What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

[skyking26]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

They usually say that I'm nuts. They can't understand it. I tell them it is like going to therapy. I come home, and sit at my desk. Then I look around and smile.

You are nuts you bonehead, but a pretty darn good friend...

[thomecollector]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

They usually say that I'm nuts. They can't understand it. I tell them it is like going to therapy. I come home, and sit at my desk. Then I look around and smile.

[Nathan]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

This is an awesome thread.

I even question what i am doing spending the majority of the money i earn on pieces of wood because i have NOBODY around me that really supports it or thinks its cool. My fiance is trying to get into it and she asks "Has your bat came yet?" when i tell her i have one incoming. My friends, (as people have already stated) just think i'm a nut for spending all this money and just spend all thier loot on beer and other crap i dont get involved in, plus they all still live with thier parents and have everything handed to them but thats for another time. I just like working hard for stuff I enjoy. I like knowing i have unique pieces of history throughout my room that nobody else will have. Each game used bat is different. I'm very very bad about changing my mind and being very picky when it comes to game used bat collecting but one thing i will never do is stop.

I dont know if anyone else feels this way but i get sort of shy about my collection when i have friends over. I just like to have the stuff i have and know how cool it is and i dont ever bring it up to anyone who visits unless they ask (which most of the time happens). I feel like the comic book guy from the simpsons when i'm explaining to people how cool pine tar and blue ink marks are.

The best way to get the ol' ball and chain off your back is to get her involved.

Mine now has two game bats and a batting helmet (a photomatched one, I might add) from her favorite player. She actually has more baseball stuff than I do; I own one jersey that I bought because it was the last name and number combination of an old friend of mine.

[BMH]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

I usually get the question, "Why do you have all these bats in your attic?" and "Why is your shed full of bats?"

I kind of got them crammed every where, I really don't display them. I had a Albert Pujols gu bat in the TV room downstairs, just leaning against the wall. I hadn't put it in the attic yet. Anyway, I heard some banging downstairs and so I investigated. I go into the room and see my wife using it as a hammer. I laughed at her...

[earlywynnfan]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

I usually get amazement, since people don't know I collect until they see the room.

Everyone so far has asked how much it's all worth, but I also get:

What's your favorite?
and
Which is worth the most?

Ken

[reed1216]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

I work at a theraputic group home for troubled teenagers and a few months ago, I brought 5 or 6 of them to my house so they could look at my collection. It was really fun for them and they were especially facinated by the jerseys that were matched to photos. I have a Jeremy Roenick Blackhawks jersey that has 30+ repairs and is also matched to a trading card. Although most of them couldn't care less about hockey, they thought it was the coolest thing I owned. That's probably because a lot of them buy cards when they can.

I have found that most people ask how much the items cost, after they ask me how I know an item is real. I am always vague about the prices, saying anything from "a few hundred bucks" to "a lot." When asked how much my Clemens is worth, I have started to say "a lot less than it was when I bought it."

Most everyone who sees the stuff I've collected over the years enjoys it. But I highly doubt they appreciate it as much as I do, nor would they have paid the prices I have in order to get the items. The great thing about this hobby is that we can spend anywhere to a few hundred bucks to several thousand bucks for jerseys of our favorite players or teams and build mini museums in our homes for our enjoyment. The conversation is nice, but I maintain my collection for my own enjoyment.

[zookerman182]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

This is an awesome thread.

I even question what i am doing spending the majority of the money i earn on pieces of wood because i have NOBODY around me that really supports it or thinks its cool. My fiance is trying to get into it and she asks "Has your bat came yet?" when i tell her i have one incoming. My friends, (as people have already stated) just think i'm a nut for spending all this money and just spend all thier loot on beer and other crap i dont get involved in, plus they all still live with thier parents and have everything handed to them but thats for another time. I just like working hard for stuff I enjoy. I like knowing i have unique pieces of history throughout my room that nobody else will have. Each game used bat is different. I'm very very bad about changing my mind and being very picky when it comes to game used bat collecting but one thing i will never do is stop.

I dont know if anyone else feels this way but i get sort of shy about my collection when i have friends over. I just like to have the stuff i have and know how cool it is and i dont ever bring it up to anyone who visits unless they ask (which most of the time happens). I feel like the comic book guy from the simpsons when i'm explaining to people how cool pine tar and blue ink marks are.

[Nathan]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

The way I see it is, it's preserving sports history, which inevitably is tied to cultural history.

The other way I see it is, I'm able to acquire a liquid asset. If I need cash, I can sell an item or two instead of needing to scramble to come up with cash. Dropping a ton of cash on booze and hookers is crazy, mostly since one leads to hangovers and the other gives you something you can NEVER get rid of.

[AWA85]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

Forgot about all the costs questions. When my friends ask how much I tend get around the question a little bit. People can have whatever opinion they want, but unless you are into the hobby I don't think you really appreciate items, prices and quality.

[scottanservitz]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

I have to say that most people that see my "stuff" are genuinely interested. Most of my buddies are sports junkies and they really like the stuff. They like to feel the bats and hold the jerseys. Rarely do they ask "how much", but most ask, "how did you get that?" Some are collecting now as well. The best part is that my 2 and 5 year old boys like it too! I would much rather have them learn a healthy hobby than something that would be bad for them. I even think my wife understands my hobby now that she has been around me for all these years.
Scott

[DRILLINDK]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

"How much did that cost??"

My question to fellow forum members is, DO YOU TELL THEM HOW MUCH THE ITEMS COST?

[both-teams-played-hard]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

But to make it easy on me, now all I say is "I get it either from the team or the player". That saves me time and explanations

This is the same thinking of several authenticators.

[kylehess10]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

and the enevitable: "How do you know he wore it"

oh yea I almost forgot that one. I actually get that a LOT. It's probably one of the more harder things to explain since we have to use a lot of game used terminology. But to make it easy on me, now all I say is "I get it either from the team or the player". That saves me time and explanations

[PudgePollyMillerFan]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

Everyone I know (wife, kids, parents, friends, coworkers etc) pretty much think I am an idiot for "paying that much money for stupid shirts that stink and just sit in your locker cases and you can't even wear them"......I like to remind them that I don't blow my money on booze, drugs, strippers (ok..maybe a little), casinos or other stupid crap that they collect or have in the house (Hey, nice marble floors you just put in....why waste that much money on stupid crap you just walk on and spill stuff on is my comeback).....to heck with em......gotta roll with your own kind I guess and I wish I had more fellow collectors as friends because I get tired of hearing about me wasting my money on sports crap......ugh...don't get me going!!!

[godwulf]

Re: What do people say when they first see your collection in-person??

When my son was about eight, his best friend's mother came to pick him up at our house one day, and he insisted on dragging his mom into my room to see all the bats and other stuff. So my wife and son, his friend and his mom and I, were all standing around admiring the bats, when the kid excitedly asks him mother, "Have you seen his balls?!" The adults were speechless, as we all exerted superhuman efforts to keep a straight face.