Have you ever gone backwards in the hobby?

[zljones]

Have you ever hit a bad point in your collecting where you had to sell a good portion of your cards due to certain issues? Maybe have you ever had cards stolen or damaged?
I am asking because I recently am taking a huge, giant step backwards, I am forced to sell the majority of my collection due to a massive paycut at work, that was 20% of my salary, and also lost of student loan debt. The owner told me I was getting paid too much for the past 1 and 1/4, and they made a payroll error, which is true but I think he should honor his mistake since it has been over 1 year of this pay. I did not notice I was getting paid too much because my salary was part expense report and salary (confusing), but it was the only way he could afford to pay me a good amount. He set me ans others up this way so he could compensate for the fact that this company moved over 30 miles from our houses when it used to be 7 miles away. I never worked payroll, nor got paid this way so I trusted what they came up with. I felt there was maybe an error but when I asked over a year ago they said I was getting paid what I was supposed to be paid and it was not too much. So I took their word for it. Now they finally discovered the error all this time later. I need to sell most of my babies off to keep my head above water. I now have listings up on Ebay and it sucks.
Maybe if I hear other stories I won't feel too crushed and it could show hope that maybe I can return to the hobby one day soon after I get a new job. Right now I feel discouraged at the thought of rebuilding all my subsets back up in the future. It sucks to sell cards that I just bought a few weeks ago too right before I got notice they were slicing my pay to an unreasonable amount.

[Jlighter]

Do you think you could add the URL or your eBay name so I and other members can view your items please?

[glchen]

Sorry to hear about your situation, Zach. I think this happens to many of us, however, when real life priorities take precedence over our hobby. I'm always thinking about this also, and many times, I look at my collection in terms of "first sell" and "last sell." Some of this occurs when I come upon a card that I really want, but I have to sell other parts of my collection in order to be able to pay for it. The "last sell" cards tend to be my favorites or the ones that I would have a really hard time getting back because they are very rare. For example, one of my favorite cards is the 1926-29 Exhibits Ruth (Pose). I have four different color variations of this card. However, if I really needed the funds, I would probaby sell off the blue and sepia tints since these are more common colors for the card. Anyway, good luck, and hope you can still stay in the hobby to some extend and in the future, buy some of your collection back.

[zljones]

Originally Posted by glchen

Sorry to hear about your situation, Zach. I think this happens to many of us, however, when real life priorities take precedence over our hobby. I'm always thinking about this also, and many times, I look at my collection in terms of "first sell" and "last sell." Some of this occurs when I come upon a card that I really want, but I have to sell other parts of my collection in order to be able to pay for it. The "last sell" cards tend to be my favorites or the ones that I would have a really hard time getting back because they are very rare. For example, one of my favorite cards is the 1926-29 Exhibits Ruth (Pose). I have four different color variations of this card. However, if I really needed the funds, I would probaby sell off the blue and sepia tints since these are more common colors for the card. Anyway, good luck, and hope you can still stay in the hobby to some extend and in the future, buy some of your collection back.

Gary that is exactly what I am trying to do, I am trying to hold on to my favorites and mostly releasing my post war cards. I have had to sell prewar but I am trying hard to hold on to my favorites like most of my 19th century cards. The good thing that will come out of selling these is that I will be very close to debt free.

Jake my Ebay user ID is Zook1981 http://myworld.ebay.com/zook1981. I am only allowed 100 items per month so the rest will be listing late September and those will be heavy hitter cards than these, hopefully I can just find a new job before then and they will not be sold.

[Jlighter]

Thanks Zach, and sorry about your situation.

[T206Collector]

I sold all but a handful of my T206 set of 521 a few years ago. I regret nothing, even though I am currently slowly putting it back together a slightly different way. I do sometimes miss my old PSA 6 Hal Chase (Pink), with a corner crease, and my SGC 60 Lajoie Throwing, but I get over it pretty quickly.

There is something to be said for taking the time to refocus your collection in a second/come back run...

Good luck!

[jcmtiger]

I don't think you will miss the post war cards, now the others might be a different matter.

