A Collective About Collections.

[seoulsearch]

Hey Everyone,

I'm dropping this in Singles instead of Miscellaneous because we often talk about our hobbies and interests. However, all are welcome to post. I'm interested in hearing people talk about their collections, as well as collecting in general.

While there is a part of me that wants to go on wild collecting rampages, I try to keep it under control because the other part of me wants to strive to be more of a minimalist, so I'm still working on finding a balance.

Even though I'm a girl, I was a huge fan of the original 1980's Transformers cartoon, and, as you can tell from my avatar, my absolute favorite character was the original version of Soundwave. I loved his robotic voice and the fact that his toy had actual working parts (a compartment to hold one member of his cassette army.) However, I've never bought or owned any of the Transformers toys.

Last year, a friend got me my very own Soundwave toy for my birthday, along with a cassette pack that included Ravage. I was absolutely giddy! And then... the slow spiral began.

In the version I knew, Soundwave's most infamous helpers were Ravage and Laserbeak, so of course... Now that I had Soundwave AND Ravage -- it only made sense that I should seek out Laserbeak as well. And so I began to fall down the rabbit hole of collective temptation...

I finally found Laserbeak at a price I could live with, BUT this led to glancing at pictures and descriptions of all the other cassette characters as well. Many were ones I had forgotten or never even heard of and I found myself thinking things such as, "Ratbat looks SO cool!!" Suddenly I was picturing an entire shelf full Soundwave with each of his trusty minions... And hey look, there's Blaster (Soundwave's autobot counterpart) and all of HIS cassettes, too!

Alas. I had to put my thoughts on hold (fruit of the Spirit -self-control - I tried to remind myself,) because there was no way I needed these toys or to spend ridiculous amounts of money on them.

Rather than have my own, I sometimes live vicariously through YouTube creators who are avid collectors and love sharing their collections. But I also have to cringe when I'm silently trying to estimate how much they've spent on their collections and realize they could have easily bought a car (and probably a new one at that.) I'm not saying that to be critical at all -- I say this just as a cautionary tale to myself because I know I could race down the collective collecting trail in a heartbeat (or a well-placed Soundwave.)

How do YOU all feel about collections and collecting?

* Do you collect anything -- why or why not? Who or what got you started?

* Does your collection ever become a problem -- taking up too much time or money, or drawing criticism/negative comments from others?

* Would you cut down your collecting to spend more time and money with a significant other? If you dated someone whose collecting was a bit out of control, would you expect them to curb their habits before considering marriage?

* Have you ever been in a situation in which someone's (yours or theirs or both) collection became a problem? What was done about it?

Looking forward to hearing your collective replies.

And in the meantime, Ravage is eagerly awaiting a reunion with his airborne comrade:

 

[Lynx]

Laserbeak pwns Ravage.

Unfortunately Soundwave pwns Blaster. Blaster's personality could be swapped out with almost any other Autobot's. Soundwave was unique. Sorry good guys, in this case the bad guy is just cooler.

I know I'm supposed to talk about MY collection, but that will take a bit more time to collect and post.

 

[SarahUmbreon]

Hey Everyone,

I'm dropping this in Singles instead of Miscellaneous because we often talk about our hobbies and interests. However, all are welcome to post. I'm interested in hearing people talk about their collections, as well as collecting in general.

While there is a part of me that wants to go on wild collecting rampages, I try to keep it under control because the other part of me wants to strive to be more of a minimalist, so I'm still working on finding a balance.

Even though I'm a girl, I was a huge fan of the original 1980's Transformers cartoon, and, as you can tell from my avatar, my absolute favorite character was the original version of Soundwave. I loved his robotic voice and the fact that his toy had actual working parts (a compartment to hold one member of his cassette army.) However, I've never bought or owned any of the Transformers toys.

Last year, a friend got me my very own Soundwave toy for my birthday, along with a cassette pack that included Ravage. I was absolutely giddy! And then... the slow spiral began.

In the version I knew, Soundwave's most infamous helpers were Ravage and Laserbeak, so of course... Now that I had Soundwave AND Ravage -- it only made sense that I should seek out Laserbeak as well. And so I began to fall down the rabbit hole of collective temptation...

