hold onto your “assets” through the ups and downs of the hobby across the years.
The stock market on the other hand is a different beast. There is not as much as a support system, a community behind ya to pull you through the dark times; and like you mentioned Pokémon was a joy to collect over the years because you actually like what you had on hand. Personally I feel that entering the stock market with plans to passively invest in something like the S&P 500 etc, requires a good amount of risilence and patience to ride through the ups and downs of the market. You need to be sure that you are well equipped in this aspect.
Selling part of your collection is a wise and prudent move to realise the gains and de-risk what you perceived as value that has a chance of diminishing if the hobby hype disappears/market retraces. However if Pokémon WAS the side A that got you there at one point of your life; almost completely exiting it and entering into Side B, stock market feels to me like giving up too much opportunity cost, as you had proven success financial wise with Pokémon, regardless of whether u view it as a collection OR investment. Years in Pokémon had built you the understanding of the market, belief, and knowledge to avoid the pitfalls and make prudent purchases for your collection. We can easily call bluff when we see paldean wooper IR pumped; the stock market might not be as clear cut.
To end off, hopefull the 2 trophy cards you hold onto has enough of a pull factor to bring you back into the hobby and remain active in collecting in a smaller/manageable capacity, whilst you continue your new endeavours. I truly believe that Pokémon has too much to offer for a collector to just ride off into the sunset, especially if you are already feeling signs of regret. Good luck!
I ageee! I’m actually starting to not regret anymore and am satisfied with my decision. I feel like my finances are more in control and I can collect healthily
I will definitely continue collecting! I just felt the value I had was too much for a hobby. I feel very happy with where I’m at financially. I plan on collecting Pokémon cards still, but probably won’t go for the big expensive cards anymore or at least not in a plastic case
Triple, you’ve had a crazy rollercoaster in pokemon cards. Its more than just money, its more than just collecting. So, whatever it is you choose to do, its clear you have re-evaluated what matters to you. It sounds like you are still figuring things out. I’m rooting for your best life. And be like some of the rest of us for now. When someone posts a collection update, root with them. We can’t do it all. Too many things to go for out there! So I hope you are happy with whatever in cards and in life you choose to aim for. I hope you reach for the stars and that you may find fulfillment.
If true, this is a wild 180 from what we seen the past few years. I think you will find great joy in your new collecting strategy. “Be happy with what you got”
