Which items/players are you taking out of circulation?

[commando]

Most of us snag GU things if the price is right, knowing we'll probably let them go in the future when the time is right. But I would be curious to know which player, team or type of collectible are you buying and KEEPING? Five years from now, ten years from now, barring some catastrophe in your life, what will you still own?

For me, of course, the answer is anything related to the Houston Gamblers of the USFL. The only exception I have ever made is giving a GU Gamblers jersey to Dr. Jerry Argovitz, who owned the team!

Let's hear from all you hardcore collectors!!!

[EurekaDave]

I would have to say my game-used baseball gloves would be untouchable. I have never resold one that I did not regret selling. I guess it's because they are so personal and something that has the most significant connectionwith the player. If any collectible could talk, the glove would have so many more stories to tell.

Dave Silverbrand

[Preston]

My Titans game used jerseys and Memphis Tigers gamers are definitely untouchable. Certain autographed items are untouchable, as is my Peyton Manning signed, game worn hat.

[r_phelps]

Sean Burroughs Minor League and Major League stuff. Pablo Ozuna marlins bats. These guys were my heros(prospect hyped) growing up reading Baseball America monthly. Best of all their stuff is decently priced these days.




chattassemble@hotmail.com

[OaklandAsFan]

I'm a borderline hoarder with my baseball and hockey stuff so I would say pretty much anything i own is out of circulation.

[Skizzick]

My Jose Contreras and Cuba national team stuff is pretty much mine forever. There isn't much of a market for them and they have too much sentimental value for me. Also, if I get any 1973-1975 Flyers, I'll be keeping those too.

[Number13]

None of my "SKI" jerseys are going anywhere.

[AutographAddiction]

At this point, I would hope to never sell any items given to me directly from players. Also, there are certain UNC basketball and football game worn items I plan on keeping as long as I live.

[dplettn]

Most of us snag GU things if the price is right, knowing we'll probably let them go in the future when the time is right....

Let's hear from all you hardcore collectors!!!

Perhaps its how someone defines a collector that allows for whether the premise of this thread makes much sense.

For me, being able to afford, and to rationalize an item as itself being priced within reason is a precursor for choosing to buy something. But, I have absolutely never bought something thinking that I'd probably let it go in the future. In my perspective, such may be the difference between collecting (a hobby) and seeking some scale of business enterprise.

Last year there was a time I could have added an all star player's MLB authenticated item to an order which was extremely under priced. I knew I had no taste for the player and others did. Rather than buying it for profit motivations, I left it for somebody else and I've been pleased that whomever did buy it seems to have been the right person (I haven't seen it resold).

I don't have any distaste for dealers or 99% of "collectors". But its my humble opinion that certain dealers who claim not to be (dealers) have a large adverse affect on the hobby we love. There is a big difference between somebody who will buy something that they later resell or trade the item once in a while in contrast to folks who basically treat game used as a business (while portraying themselves as collectors to their suppliers).

Perhaps discussing the absolute of taking an item out of circulation might fit better into the context of collecting (as a hobby rather than enterprise) if you discussed it within the realm of "what wouldn't you trade under any circumstance?".... or "what would be the last item you'd sell if you had to sell some of your collection?"

[commando]

Perhaps its how someone defines a collector that allows for whether the premise of this thread makes much sense.

For me, being able to afford, and to rationalize an item as itself being priced within reason is a precursor for choosing to buy something. But, I have absolutely never bought something thinking that I'd probably let it go in the future. In my perspective, such may be the difference between collecting (a hobby) and seeking some scale of business enterprise.

Last year there was a time I could have added an all star player's MLB authenticated item to an order which was extremely under priced. I knew I had no taste for the player and others did. Rather than buying it for profit motivations, I left it for somebody else and I've been pleased that whomever did buy it seems to have been the right person (I haven't seen it resold).

I don't have any distaste for dealers or 99% of "collectors". But its my humble opinion that certain dealers who claim not to be (dealers) have a large adverse affect on the hobby we love. There is a big difference between somebody who will buy something that they later resell or trade the item once in a while in contrast to folks who basically treat game used as a business (while portraying themselves as collectors to their suppliers).

Perhaps discussing the absolute of taking an item out of circulation might fit better into the context of collecting (as a hobby rather than enterprise) if you discussed it within the realm of "what wouldn't you trade under any circumstance?".... or "what would be the last item you'd sell if you had to sell some of your collection?"

Uhhhh... Ok.

[commando]

Perhaps its how someone defines a collector that allows for whether the premise of this thread makes much sense.

For me, being able to afford, and to rationalize an item as itself being priced within reason is a precursor for choosing to buy something. But, I have absolutely never bought something thinking that I'd probably let it go in the future. In my perspective, such may be the difference between collecting (a hobby) and seeking some scale of business enterprise.