I finally found Laserbeak at a price I could live with, BUT this led to glancing at pictures and descriptions of all the other cassette characters as well. Many were ones I had forgotten or never even heard of and I found myself thinking things such as, "Ratbat looks SO cool!!" Suddenly I was picturing an entire shelf full Soundwave with each of his trusty minions... And hey look, there's Blaster (Soundwave's autobot counterpart) and all of HIS cassettes, too!

Alas. I had to put my thoughts on hold (fruit of the Spirit -self-control - I tried to remind myself,) because there was no way I needed these toys or to spend ridiculous amounts of money on them.

Rather than have my own, I sometimes live vicariously through YouTube creators who are avid collectors and love sharing their collections. But I also have to cringe when I'm silently trying to estimate how much they've spent on their collections and realize they could have easily bought a car (and probably a new one at that.) I'm not saying that to be critical at all -- I say this just as a cautionary tale to myself because I know I could race down the collective collecting trail in a heartbeat (or a well-placed Soundwave.)

How do YOU all feel about collections and collecting?

* Do you collect anything -- why or why not? Who or what got you started?

* Does your collection ever become a problem -- taking up too much time or money, or drawing criticism/negative comments from others?

* Would you cut down your collecting to spend more time and money with a significant other? If you dated someone whose collecting was a bit out of control, would you expect them to curb their habits before considering marriage?

* Have you ever been in a situation in which someone's (yours or theirs or both) collection became a problem? What was done about it?

Looking forward to hearing your collective replies.

And in the meantime, Ravage is eagerly awaiting a reunion with his airborne comrade:

This is something very much apart of my life, because I like to collect. Someone introduced me into anime when I was in the 11th grade, and I bought my first DVD (It was a complete set of Trigun), I have never seen the show, but there was this fun factor of: “Trying out new things by buying them”, and it’s easy to watch, just put the DVD in and you’re done. I know there are streaming websites, but just getting what I like and hearing what was good on my shelf, felt very great, but I wasn’t smart about it, as in just because everyone says a anime is worth watching, doesn’t mean it’s gonna be good Christian wise. So I have sold off stuff I didn’t feel like what was right for me to own, and have even donated manga to my local library because collecting did put a strain on my finances when I was in college, but what helped me was when one youtuber I watch said this about his own finances when it came to his collection: “I look at what I have and think: ‘Will I watch this anime again?’, if the answer is no and it is just sitting there collecting dust, I sell it”. I used this mindset to sell videogames, anime, and manga I didn’t want anymore, and I believe this was a good starting point to get to: “Do I feel comfortable as a Christian to be owning this show/manga?”

Right now, I just buy manga for what is already on my shelf, and to not starting collecting a new series, because keeping up with every single new series that comes out is not possible, and I’m glad I realized that. Anime I haven’t been buying much lately, but I think I do want to at least finish collecting Gundam Blu-Rays for the Universal Century timeline, and to pick up Mobile Fighter G Gundam. I do have videogames but I’m not much of a collector, however I did bite the bullet and got a “Pokémon holy grail” item, the Pokémon Colosseum Bonus Disc, because I can transfer the Jirachi all the way to the current games, and hopefully I want to give out these Jirachi to everyone I know.

So yes I’m very much of a collector, I’m currently at 187 different Blu-Ray/DVD anime products, and probably 200 manga/light novels, at least it feels that way every time I look at my shelves, lol. But I have decided, when I pass away, it is getting donated to my local library. I was actually going to try to show anime at my local library, but because of this virus stuff it didn’t happen. Plus, unless I have a family member willing to take care of my Videogames, if I don’t have someone then it’s either going to have to be selling them away to pay for my funeral expenses or donating them to the library as well.

That’s the type of mindset I keep, to keep myself in check from putting my hobbies over God, for it is just stuff, yes it’s stuff I get excited to buy and would like to share/show other people, but at the end of day it is just stuff, and stuff is not eternal, only God is.

Shelf one:

Shelf Two:

I’m actually going to a card and toy expo soon, for Pokémon cards and yeah, reading this and thinking has made me realize, I’ve been spending too much money on Pokémon cards, I’ll try to stop once this expo and my pre-orders come in. But I can say this, for all it is worth, I am an expert on the stuff I collect, so I guess that is good, lol 😅

 

[melita916]

my collection of brush markers is growing. i want to buy more, but then i ask myself do i need these new ones yet. lol. but... they're all just so pretty!!!! lol. i manage to buy them when they are on sale, or i just happen to have a coupon.

