I would imagine there’s a privacy element to it, especially for high end collectors and bidders. If someone routinely shows off that they can afford to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on a niche market like sports memorabilia (even more so opposed to traditionally flashy consumerist statuses such as cars, real estate, fashion, travel etc) and can be identified by name, there’s a door open for crimes of opportunity with theft/burglary/defrauding etc. “Hey that guy dropped $70k on bats the past 2 months and lives in my area... I wonder what else he has in his house...”
Also I think people get tired of it. I know a forum like this can appreciate some obscure item from a middling ballplayer from 100 years ago, but most of my friends who are ardent baseball fans only have a cursory appreciation for my finds. After awhile people end up realizing that while they might have a coveted item, no one is going to appreciate the item as much as they do as long as they still have the item.
I think most people at the end of the day just want to have a collection for personal enjoyment and to show a few trusted friends, maybe have some kind of investment for retirement and/or to pass on. And for many, especially the ones spending the real high prices on 1 of a kind memorabilia, it’s an investment of surging stock prices more than a collection.
I like showing off my new finds, but that’s also because my budget is very tiny so anything I get is usually a lucky break and a thrill to find than it is “hey, look what I spent on this”.
|