How often do you look at your autograph collection?
 

Had an interesting but eye opening conversation at the local card shop with some of the fellas and the question was being discussed between some of the guys buying/looking at cards. The question was: How often do you look at your collection? It made me think for a minute as it came at a time that I just found a box of cards I had in the closet that I forgot I had and havent seen in "years".

It feels like Ill buy an autograph on ebay and once I get it, I put it in an album/box, then go on ebay, buy another autograph for my "PC" then when I get it, I put it in an album/box and then keep repeating the process. but it seems like once I "store" them away, I wont look at them for "years" it seems. anyone else do the same or do the same?

then my brain starts thinking, well if your just going to but them and put them away not looking at them often, why even buy them in the first place! yes, going down THAT rabbit hole!

I started using binders a lot more in the last couple years for my personal stuff. I know they might not be the best protection wise, but it makes them much easier to look at or show someone.

Your post makes me think of the old VCR tapes. We would take hours upon hours of VCR movies, and NEVER - NEVER, watch them. That's like with autographs: purchase them, look at them, and then store them.

Cards are a little different. I too years ago started putting my sets in binders. Yes, then you can look at them, read the backs, and simply enjoy them. I've also discovered that my sets in binders should include the "High Dollar" cards - it just seems to make the sets/binders complete. So, there in the 58 Topps binder for example, are Mickey Mantle - Maris rookie - etc.

When the card is graded, I take a picture of the graded card and then print it on heavy card stock, size it accordingly, and then place that in the binder.

To each his/her own, but I enjoy them more that way.

Thanks guys!!! I’m going to take your advice and try putting them in an album. I believe that could be what I need to do. Thank you!

I'm looking at a binder full of some of mine right now! :D

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I am guilty !!!

Probably should not consider myself a collector but perhaps a museum archivist or better yet, a hoarder. Yes, a hoarder. Was not uncommon for me to acquire several duplicates of those ball player autographs I considered obscure and rarely encountered over 25+ years. Then store them away and infrequently viewed again. Realization of that behavior contributed to my selling 95% of my autograph collection last year.

I am not an autograph collector but I believe this is a great overall question. When I buy something I will look at it a lot for maybe a month. Then it gets put away to be rarely seen again. I have a room full of stuff I had to have that I haven't looked at in over a decade in many cases.

Coming to the realization that the above is beyond silly since I am a collector and not a seller. It has made me change my focus a lot. Well that and a fellow member always sending me pictures of his beyond amazing bat collection. So I have more focused on bats because I have made a display that my amazing wife lets me put in our living room. Now I can look at them any time and actually enjoy what I collect. I have found it way better than a room full of stuff I rarely enter.

I go through my collection monthly but mainly to see if I have any items I wouldn't mind selling as I have upgraded on a particular player and have parameters I am trying to keep to so my collection doesn't get too big and out of control as it once did. I often am impressed with seeing an item I forgot I have

I only have 200-300 items, so not a problem to browse them them occasionally when I need to destress.

It depends. I have two binders; a smaller one of autographs I got TTM and a larger one that is a mix of TTM and purchases, and my 1953 Topps project is all in slabs and toploaders. I'll look at the '53s and the smaller binder a few times a week, and the larger binder once in a blue moon.

I store all of my autographs in boxes alphabetically (cards) and binder pages for any other flat from 8x10 to 3x5 cards. I will sometimes grab a binder and look through them, often when I am adding new ones to that binder.

The boxes are the same, as I need to find the right spot for any new cards. Sometimes I'll grab a stack and look through them while adding in new cards.

I have reached the point of having too much of everything to properly display for frequent viewing. I am a bit of a hoarder and knowing I own something brings a piece of the overall joy, even if I don't see it often.

The flip side is it is fun to run across something after a while that you forgot you even had!

As I get older I'm trying to put all of my stuff out either on display or on the walls so that I can enjoy them. New items are purchased with an eye on how or if I can display them (but if necessary I will rotate them due to lack of space). So I guess to answer the question, I look at my collection daily.

+100

Interesting question! Have been collecting sports cards and items for over 50 years, and have stuff I haven't seen since I got it, but for the most part, I know I have it and CAN look at it if I want to. Have a very small percentage of it out so I can see it, but I will say that strangely, a lot of the joy comes from ownership, even if I rarely see it. I do think of the cool things I have and that does give me happiness. Sometimes I pull out things I haven't seen in decades and it is a happy reunion, oftentimes with happy thoughts and memories of family members who helped me in my quests! A friend of mine who has had an incredible comic collection he completely sold and now has an equally impressive collection of vinyl, have discussed this, and we both agreed that the thrill of the quest and the acquisition is a huge part of all of this. I will admit to thumbing through my album of TTM autographs from the 70s every few years. Looking through them, I can still remember as if it was yesterday running to the mailbox and seeing one or two of those self addressed envelopes, and the excitement as I carefully opened them to see who responded. What a rush! :)