 

[Lynx]

SarahUmbreon: Nothing on the shelf about Code Lyoko? (Okay so technically it was French, not Japanese... still cool.)

 

[SarahUmbreon]

SarahUmbreon: Nothing on the shelf about Code Lyoko? (Okay so technically it was French, not Japanese... still cool.)

No sadly, I kind of grew up with the show, and watched it here and there, honestly I grew up watching Ed,Edd, and Eddy, Pokemon, Spongebob and other cartoon network shows more, I know it was on Cartoon Network, but I never kept up with the show, if that makes sense. I actually remember when Symbiotic Titan used to be on TV, ah...TV companies can be so stupid, cancelling stuff because it doesn't make money. Ed is still one of my favorite cartoon characters, my grandmother's brother had chickens and when I visited him I was young, I would pretend to be Ed and chase the chickens, lol XD

Edit: Okay, so I had to look up how much Code Lyoko is out of curiosity, looks like everyone is better off "Illegal streaming" it, way too much money, but I get it because the show is very beloved by its fans: https://www.amazon.com/Code-Lyoko-S...XTKS3B9PYRW&psc=1&refRID=Z4S9ZHWD5XTKS3B9PYRW

 

[seoulsearch]

Laserbeak pwns Ravage.

Unfortunately Soundwave pwns Blaster. Blaster's personality could be swapped out with almost any other Autobot's. Soundwave was unique. Sorry good guys, in this case the bad guy is just cooler.

I know I'm supposed to talk about MY collection, but that will take a bit more time to collect and post.

Ravage finds your lack of faith disturbing. I mean, whoops, wrong franchise... My bad.

This is something very much apart of my life, because I like to collect. Someone introduced me into anime when I was in the 11th grade, and I bought my first DVD (It was a complete set of Trigun), I have never seen the show, but there was this fun factor of: “Trying out new things by buying them”, and it’s easy to watch, just put the DVD in and you’re done. I know there are streaming websites, but just getting what I like and hearing what was good on my shelf, felt very great, but I wasn’t smart about it, as in just because everyone says a anime is worth watching, doesn’t mean it’s gonna be good Christian wise. So I have sold off stuff I didn’t feel like what was right for me to own, and have even donated manga to my local library because collecting did put a strain on my finances when I was in college, but what helped me was when one youtuber I watch said this about his own finances when it came to his collection: “I look at what I have and think: ‘Will I watch this anime again?’, if the answer is no and it is just sitting there collecting dust, I sell it”. I used this mindset to sell videogames, anime, and manga I didn’t want anymore, and I believe this was a good starting point to get to: “Do I feel comfortable as a Christian to be owning this show/manga?”

Right now, I just buy manga for what is already on my shelf, and to not starting collecting a new series, because keeping up with every single new series that comes out is not possible, and I’m glad I realized that. Anime I haven’t been buying much lately, but I think I do want to at least finish collecting Gundam Blu-Rays for the Universal Century timeline, and to pick up Mobile Fighter G Gundam. I do have videogames but I’m not much of a collector, however I did bite the bullet and got a “Pokémon holy grail” item, the Pokémon Colosseum Bonus Disc, because I can transfer the Jirachi all the way to the current games, and hopefully I want to give out these Jirachi to everyone I know.

So yes I’m very much of a collector, I’m currently at 187 different Blu-Ray/DVD anime products, and probably 200 manga/light novels, at least it feels that way every time I look at my shelves, lol. But I have decided, when I pass away, it is getting donated to my local library. I was actually going to try to show anime at my local library, but because of this virus stuff it didn’t happen. Plus, unless I have a family member willing to take care of my Videogames, if I don’t have someone then it’s either going to have to be selling them away to pay for my funeral expenses or donating them to the library as well.

That’s the type of mindset I keep, to keep myself in check from putting my hobbies over God, for it is just stuff, yes it’s stuff I get excited to buy and would like to share/show other people, but at the end of day it is just stuff, and stuff is not eternal, only God is.

Shelf one: View attachment 220848

Shelf Two: View attachment 220849

I’m actually going to a card and toy expo soon, for Pokémon cards and yeah, reading this and thinking has made me realize, I’ve been spending too much money on Pokémon cards, I’ll try to stop once this expo and my pre-orders come in. But I can say this, for all it is worth, I am an expert on the stuff I collect, so I guess that is good, lol 😅

Hi Sarah! I've enjoyed reading your threads and posts. I also appreciate that you really think through your hobbies and collections from a Christian point of view.

