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What influences or shapes the way you collect?
We all have our own personal relationship with the hobby, and collecting in general. What is it that motivates you? Why do you gravitate toward certain sports, or niches in the hobby? What got you started in the first place?
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10 Replies
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I was and am heavily influenced by my dad. He has always been a sports guy and always been someone who enjoys collecting. I certainly was born with that gene also. Starting with collecting rocks as a kid. After that it was coins and ninja turtles. Eventually starting collecting baseball cards with my dad as a boy, only to step away rom the hobby in the late 90s as dad had to focus on other things and I was more involved in school and video games.
Now, as an adult with a family, I don’t just collect what my dad likes, but I can collect things that matter to me. I have my own personal nostalgia for things like 90s basketball and watching the Bulls dynasties. I still have all of my TMNT toys from being a kid and have acquired all the video games i ever wanted. However, I really find joy in collecting items that may not have much monetary value, but have a connection with people I care most about. For example, i have an autistic son who is 18 years old and has been obsessed with Darth Vader, and Spongebob and Gameshows like Jeopardy, Deal or No Deal, and Wheel of Fortune. As a result, I own Jeopardy on every game console imaginable. Now, will I ever play them? Probably not, but as I am looking at my collection I get to come across these things that remind me of him, and it adds a layer of joy that makes me love collecting even more. My wife is into F.R.I.E.N.D.S. so I have all the friends games and funko pops on display. I stop by value bins and pickup any darth vader cards I can find at cards shows for my son. Finding ways to incorporate connections with your collection from those you love the most is in many ways, the most satisfying part of collecting, imo.
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As a parent to 2 autistic boys I get the grabbing the Darth Vader everytime you see one. I will try to be on the lookout for some if I see ang to send your way.
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Thanks, man. That’s a very generous thing to offer! He has the same interest now as an 18 year old that he had as a 5 year old. His entire room is nothing but darth vader and miniature models of Price is Right games, lol. His 2 worlds collided when he saw a Star Wars themed episode of Deal or No Deal and Darth Vader played The Banker. He watches that episode over and over again. Every May 4th, we put the episode on and he gets dressed up in full darth gear to play the role of the Banker. he has every word and gesture memorized.
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Thats awesome to hear! And its not a problem we have two boys on the spectrum as well (6 and 5) so anything to support other parents I will jump on board.
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I don’t know squat about Pokemon, lol. Is there a specific character(s) of sports team/player your boys like? Maybe we can do a mail exchange sometime
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One likes dinosaurs and the other likes paw patrol and cars lol as far as teams they watch the braves, cowboys and spurs and longhorns lol
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Also I love that you make it a family thing as well!
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Amen, I agree with you. I love that your whole family collects and has such diverse interests. But that collecting is a family commonality. I was never much of a collector until now. It ties in with my choosing to watch the Braves almost every day because I’ve had retired family and friends do that (and I grew up watching and playing sports). And now I’m that age. I made that decision in 2022 and decided I needed favorite players so I chose Strider and Michael Harris. And then added Adley Rutschman because I wanted more than only Braves. And then I remembered “hey, there are baseball cards and you can get them online from all kinds of sources.”
And an addiction was born!
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So being in the military I initially started by collecting coins from different commands and places that I’ve been to. As far as the card hobby, I did the typical kid thing of asking for cards to put them in my bike. Didnt start collecting seriously til earlier this year when my family and I went to a card show and my kids got excited over cards. So now I collect Pokemon and various sports.
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I got started buy being gifted a set. Then went down that road.. watched baseball alot and football at times.. Hockey was my second fav behind baseball..
Fast forward and got older and my remaining cards where put away in a bin and my mom keeped it. didnt know she did. till one day a couple years ago she told me she had some stuff for me and the bin was one of them.. Opened it and the nestalgia swooped me. I started looking to into collecting again and seen the hobby shifted alot to reselling and flipping cards and course i was like well im not being sold a get rich quick scheme. And the only money spend is the money i spend my self at my own choice.
Now today 2 years into flipping cards mostly selling on my ebay store. im having fun even though it can be slow. Low end cards dont move as fast. And buying high end is expensive.. yes i could save up and stop buying the low end. but the itch gets to me and saving up becomes lesser. wow this was longer then i planned haha..
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