The Reasons That I Like My Collection
Saturday, September 4th, 2010People are inundated with ways to get rid of all the extra stuff that has accumulated around their home. Not having room too move around your home can leave you feeling drained and constantly tires. Not only does it take a mental toll, but there is an economic toll as well. But what does that imply about collecting as a hobby, is it just a waste of money and space, or are there any benefits to keeping an ever-growing stash of collectible frogs in your attic? The idea of collecting is about understanding why you enjoy it and the reasons that drive you to collect. Why do people find enjoyment in collecting.
Collecting reinforces passions. Many of our purchases involve items that have no personal meaning to us. Maybe they want to satisfy their ego and image. Some of the things are probably the result of impulse decisions that have no real explanation. Finding a great collectible is not an impulse decision, but it gets our heart pounding instead. It could be comic books that remind you of the happiest time in your childhood, or maybe you first started amassing license plates when your dad was alive and you fixed up old cars together or maybe you read a story like I did when I saw the article Collecting Frogs - a Fun Hobby for All Ages and became engulfed in the world of frogs.
Building a collection makes you think. Unless you’re content to purchase 50 of the same exact Barbie doll, you’ll need to do some research to find which things will enhance your collection. One of the great joys comes from finding the perfect piece at a steep discount. Not only can you gain the perfect piece for your collection, you can also enjoy the knowledge that you gained while looking for it.
It is a lot of fun just to try to discover a new collectible. Most discretionary spending satisfies a perceived emotional need and that is why advertisers use sex, humor, and fear to market the benefits of their products; so you’ll justify buying whatever non-necessity they’re pedaling whether it is in a store or on a website such as www.myfrogcollection.com, because, for collectors, the thrill of seeking and finding a hard to find or unique piece is generally the main motivation which comes entirely from you, not your peers or the media.
Collecting teaches you to be resourceful. For some people, they might hope that they find the best collectibles while they are out doing every day activities, but it is difficult to get the best things. There are networks that have been created to buy and sell collectibles. What one person does not want, may be exactly what you need.
Some items have been know to produce a cash windfall for people. It is not true that everything has a price tag as some of us would never get rid of some of the things that we have. A person’s house is only so big, and at some point they might find that their collection has started to outgrow their house and must be dealt with. When you start to feel overcrowded , one way to open up some space is to give away some of your collectibles to friends. At some point you can also sell what you have. If you have bought well and kept your collection in good shape, you might make a lot of money. At the very least, you could have a fun day meeting people at your yard sale.
Collecting can be exciting, educational, satisfying, challenging, and even profitable, but as with all the stuff we buy, you can’t take it with you. I recommend planning what you will do when your collection reaches a certain size. There are many things a person can do with their collection. The enjoyment of a collection comes not just from the object, but from the memories that go with the object. Memories are not something that go away just because the collectible is not on the shelf. In that way, there is no limit to the size of your collectibles.