One of the things that inspired this thread was watching a particular YouTuber whose collection's estimated worth is over $130,000. I couldn't help but think how much I'd rather have that put away into a retirement nest egg instead.

But I know these kinds of things don't happen overnight. I myself am most vulnerable to "nickel and diming" -- $10 or $20 here or there. But even $20 a couple times time a month adds up to hundreds of dollars of a year and thousands of dollars in just a few years...

One of the things I'm most grateful for is that my parents ingrained strict budgeting practices and a strong sense of delayed gratification (that I admittedly didn't really grasp as much when I was in my teens and early 20's.) But one of the things that stops me now is the thought of, "What sounds better, a roomful of plastic/things you don't need, or travel/paying something off/more financial freedom?"

I think it's neat that you even have a future planned out for your collection. Kudos to you in your journey as you continue to submit your interests to the will of God. I look forward to hearing more about it.

my collection of brush markers is growing. i want to buy more, but then i ask myself do i need these new ones yet. lol. but... they're all just so pretty!!!! lol. i manage to buy them when they are on sale, or i just happen to have a coupon.

I completely understand the struggle, Mel. There are a ton of craft-type hobbies I've wanted to dabble in but have refrained, partially because I know I would likely go overboard when it came to collecting supplies.

And, coupons and sales are awesome!

 

[Lynx]

Ravage finds your lack of faith disturbing. I mean, whoops, wrong franchise... My bad.

Laserbeak had aerial advantage AND lasers. Ravage had... jumping on somebody. Laserbeak pwns. Simple as that.

 

[zeroturbulence]

Hey Everyone,

I'm dropping this in Singles instead of Miscellaneous because we often talk about our hobbies and interests. However, all are welcome to post. I'm interested in hearing people talk about their collections, as well as collecting in general.

While there is a part of me that wants to go on wild collecting rampages, I try to keep it under control because the other part of me wants to strive to be more of a minimalist, so I'm still working on finding a balance.

Even though I'm a girl, I was a huge fan of the original 1980's Transformers cartoon, and, as you can tell from my avatar, my absolute favorite character was the original version of Soundwave. I loved his robotic voice and the fact that his toy had actual working parts (a compartment to hold one member of his cassette army.) However, I've never bought or owned any of the Transformers toys.

Last year, a friend got me my very own Soundwave toy for my birthday, along with a cassette pack that included Ravage. I was absolutely giddy! And then... the slow spiral began.

In the version I knew, Soundwave's most infamous helpers were Ravage and Laserbeak, so of course... Now that I had Soundwave AND Ravage -- it only made sense that I should seek out Laserbeak as well. And so I began to fall down the rabbit hole of collective temptation...

I finally found Laserbeak at a price I could live with, BUT this led to glancing at pictures and descriptions of all the other cassette characters as well. Many were ones I had forgotten or never even heard of and I found myself thinking things such as, "Ratbat looks SO cool!!" Suddenly I was picturing an entire shelf full Soundwave with each of his trusty minions... And hey look, there's Blaster (Soundwave's autobot counterpart) and all of HIS cassettes, too!

Alas. I had to put my thoughts on hold (fruit of the Spirit -self-control - I tried to remind myself,) because there was no way I needed these toys or to spend ridiculous amounts of money on them.

Rather than have my own, I sometimes live vicariously through YouTube creators who are avid collectors and love sharing their collections. But I also have to cringe when I'm silently trying to estimate how much they've spent on their collections and realize they could have easily bought a car (and probably a new one at that.) I'm not saying that to be critical at all -- I say this just as a cautionary tale to myself because I know I could race down the collective collecting trail in a heartbeat (or a well-placed Soundwave.)

How do YOU all feel about collections and collecting?

* Do you collect anything -- why or why not? Who or what got you started?

* Does your collection ever become a problem -- taking up too much time or money, or drawing criticism/negative comments from others?

* Would you cut down your collecting to spend more time and money with a significant other? If you dated someone whose collecting was a bit out of control, would you expect them to curb their habits before considering marriage?

