Ever Wish You Hadn't Bought it?

[Swoboda4]

Has anyone ever acquired an item and soon regretted it?
Worse yet:
After commiting to buy the item, an item you really wanted soon appears and now your financially unable to go after the better item?

I put together a Desi Relaford display which I've gotten used to,but immediately after couldn't go after a Van Slyke Pittsburgh away jersey.

Added question: Who had this helmet before Desi?

[Jags Fan Dan]

Yeah, it always seems like when you have extra cash burning a hole in your pocket, the nice items that you are after aren't out there. But after you blow through it, here comes something you are REALLY after. I've definitely been there!!

[DonTheLegend]

it happens to me quite a bit.

however, i always try to talk myself out of buying things that i really dont need.

i.e- if its not a favorite player, favorite team or a damn good price on an item.....i will try avoid it.

been pretty good so far.

i just tell myself that i'll buy XYZ and a soon as i do, a Lankford item will pop up and i wont be able to score it.

its like a scared straight thing for me and it works.

[TNTtoys]

Dilemmas..... I came across 3 items I really wanted for my collection, and couldn't afford more than 1 of them. I thought long & hard and figured that there had to be things in my collection somewhere that meant less to me than these items... so I planned it out, sold several things, and arranged to pay for the new items in 2 weeks time with the sellers. I'm not quite there yet, but am close to finishing all 3 deals... and am thankful that everyone bought into my plan :-)

[Swoboda4]

Yea,I'm going through it again now. There are two Mets starter jackets(Thompson, McCray) on ebay right now that I know if I make a move on something else will appear. You have to say to yourself," Do I want it or need it?" If you answer it honestly you can navigate through this problem.
I believe the previous number before Desi's #8 under the brim is #4. Desi arrived on the Mets Oct 12,2000 possibly making it Ventura's helmet. The old Dyno tape is wide enough for "Ventura" and he also wore a right ear flap.

[TNTtoys]

Yea,I'm going through it again now. There are two Mets starter jackets(Thompson, McCray) on ebay right now that I know if I make a move on something else will appear. You have to say to yourself," Do I want it or need it?" If you answer it honestly you can navigate through this problem.
I believe the previous number before Desi's #8 under the brim is #4. Desi arrived on the Mets Oct 12,2000 possibly making it Ventura's helmet. The old Dyno tape is wide enough for "Ventura" and he also wore a right ear flap.

Robert,

Email me at TNT_Toys@yahoo.com -- I can help you with Mets jackets... and you won't need to rack your brains over these two. I may not be able to reply 'til this evening.

Nick

[bigtruck260]

When I collected cards and autographs this was a terrible situation...

I "invested" in a few people that I should not have. Barry Bonds comes to mind. I had a total of 10 Bonds autographed baseballs from his old company with his former agent Haskins. I think I paid $2000 for the lot in 2001. I sold them individually in 2005-2006 for a total sum of about $850.
His cards never skyrocketed, and when I collected - it was all junk wax. I must have spent a few grand on 1987 Topps wax boxes trying to get as many Bonds as I could.

Turns out, the shop owner that was selling me wax was a professional pack-searcher. His former business associate and I had some classes together in college. If I ever see him on the street...

Then there was the "insert" craze in the mid-late 1990's. I must have memorized my Becketts so that I knew that value of every Atomic/Metal/Prism/Gold Crown Die Cut, etc. that I had. I ended up selling them in bulk to a guy at a garage sale who was helping his little boy get into collecting. I handed the kid a box that must have had 1000 "high dollar and rare inserts" for $150.

I ran up some serious debt as a young man trying to get the expensive chase cards - It is a lesson learned.

Dave

[AWA85]

I've been running into this same problem. Do I really need the bench players bats for the Reds like Ray Olmedo and Brandon Larson, but the prices seem so low it makes it tough. I wonder if I should aim for a huge collection of bats and everything or focus on more individual items everyday. So far the only item I regret is the first game used purchase I had ever made which was a Juan Castro Reds road hat, but no need to get into that story.

[dcgreg25]

My regrets list is distinguished and includes a Vick jersey (for obvious reasons) and a pair of D. Wade game-used shoes that I regretted the moment I purchased them at auction. It was one of those situations where I bought it because it was a good deal and every time I saw them, I wondered why they were in my collection.

The other tough part of this hobby is when your favorite player changes teams or is traded and trashes your team or the city. Kinda tough to look at their jersey hanging on your wall.

[zookerman182]

This has been happening to me more times than i can count. That is way i am more picky than ever when it comes to collecting. The hard part is, if you want a great looking game used bat but cant afford it at the time because you blew your money on other stuff, there is not a good chance an item like that or that item will show itself again.

Buying and selling game used isnt like baseball cards where there are hundreds made if you miss out. If you miss out and the wrong guy gets what you wanted. You may never see that item again.