Team's results affecting your collection?

[gingi79]

I've been a fan of my teams for an average of 20 years years each. I became a true collector of game worn material in 2005 but I purchased hats and jerseys for my teams for as long as I rooted for them. With yet another awful choking end to my Canucks season, a few thoughts rambled around my mind. Therefore, my questions for my fellow collectors are as such:

1) Do you find it easier and more enjoyable to add to your collections when your team is winning? Maybe not titles but when they seem to be cruising through the regular season or early playoffs and you start to dream of the victory parade.

2) Does a part of you lose interest and/or love for your collection when the season ends on a sour note?

3) Is there a situation where you would sell your collection and revoke your allegiance to your team? Not specific players, I mean the team.

4) Have you ever passed on an item because you were disgusted with the teams performance? and lastly....

5) Have you ever purchased a jersey or bat of a player on your team simply because the team was excelling or sold something because you were frustrated with them?

My answers:

1) I am a player collector and a team collector. I get more enjoyment out of obtaining a Dolphins jersey after they beat the Jets, find themselves in first place after week 10 or upset a top tier team than any other times. Finding my players jerseys has become difficult so I don't find their performance affects my interest. I do double my GUU, boards and eBay searches after they excel however.

2) When the Dolphins screwed the pooch the last few decades or the Canucks were eliminated after I had legitimate hopes of a title since Luongo signed or the Braves were uncompetitive again due to poor pitching an untimely hitting, I don't appreciate seeing my items or look forward to wearing the teams jersey as much as when the potential for success is still possible. Immediate off seasons have been brutal lately, it takes a few weeks for the disappointment to abate. I simply don't enjoy my collection as much during those times. But much like hope springs eternal, as a new season dawns, my love for my collection re-blossoms.

3) Barring some cataclysmic event, I don't see my fandom swaying from my teams. Now if 4 guys assaulted a woman and management refused to do anything because their stats were more important then their character, that's different. No amount of on field actions or losing would sway me.

4) I have passed on looking for items from my team when they played without heart so I liken that to missing out on some things. I have also not bid on eBay auctions for styles of my teams jerseys when they messed up because I couldn't validate spending money on them when I was pissed.

5) Yes I sold off a few jerseys because I was pissed at the player or the team. I also purchased a Martin Prado jersey tonight because the kid has made me a believer. Comes through in the clutch again tonight. It wasn't just a one game thing however, he's been money since about August of last season. It takes a while for me to have faith in my team's players since I am so used to them disappearing and not getting the crucial hit or goal or defensive stand. It really sucks when you can pinpoint your teams weaknesses and they are all the absence of heart at the critical juncture of a season.

Now please, let me know where you stand so i can better understand our hobby and the mind of us fanatics. Thanks for your input.

[legaleagle92481]

I've been a fan of my teams for an average of 20 years years each. I became a true collector of game worn material in 2005 but I purchased hats and jerseys for my teams for as long as I rooted for them. With yet another awful choking end to my Canucks season, a few thoughts rambled around my mind. Therefore, my questions for my fellow collectors are as such:

1) Do you find it easier and more enjoyable to add to your collections when your team is winning? Maybe not titles but when they seem to be cruising through the regular season or early playoffs and you start to dream of the victory parade.

2) Does a part of you lose interest and/or love for your collection when the season ends on a sour note?

3) Is there a situation where you would sell your collection and revoke your allegiance to your team? Not specific players, I mean the team.

4) Have you ever passed on an item because you were disgusted with the teams performance? and lastly....

5) Have you ever purchased a jersey or bat of a player on your team simply because the team was excelling or sold something because you were frustrated with them?

My answers:

1) I am a player collector and a team collector. I get more enjoyment out of obtaining a Dolphins jersey after they beat the Jets, find themselves in first place after week 10 or upset a top tier team than any other times. Finding my players jerseys has become difficult so I don't find their performance affects my interest. I do double my GUU, boards and eBay searches after they excel however.