* Have you ever been in a situation in which someone's (yours or theirs or both) collection became a problem? What was done about it?

Looking forward to hearing your collective replies.

And in the meantime, Ravage is eagerly awaiting a reunion with his airborne comrade:

Several times now I've seen this at my local hobby shop and am always tempted to buy it. It's just a small 1/32 scale die-cast about 5" long.

 

[cinder]

I've been a half-hearted collector of various things, but never one to be really driven to complete a collection. These days I try hard to restrain myself from buying stuff just because it's pretty or neat unless I can think of how it will be used. So there's a small box full of bookmarks, magnets from various places, folders and stuff full of coins and maybe some paper currency as well (I finally actually bought some stuff to organize that a few years ago) but I'm not doing much to add to those collections. I think I'm finally getting old enough now though that I know what I like and I pretty much stick with it.

 

[GardenofWeeden]

As my name suggests, I collect plants. I have over 40 house plants now, and I ALWAYS have some sort of vegetable garden going, along with about 30 flowering plants growing in pots waiting to be placed into another flower garden. I propagate my plants to give as gifts. I am learning how to make decorative cement and hypertufa pots, to be able to give completely original gifts to people. I also sort of collect chickens. They call it chicken math, but I, currently, have 14 chickens with a plan to buy at least 10 more this fall. I tried posting a couple photos, but they are too large of files, I guess?

 

[Gregoryp]

This is just a small sample of my collection. I have 100s of hot wheels and matchbox cars in there packets, and many more large scale cars buses and trucks

 

[Subhumanoidal]

Soundwave was one of my favorites as well. 😁

Many times collectors collect with the intention of eventually selling things off. It could be seen as an investment. I actually attempted this once, but after a few hundred dollars spent I had to put it all in the trash. For reasons out of my control.
So in the event the money is needed many can sell off their collections for the same or more than what they paid for it.

Of course i think your own financial situation matters as well. If you're struggling then blowing tons of money on a collection isn't the best idea. But if it's something you can afford without putting yourself in a potentially bad spot, then why not?

Also some people get greater pleasure out of their collections than others.
Personally I am not in a financial situation to do this, but if I were I would. If I had anything that interested me enough. Currently I can't think of anything.
So I'd say this isn't a black and white issue.

 

[Lynx]

My collection is smaller than a thumbnail! It's so small you can lose it very easily in your pocket, even if you know it's there.

It's MUSIC!!! And my whole 10,000+ track collection can fit on a microSD card, because those tiny things can hold up to a terabyte now.

Yes, I know, why not just use Spotify or Youtube or Pandora and stream music if I like it that much? I want my music to be here, with me, where I don't have to have internet access to get to it. And I want my songs on cue when I want to play them, without having to worry about how many "skips" I have left this month to skip songs I don't want to listen to.

(I will give props to Spotify though, it is spot-on with recommendations. I was going to suggest Spotify to a friend, so I bench-tested it first before I told my friend to try it, and I put in one singer I liked. It recommended a bunch of other singers... who were already in my collection. So I clicked on all those, and Spotify recommended some more singers... who were also already in my collection.)

So while y'all are searching for a cell signal to get your tunes running again, and worrying about how much data you have left for the month, I'm playing Lynx Radio. It has a much bigger playlist than any other radio station I've ever heard. And it's all christian - all different styles, but all christian. Everything from bluegrass gospel to black choir to christian reggae (yes there is such a thing - Papa San) to christian rap and christian hard rock.

No, it's not all christian because I have a "thing" against secular music. I have mad respect for a lot of secular songs that express something particularly well. And if I locked down on one or two styles, as some people do, I would probably have some secular music in my collection. But with my taste in music as wide as it seems to be, I will NEVER reach the end of what I want to hear in christian music, much less have time left for secular music.

 

[seoulsearch]

As my name suggests, I collect plants. I have over 40 house plants now, and I ALWAYS have some sort of vegetable garden going, along with about 30 flowering plants growing in pots waiting to be placed into another flower garden. I propagate my plants to give as gifts. I am learning how to make decorative cement and hypertufa pots, to be able to give completely original gifts to people. I also sort of collect chickens. They call it chicken math, but I, currently, have 14 chickens with a plan to buy at least 10 more this fall. I tried posting a couple photos, but they are too large of files, I guess?

