Interest can and do change it always comes back never loose thought that we are all just caretakers of history. timothy
Interest can and do change it always comes back never loose thought that we are all just caretakers of history. timothy
For my 2ct worth, instead of selling, trade! that's what I'm doing these days till my junk needs to be passed off my hands
I have been through stages where I lose interest for a while and stop collecting, the longest I went was almost 2 years, I eventually got my mojo back and got back into it. I never sold anything off (Came close though) I just boxed everything up and packed it away until I was interested again. I am getting to that stage again now, I haven't lost interest but I need to focus on real life issues for a while so I am really limiting myself as to what I buy now, unless it is something I really need...
Collecting for me is an extension to my lifelong passion for WW2. If I get frustrated with lack of funds or high prices etc I read WW2 books, watch a few classic war films , construct a model, take photos of my collection and catalogue, visit wartime museums, attend wartime events and just talk to you enthusiastic guys here!!
You won't lose your mojo if you do these things
Nick
"In all my years as a soldier, I have never seen men fight so hard." - SS Obergruppenfuhrer Wilhelm Bittrich - Arnhem
The only people who really make anything out this collecting bug are the dealers. Many years ago when I was 15, I used to help out a dealer by the name of Bernard Marsh. He had a shop in a basement in King Street, Manchester. Now he was a true gent and worked on the principle of paying people two thirds of the value of their item when they wished to sell it. When you go to arms fairs these days and you try to sell something, the first question is invariably; "how much do you want for it?" Now you try asking for two thirds of its value and see how far you get! As soon as it becomes apparent you know the items worth, your chance of getting a fair price fly out of the window. A dealer will never make you an offer - simply because they want to buy things as cheap as possible. So the only alternative to try and recover your hard-earned cash is to sell privately, trade or become a dealer yourself. You don't see dealers paying top dollar for items for their own collection do you? So there's your answer to collecting on the cheap!
I went through this phase, but I was collecting space items (Mercury, Gemini and Apollo era items) at the time and same as original TR era items, the prices are up there. But there is only so much space memorabilia you can collect, and the good stuff is high priced (an original signed photo of Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong $4000+) I kind of had this great collecting phase and then gor burnt out. Sold some items I shouldn't have sold (signed Neil Armstrong items) and now regret some of it. But with the TR era items, when I'm in an antique store and come across and authentic spoon, or mess hall cup that most overlook, the collecting bug and search is back on. I just keep searching for that one item. But like most I'm tending to stay away from the dealers now even though once in a while I still do purchase an item from my favorite dealers. It's hard to find the extra funds nowadays. But I do find myself going to more antique shops, flea markets, and garage sales.
That's some of the best advice you can get. I practice it quite often. When things go a bit flat - those holy grails aren't materializing or the finances are inadequate, or people on evilbay are p***ing you off, it's the ideal time to hit the books and catch up on a bit of research. If you already have the literature or internet resources, it costs nothing and tends to rejuvenate things.
Works for me, anyway.
Cheers, Willie.
Jimbo I have sold 3 collections over the years kept a few bits then started again,chin up.
Exactly, Harry! I've been collecting since I was eight years old and have sold off four collections...I've been working on my current 5th collection for about 3 years now...but even within these 3 years I've continued to buy/sell, so my display is always changing a bit here and there. In all my 40 years of collecting, I have never, ever spent more than $400 on a single item...KNOWLEDGE trumps money. I can't tell you how many times I've scored simply because I was the only one to know what it was...Regardless, friend...Nothing to get depressed about, we'll still be here...
cheers, Glenn
I am selling my collection now, actually. Not because I have lost the passion for it. I'll always have that, but because the things I want to collect cost to much. So I am going to wait till I have a bigger disposable income. I'll still keep my books, photos and some bits but other than that most of my things have already gone. I have no more caps which saddens me.
I'll be spending the money I get from my collection while in Cuba for my sisters wedding on New Years. I'd like to sport a nice blazer while celebrating.
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