Joe

[zljones]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

I sold all but a handful of my T206 set of 521 a few years ago. I regret nothing, even though I am currently slowly putting it back together a slightly different way. I do sometimes miss my old PSA 6 Hal Chase (Pink), with a corner crease, and my SGC 60 Lajoie Throwing, but I get over it pretty quickly.

There is something to be said for taking the time to refocus your collection in a second/come back run...

Good luck!

Thanks that helps alot. I am also definatley trying to put a more positive spin on it.

[sportscardpete]

Zach - don't worry. You're situation is bad but not the end of the world.

I can imagine divorces (having to split/sell collection on top of the stress of a divorce) would be the worst.

[zljones]

Originally Posted by sportscardpete

Zach - don't worry. You're situation is bad but not the end of the world.

I can imagine divorces (having to split/sell collection on top of the stress of a divorce) would be the worst.

Yes definatley, and as long as I can hold on to my best loved cards I will be ok for now, and pretty debt free too. Definatly an upside, it is just painful right now taking all those pics and listing them on ebay.

[jefferyepayne]

Originally Posted by zljones

Have you ever hit a bad point in your collecting where you had to sell a good portion of your cards due to certain issues? Maybe have you ever had cards stolen or damaged?
I am asking because I recently am taking a huge, giant step backwards, I am forced to sell the majority of my collection due to a massive paycut at work, that was 20% of my salary, and also lost of student loan debt. The owner told me I was getting paid too much for the past 1 and 1/4, and they made a payroll error, which is true but I think he should honor his mistake since it has been over 1 year of this pay. I did not notice I was getting paid too much because my salary was part expense report and salary (confusing), but it was the only way he could afford to pay me a good amount. He set me ans others up this way so he could compensate for the fact that this company moved over 30 miles from our houses when it used to be 7 miles away. I never worked payroll, nor got paid this way so I trusted what they came up with. I felt there was maybe an error but when I asked over a year ago they said I was getting paid what I was supposed to be paid and it was not too much. So I took their word for it. Now they finally discovered the error all this time later. I need to sell most of my babies off to keep my head above water. I now have listings up on Ebay and it sucks.
Maybe if I hear other stories I won't feel too crushed and it could show hope that maybe I can return to the hobby one day soon after I get a new job. Right now I feel discouraged at the thought of rebuilding all my subsets back up in the future. It sucks to sell cards that I just bought a few weeks ago too right before I got notice they were slicing my pay to an unreasonable amount.

Have you talked to an employment lawyer? It would be worth one hour of your time to chat with someone about this. You likely DO owe them the $$$ but, depending upon your state, may have the ability to negotiate a repayment plan which would allow you to pay this back over a period of time and perhaps not have to liquidate so much of your collection. I would also have this individual look at your compensation package to determine whether what your employer did was actually legal or not. I don't know enough to have an opinion but it smells odd and might not be something they were allowed to do. That could help your case.

Check it out asap.

jeff

[zljones]

Originally Posted by jefferyepayne

Have you talked to an employment lawyer? It would be worth one hour of your time to chat with someone about this. You likely DO owe them the $$$ but, depending upon your state, may have the ability to negotiate a repayment plan which would allow you to pay this back over a period of time and perhaps not have to liquidate so much of your collection. I would also have this individual look at your compensation package to determine whether what your employer did was actually legal or not. I don't know enough to have an opinion but it smells odd and might not be something they were allowed to do. That could help your case.

Check it out asap.

jeff

I do not have to pay the state back, yet, and hopefully not, but who knows now, since they were coming down on him, they may hit the employees next. I am liquidating to pay other debts because I can't afford the payments on those other debts. And believe me Jeff I have thought of fighting legal battles alot LOL, they do alot of crooked things. If the state comes after me then I may have to.

[jefferyepayne]

Originally Posted by zljones

I do not have to pay the state back, yet, and hopefully not, but who knows now, since they were coming down on him, they may hit the employees next. I am liquidating to pay other debts because I can't afford the payments on those other debts. And believe me Jeff I have thought of fighting legal battles alot LOL, they do alot of crooked things. If the state comes after me then I may have to.