I really admire it when someone has a green thumb. I tried to get into houseplants a few years ago but it took me forever to be able to keep even the basics alive (I eventually figured out that my plants needed pots with an array of drainage at the bottom, not just one outlet in the middle,) but by the time I had about 20 things going, I had to change residences and alas, soon found out that moving companies will not move plants. The cost to ship them was several times more than what I had paid for the plants themselves, so now I only keep a handful around.

It's awesome that you not only grow the plants, but can make the pots as well! WOW!!! I really hope you can share some pictures sometime. And chickens seem to be a bit of a trend right now, huh? I'm picturing you gifting someone with a "Chicken in a Pot"... Just not a cooking pot. (Would a Chicken in a Pot be a counterpart to a Pig in a Blanket?)

This is just a small sample of my collection. I have 100s of hot wheels and matchbox cars in there packets, and many more large scale cars buses and trucks

There is something really cool about objects in miniature. I especially like it when they have working parts. I know it's not quite the same, but I love watching YouTube videos in which people make miniature houses, dioramas, and scenes (such as those that would include miniature vehicles.)

Soundwave was one of my favorites as well. 😁

Many times collectors collect with the intention of eventually selling things off. It could be seen as an investment. I actually attempted this once, but after a few hundred dollars spent I had to put it all in the trash. For reasons out of my control.
So in the event the money is needed many can sell off their collections for the same or more than what they paid for it.

Of course i think your own financial situation matters as well. If you're struggling then blowing tons of money on a collection isn't the best idea. But if it's something you can afford without putting yourself in a potentially bad spot, then why not?

Also some people get greater pleasure out of their collections than others.
Personally I am not in a financial situation to do this, but if I were I would. If I had anything that interested me enough. Currently I can't think of anything.
So I'd say this isn't a black and white issue.

This brings up another good point -- we all know the old saying, "My Mom threw away my baseball collection and I could have made a fortune!" Has anyone ever sold their items or collections at a sizable profit?

I know it's said that the first rule of collecting is to do it because of your love for whatever you collect and not to make money, but sometimes you just can't help but wonder.

As a kid, I used to collect stamps. I saw them as a blend of art and miniatures, which totally floats my boat. Eventually, I wound up using almost all the stamps on letters, and now I wonder if I should have saved them. Not that I would have made much, but apparently there is a bit of a demand for older, unused stamps by online letter-writing communities, and even if I could have gotten 10 cents more than what I paid for them, at least that would have been something. A small something, but still something!

I also have two old postcards from a past relative at a time when stamps only cost 1 cent. This was also when machine cancellations weren't as precise, so if the mailman noticed the stamp had been missed, he would hand-cancel it himself. I have 2 cards in particular -- one was hand-cancelled (with a pencil,) and on the other, the machine's mark missed the stamp so it's attached to the card, but still essentially uncancelled. I've always wondered if they're worth something (sure, maybe a whopping 50 cents each!)

May I should check out the next edition for "The Antique Road Show."

Have any of you ever made a killing on your collections (or thought you could do so?)

 

[Lynx]

This brings up another good point -- we all know the old saying, "My Mom threw away my baseball collection and I could have made a fortune!" Has anyone ever sold their items or collections at a sizable profit?

Well, a lot of people with a lot of beanie babies were hoping to... But it never happened.

But it reminds me of a comic strip I saw. An elderly couple is watching TV and suddenly the wife punches the husband in the arm.
HIM: "What was that for?!"
HER: "We had one of those ten years ago and you threw it away."
HIM: "I swear, I'm never watching Antiques Road Show with you again."

 

[mar09]

My parents passed on their collection of stamps in a large thick album, but i didnt take it from our family shelf. Here, i've given away my other collection some yrs back, thinking it was dear to me, but wanted some other young ppl, tho not my children, who could appreciate them too. Since snail mail isnt too common now, theres little chance to save stamps from what we used to receive periodically by mail, and right now i neither have the time nor budget just to search for those online or elsewhere. But a child in fact recently recounted how he learned from stamps, incl wildlife, people and places, and more. When i'm older and not too busy w/ children still going to school, me too studying btw, serving at church teams, also helping my mom, etc... i may try retrieving the stamps from envelopes torn to soak the stamps and put away in albums again, those tiny, prized pieces of paper wc allowed my sibs and me to roam around the world and explore what currency they used, heroes, plants and animals...

