Do you cycle your personal collection?

[esquiresports]

I've only been on the collecting side of cards and collecting memorabilia for about 18 months. For just about everything I've picked up with a fair amount of value (i.e., $500+), I've thought to myself that I'll keep it for the foreseeable future. However, I'm new so everything is still fresh. I am wondering what the chances are that I change my mind.

I am interested to hear from fellow collectors if you cycle items through your collection. Was/is the decision to sell to driven by the need to free up funds for a new purchase, a desire to let others enjoy the item, or something else? Is there a percentage of your collection you don't ever see yourself selling?

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

[spartanservitto]

I buy for my collection and my collection alone, never for resale and I've been doing it for years. I will even shell out more if it is a model
Bat of a player I prefer of home run bat. I've stuck with it.


-Tony

[godwulf]

When I began collecting, about fifteen years ago, I tended to go overboard in some ways. (Now, of course, I go overboard in other ways.) When a player joined my team, I'd immediately go looking for anything - bats, jerseys, photos, bobbleheads, etc - from teams he'd been on previously, sometimes just to have something for the guy to sign if I happened to get close enough to ask. I've mostly stopped doing that, except for a select few players, and have been selling off some of those bats and jerseys - usually for a small fraction of what I paid for them - in the past couple of years. I may eventually get to the point where I will want to dispose of all the duplicate bats that I have, but I haven't gotten to that point, yet. I've still got the hoarding bug, I'm afraid.

[coxfan]

There are a couple of reasons that apply to most folks, sooner or later.

1) Aging: Like me, when you approach birthday # 60 you're likely to need to get rid of some of the thousands of things you've accumulated over the years, just for space reasons; and some of your sports artifacts are likely to fall in that category. For the same reason, your acquisitions after age 60 may need to be smaller ( eg balls instead of bats.)

2) You find things that are better than what you got earlier, making those earlier items seem less valuable by comparison. For example, in 2006 I was thrilled to buy a 2003 g-u ball from a Rangers-Rays game. But when I bought a g-u ball from the 2011 ALDS between those same teams, the 2003 item seemed less interesting.

[beaglegypsy003]

I currently collect football game-used items of University of Hawaii alumni. But I use to collect anything basketball. My basketball collection was more valuable with many items of hall of famers but I enjoy my football items because I've seen most of the players in person while attending the games. I've sold a bunch of my basketball jerseys but I still have a large collection of programs, other paper memorabilia, jerseys, and shoes. I am currently setting up a room to display a portion of my football collection. In fact I usually work on the room everyday after work. I'm close to 60 and I still intend to expand my collection.

[CPuente57]

I think my plan is to keep mostly everything, but if I see something I really want I might have to sacrifice. I think my "never gonna sell" items are my superstar Meigray basketball jerseys. Duncan, Durant, Melo, Kidd, Westbrook, Dirk, CP3, can't see myself ever wanting to get rid of those. I wanted a Dez Bryant Gamer, I sold my Pierce and Wade gamers to cover that. I can't have it all!