Hey Zach. Just to be clear, I am NOT advocating a legal battle. I AM advocating that you get professional advice from an employment attorney as to what your rights are in this situation and what the law says. What you do with that information depends upon where this all goes but I would make sure you understand what you are and are not entitled to before signing any piece of paper telling anyone you are paying them back anything.

Good luck and I hope it all works out for the best.

jeff

[Leon]

Originally Posted by jefferyepayne

Hey Zach. Just to be clear, I am NOT advocating a legal battle. I AM advocating that you get professional advice from an employment attorney as to what your rights are in this situation and what the law says. What you do with that information depends upon where this all goes but I would make sure you understand what you are and are not entitled to before signing any piece of paper telling anyone you are paying them back anything.

Good luck and I hope it all works out for the best.

jeff

I would make sure not to win the fight and lose the war. Nowadays jobs can be difficult to come by.

If your employer likes you, and wants to keep you, they should work with you on repaying THEIR error.

[chaddurbin]

am i reading this right--zach has been overpaid for over a year due to an accounting problem at his workplace. they just found out so he's back at his normal wage. he doesn't have to pay back any back wages. if this is correct, what's the problem?

[zljones]

Originally Posted by jefferyepayne

Hey Zach. Just to be clear, I am NOT advocating a legal battle. I AM advocating that you get professional advice from an employment attorney as to what your rights are in this situation and what the law says. What you do with that information depends upon where this all goes but I would make sure you understand what you are and are not entitled to before signing any piece of paper telling anyone you are paying them back anything.

Good luck and I hope it all works out for the best.

jeff

Actually you had good advice, right now I am just going to hang in there until I get a new job and if things come around on me then I will probably have to see someone about it, so I do not have to pay anything. I do not think the law can help me with how much I got paid because on record it looks like I get paid almost 6 grand more a year, it's pretty confusing, but what happened was he cut expense reports, which was a $4,000 a year loss for me, and then it was discovered that my base that was not expenses was also $4,000 too high came to about a $8,000 a year pay cut. Hopefully I can just find a new job and be happier. This company is hurting for money real bad and could close within a year.

[Jcfowler6]

I had thousands of cards stolen by "friends" when I was away at college. About a tenth were recovered. Some that were not I have repurchased or traded for. A couple still are in my mind to get again but as time has passed the pain has too. Still looking to pick up the '75 brett and '53 pee wee reese i lost as well as a couple early Clemente's. The image of cards thrown around my room when I walked in still pops in my mind from time to time and that was 20 plus years ago.

I think on your end just know that you can always start again. What I have done to help is look at is as a chance To upgrade. Get better condition or something a little more rare.

Hope it works out for the best.
Jon

[zljones]

Originally Posted by Jcfowler6

I had thousands of cards stolen by "friends" when I was away at college. About a tenth were recovered. Some that were not I have repurchased or traded for. A couple still are in my mind to get again but as time has passed the pain has too. Still looking to pick up the '75 brett and '53 pee wee reese i lost as well as a couple early Clemente's. The image of cards thrown around my room when I walked in still pops in my mind from time to time and that was 20 plus years ago.

I think on your end just know that you can always start again. What I have done to help is look at is as a chance To upgrade. Get better condition or something a little more rare.

Hope it works out for the best.
Jon

I actually have a PSA 5 George Brett going right now and a really busted up 53 Bowman Reese in auction.
That sucks when people steal your cards I have had that happen to me a few times when I was a kid

I am pretty much in full reverse for the last yr or more. I rarely get to buy a card anymore and find myself almost void of a collection. I have my daughters set which will remain hers indefinitely and just a few high grade obscure 205's with tough backs I refuse to sell. I am always looking though for a flip but it's hard to buy a group to do it with when money is so tight. I went from a 100k+ a yr job as a business owner to about 42k a yr working for a company due to family issues with my kids. It's is worth it to have more time with them but I will likely never see the collection I had again and am sad about that. But you have to do what you have to do. I hope all this works out for you. Be wishes on the selling.