Last year there was a time I could have added an all star player's MLB authenticated item to an order which was extremely under priced. I knew I had no taste for the player and others did. Rather than buying it for profit motivations, I left it for somebody else and I've been pleased that whomever did buy it seems to have been the right person (I haven't seen it resold).

I don't have any distaste for dealers or 99% of "collectors". But its my humble opinion that certain dealers who claim not to be (dealers) have a large adverse affect on the hobby we love. There is a big difference between somebody who will buy something that they later resell or trade the item once in a while in contrast to folks who basically treat game used as a business (while portraying themselves as collectors to their suppliers).

Perhaps discussing the absolute of taking an item out of circulation might fit better into the context of collecting (as a hobby rather than enterprise) if you discussed it within the realm of "what wouldn't you trade under any circumstance?".... or "what would be the last item you'd sell if you had to sell some of your collection?"

Sorry, dplettn, I did not mean to be glib. I believe you're overthinking the question though... I don't think there's a moral dilemma if you are walking past a souvenir stand at the ballpark and notice they're blowing out game-used bats or jerseys, for example, and pick up a few because it's a great deal. Or, say you go to a garage sale and find an item for $5 that you know you can resell for $50.... Or even leave meat on the bone for the next guy and sell it for $30.

The question was a simple one to be taken at face value. I appreciate your insight, I really do.... But also keep in mind that many collectors get burned out and basically start over again in a new direction. I'm believing my Gamblers collection will (hopefully) be exempt from such a burnout, hence the question.

[dplettn]

Sorry, dplettn, I did not mean to be glib. I believe you're overthinking the question though... I don't think there's a moral dilemma if you are walking past a souvenir stand at the ballpark and notice they're blowing out game-used bats or jerseys, for example, and pick up a few because it's a great deal. Or, say you go to a garage sale and find an item for $5 that you know you can resell for $50.... Or even leave meat on the bone for the next guy and sell it for $30.

The question was a simple one to be taken at face value. I appreciate your insight, I really do.... But also keep in mind that many collectors get burned out and basically start over again in a new direction. I'm believing my Gamblers collection will (hopefully) be exempt from such a burnout, hence the question.

Hi Anthony


There is nothing wrong with anyone having differing opinions. The presence (or extent of) a moral dilemma in various situations differs by person. I think there is great relevance to collector “burn out” in regard to considering whether the mix of collecting and enterprise is a good way to steward the hobby we cherish.


Affordability and access are challenges to some passionate collectors, myself included. The problem isn’t when anyone helps a team clear out its old inventory for which there wasn’t adequate demand in the team’s consumer base. I’ve seen communal collectors who care for the hobby do so -- with good taste. That too is a natural place for dealers to come in, and attain profitable inventory.


But there are certain dealers who portray themselves to teams as collectors while usurping the access of economically prudent/conservative collectors, for financial motive. Sure, we are in a free market economy. My point is that dealers are in good taste when they are clear not only to the end consumer – but to the team supplying granting them its choice inventory.


When your premise suggested that most of “us” collectors are essentially small scale self enterprises, I was compelled to point out that the context of your thread could be construed in distaste (as it was for me). The affordability and access challenges to the collector caused by planned flippers / small scale enterprisers who misrepresent themselves to teams are at the very heart of our hobby’s “burn out” rate IMHO.


I genuinely hope your Gamblers collection proves to be exempt from burnout and I appreciate that your secondary response was courteous. I do think that your newer context of which favorite items are exempt from potential burnout presents a much healthier premise for our hobby.



Respectfully Yours,
Dan

[commando]

Well-said Dan, many thanks. My first exposure to collecting any kind of memorabilia was when I picked up a few football cards as an eight year-old in 1979 (I've been a collector for five decades but am only 40 years old... how did THAT happen???) Though football cards remained my favorite at the time, I of course branched into baseball as well. I soon refined my main focus to be collecting the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Orioles (my grandpa's favorite baseball team, which became mine as well).

During the 1980s I was a fan of oddball card sets, though back then you could never complete one. When I joined the Army after high school, I was finally in the financial position to begin looking for cheap game used jerseys. Scouring through the pages of SCD I mainly focused on affordable jerseys, with little more direction than that.

So, long story short, it was not until collecting the Gamblers in 2008 that I finally found my permanent collecting focus. My impulsive, loosely-defined collecting days were finally over. In my case I was my late thirties before settling on a collecting goal I knew would never change. Getting back to the nature of this thread (my interpretation of it, anyway), I know there are many collectors out there who have not yet found what will become their collecting niche. For those of us who have, there's no other feeling that compares!

Why didn't I find my focus twenty years ago? On the bright side, I guess, at least I'm not finding it twenty years from NOW!!!