 

[SarahUmbreon]

I really admire it when someone has a green thumb. I tried to get into houseplants a few years ago but it took me forever to be able to keep even the basics alive (I eventually figured out that my plants needed pots with an array of drainage at the bottom, not just one outlet in the middle,) but by the time I had about 20 things going, I had to change residences and alas, soon found out that moving companies will not move plants. The cost to ship them was several times more than what I had paid for the plants themselves, so now I only keep a handful around.

It's awesome that you not only grow the plants, but can make the pots as well! WOW!!! I really hope you can share some pictures sometime. And chickens seem to be a bit of a trend right now, huh? I'm picturing you gifting someone with a "Chicken in a Pot"... Just not a cooking pot. (Would a Chicken in a Pot be a counterpart to a Pig in a Blanket?)



There is something really cool about objects in miniature. I especially like it when they have working parts. I know it's not quite the same, but I love watching YouTube videos in which people make miniature houses, dioramas, and scenes (such as those that would include miniature vehicles.)



This brings up another good point -- we all know the old saying, "My Mom threw away my baseball collection and I could have made a fortune!" Has anyone ever sold their items or collections at a sizable profit?

I know it's said that the first rule of collecting is to do it because of your love for whatever you collect and not to make money, but sometimes you just can't help but wonder.

As a kid, I used to collect stamps. I saw them as a blend of art and miniatures, which totally floats my boat. Eventually, I wound up using almost all the stamps on letters, and now I wonder if I should have saved them. Not that I would have made much, but apparently there is a bit of a demand for older, unused stamps by online letter-writing communities, and even if I could have gotten 10 cents more than what I paid for them, at least that would have been something. A small something, but still something!

I also have two old postcards from a past relative at a time when stamps only cost 1 cent. This was also when machine cancellations weren't as precise, so if the mailman noticed the stamp had been missed, he would hand-cancel it himself. I have 2 cards in particular -- one was hand-cancelled (with a pencil,) and on the other, the machine's mark missed the stamp so it's attached to the card, but still essentially uncancelled. I've always wondered if they're worth something (sure, maybe a whopping 50 cents each!)

May I should check out the next edition for "The Antique Road Show."

Have any of you ever made a killing on your collections (or thought you could do so?)

So for selling stuff, as far as I’m aware, if it is something that is no longer available (Out of print), was produced in limited quantity, or is a property beloved by people, then that’s what helps makes stuff sell for a profit, for nerd stuff as far as I’m aware. That’s why I still haven’t picked up Paranoia Agent, last time I checked on EBay, it was basically $300 for a complete set, but I just checked now and found out the Blu-Ray is coming out...*wallet starts to cry* lol. But yeah, I know I’ve picked up out of print stuff on EBay because if a show has been out of print for so long, who knows when it will come back. Yes I know streaming websites exist, but I think watching on my TV is easier, plus sometimes you get to see some cool old history with some of the older anime I have with commercials on them for up and coming anime, or they still have their paper inserts, it’s cool stuff.

But yes I believe some nerd stuff, and some stuff in general, can sell for a ton of money, like a auction on the Internet had a Pokémon card sell for $84,000, here’s the video if anyone is interested in learning about it, it’s later in the video because he talks about 2 Pokémon cards that sold for high money:

 

[GardenofWeeden]

I really admire it when someone has a green thumb. I tried to get into houseplants a few years ago but it took me forever to be able to keep even the basics alive (I eventually figured out that my plants needed pots with an array of drainage at the bottom, not just one outlet in the middle,) but by the time I had about 20 things going, I had to change residences and alas, soon found out that moving companies will not move plants. The cost to ship them was several times more than what I had paid for the plants themselves, so now I only keep a handful around.

It's awesome that you not only grow the plants, but can make the pots as well! WOW!!! I really hope you can share some pictures sometime. And chickens seem to be a bit of a trend right now, huh? I'm picturing you gifting someone with a "Chicken in a Pot"... Just not a cooking pot. (Would a Chicken in a Pot be a counterpart to a Pig in a Blanket?)

I don't remember really having to learn anything, it's just something I've done since I was a kid. I remember following my grandmas around in their gardens when I was about 4 or 5, carrying a watering can or the pulling the hose. My mom had me watering her plants early, but only if she was there to watch. She was very meticulous. Me, I just water em when they feel dry. lol I have learned the less I stress them, the better they grow.