2) When the Dolphins screwed the pooch the last few decades or the Canucks were eliminated after I had legitimate hopes of a title since Luongo signed or the Braves were uncompetitive again due to poor pitching an untimely hitting, I don't appreciate seeing my items or look forward to wearing the teams jersey as much as when the potential for success is still possible. Immediate off seasons have been brutal lately, it takes a few weeks for the disappointment to abate. I simply don't enjoy my collection as much during those times. But much like hope springs eternal, as a new season dawns, my love for my collection re-blossoms.

3) Barring some cataclysmic event, I don't see my fandom swaying from my teams. Now if 4 guys assaulted a woman and management refused to do anything because their stats were more important then their character, that's different. No amount of on field actions or losing would sway me.

4) I have passed on looking for items from my team when they played without heart so I liken that to missing out on some things. I have also not bid on eBay auctions for styles of my teams jerseys when they messed up because I couldn't validate spending money on them when I was pissed.

5) Yes I sold off a few jerseys because I was pissed at the player or the team. I also purchased a Martin Prado jersey tonight because the kid has made me a believer. Comes through in the clutch again tonight. It wasn't just a one game thing however, he's been money since about August of last season. It takes a while for me to have faith in my team's players since I am so used to them disappearing and not getting the crucial hit or goal or defensive stand. It really sucks when you can pinpoint your teams weaknesses and they are all the absence of heart at the critical juncture of a season.

Now please, let me know where you stand so i can better understand our hobby and the mind of us fanatics. Thanks for your input.

my teams are the jets, knicks, mets and islanders.

1) yes although it is more challenging because the demand and the price is higher as all the people jumping on the bandwagon are trying to get stuff this happened with the jets and jo. the prices went up like 20% and the stuff was flying off their site.

2) Yes that is what has happened to me and the Mets i have not added to my collection of Mets stuff in a couple of years. i used to accumlate alot of gu baseballs and bats of the stars but i have passed on many items i would have bought in a second a couple of years ago.

3) with the Mets i do not go to many games anymore but i will keep the stuff all i could bring myself to sell were a few autographed non gu baseballs. With the islanders if they move from long island i am done forever being their fan.

4) yes explained in 2.

5) i bought several jets jerseys when they were hot to the point where i had jets fever after they blew the lead in the afc championship game i sold all but two because i was frustrated that like in 1998 they got so close but couldnt finish.

[LastingsMilledge85]

What about when you collect a player and he has Benny nothing more than a disappointment? That's a lot harder to deal with than collecting a team, IMO.

[LastingsMilledge85]

What about when you collect a player and he has Benny nothing more than a disappointment? That's a lot harder to deal with than collecting a team, IMO.

*been not Benny sorry for the auto finish.

[legaleagle92481]

What about when you collect a player and he has Benny nothing more than a disappointment? That's a lot harder to deal with than collecting a team, IMO.

that is rough. personally im very hesistant to collect players for that reason. i try to limit myself to one bat or jersey per player so this way i dont have too many eggs in one basket.

[flaco1801]

if your collections are affected by team standings maybe you should try the stock market?

[legaleagle92481]

if your collections are affected by team standings maybe you should try the stock market?

i think in some ways it defintely has an affect on most people's collections. say your team is in last place does it motivate you to go out and buy alot of their stuff? when they are winning fans tend to get excited and want mementos of a great season.

[LastingsMilledge85]

That's why you have to enjoy it and not look at as an inestment so much becase a lot of times it's very hard to make more than you spent on it unless you were in a sports marketing company that was contracted with a team.

[flaco1801]

if you worry about your "investment" your really not a "collector"...

[Fnazxc0114]

I only colllect the texas rangers, so i guess the teams results havent affected my collecting. It funny though once the team gets rid of a player i tend to get rid of the stuff i had for that player. Its as though they were dead to me.