[whyconform]

Listen, we all have hobbies. Autograph collecting isn't my own....I love cars, and modified/raced/showed (not so much anymore). Talk about a depreciating money pit hobby. I also bowl competitively, but point being, people have hobbies to ENJOY.

Now, my gf rides horses. She owns a horse, and pays close to 500 (over with shoes/etc) for board monthly. There is NO way to recoup that money years down the road. It is simply a hobby, fun, and NOT an investment. I don't get it, but to her it's worth every penny.

I enjoy collecting, and love baseball. Owning an autograph collection is like having a small cooperstown, as the items were looked at and touched by the legend. Luckily for people like us, there IS value if you wanted to sell in the future. Knowing what will go up or down is the thing we don't know, but if you do this ONLY for investment purposes, then you're not in it for the right reasons.

For me, as long as I prioritize life, needs, keep it a hobby, and enjoy the chase, I'm happy. At the end of the day, unlike someone who owns a horse, or drinks as a hobby, or ski's, or golfs, or travels, there is Value in the collection should it need to be sold or money gets tight.

The toughest thing for me, is that when things started, I was able to get multiple packages a week, as things were affordable. Now, as needs are expensive, the packages are few and far in between, and you can tend to lose interest.

As long as you treat it as a hobby, I think you're fine. If it is causing financial hardships, or hurting family, then you have to consider what's more important.