I guess chickens are trendy, but I am trying to build a farm. I don't have my fencing finished for the cow and hog. The cow will be for milk, a second for meat, and then a hog to breed and sell the piglets and one to keep for meat as well. Maybe. I try to eat only what I grow, but I haven't found a Doritos plant yet? I keep hoping though.

 

[seoulsearch]

My parents passed on their collection of stamps in a large thick album, but i didnt take it from our family shelf. Here, i've given away my other collection some yrs back, thinking it was dear to me, but wanted some other young ppl, tho not my children, who could appreciate them too. Since snail mail isnt too common now, theres little chance to save stamps from what we used to receive periodically by mail, and right now i neither have the time nor budget just to search for those online or elsewhere. But a child in fact recently recounted how he learned from stamps, incl wildlife, people and places, and more. When i'm older and not too busy w/ children still going to school, me too studying btw, serving at church teams, also helping my mom, etc... i may try retrieving the stamps from envelopes torn to soak the stamps and put away in albums again, those tiny, prized pieces of paper wc allowed my sibs and me to roam around the world and explore what currency they used, heroes, plants and animals...

Thank you for sharing this awesome story. I'm a huge proponent of snail mail, and I always felt like the stamps were a bonus.

I was inspired by your thread and went through the old postcards I had talked about earlier -- I only have about 10 but one stood out because it is clearly postmarked 1912, which I find to be an absolute treasure. I can't even imagine what life must have been like at that time.

I've never been much into history but I am definitely interested in the histories of people I know, and this postcard was owned by a past relative. Sometimes the postmark is just as interesting or even more fascinating than the stamp itself. I really hope you get to take a look at those old stamps someday and see what strikes your interest.

So for selling stuff, as far as I’m aware, if it is something that is no longer available (Out of print), was produced in limited quantity, or is a property beloved by people, then that’s what helps makes stuff sell for a profit, for nerd stuff as far as I’m aware. That’s why I still haven’t picked up Paranoia Agent, last time I checked on EBay, it was basically $300 for a complete set, but I just checked now and found out the Blu-Ray is coming out...*wallet starts to cry* lol. But yeah, I know I’ve picked up out of print stuff on EBay because if a show has been out of print for so long, who knows when it will come back. Yes I know streaming websites exist, but I think watching on my TV is easier, plus sometimes you get to see some cool old history with some of the older anime I have with commercials on them for up and coming anime, or they still have their paper inserts, it’s cool stuff.

But yes I believe some nerd stuff, and some stuff in general, can sell for a ton of money, like a auction on the Internet had a Pokémon card sell for $84,000, here’s the video if anyone is interested in learning about it, it’s later in the video because he talks about 2 Pokémon cards that sold for high money:

I don't know much about collecting and selling for profit, but it certainly seems to all boil down to who is willing to pay for it and how much they're willing to pay. I had an older relative who had several things that were probably highly collectible, but the family who became responsible for his estate didn't have the time or resources to seek out experts to assess and sell them, so I'm sure someone got an extremely good deal.

I was looking online and it looks like there were at least 2 versions of the 1-cent stamp I had posted about -- I seem to have the earlier version which I'll have to research a little more, but the second version was listed as being worth $9.50 new and 50 cents if used. The stamp is technically used because it did go through the system, but I'm guessing it's rare to have one that the post mark and mail man missed, so I'm keeping the whole thing intact.

This of course brings up the other issue -- for those who collect for profit, do you buy two sets of everything? One to open and enjoy, and one to preserve for a sale, since the item's condition is the name of the game? My friend who got me the Soundwave toy wanted me to open it right away so we could transform it, but I told him it was way too precious and I was keeping it in the box, in mint condition! I have no interest in selling it, but to me, it's like the mascot of our 20-year friendship.

I was actually stunned that he remembered my favorite character from a nearly 40-year-old cartoon!

I try to eat only what I grow, but I haven't found a Doritos plant yet? I keep hoping though.

Loved your post, Weeden!! It sounds like your Grandmas' gifted you with a natural talent for ministering to God's gardens.

I laughed out loud at the thought of a "Dorito Plant", but seriously, if you ever find a variety of potato plants that grows potato chips instead of whole potatoes, please give me a holler.