Budget for collecting

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Posted By: Dylan

I on average spend two to three hundred dollars a month on cards as of the last several months How much do you budget monthly/yearly for your card collecting habit?

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Posted By: Joe D.

very often throughout the year (like right now) -
I reach my wife's tolerance for my reckless spending.

So, times like this -- buying more cards means selling other cards.


I will say this as well.... when I was making some money in the stock market earlier in the year - I would shuttle the money into cards.... so if stocks went up - I got Cobby or Matty. Stocks went down - I got Unglaub or Atz.

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Posted By: Dylan

This time of the year is tough for collecting, your card budget takes the back burner to family gifts, but when people ask me what i want for Christmas I cant realisticaly ask for a T209-1 PSA 3, or a type 2 T213. Unfortunaly no one in my family would know what the hell im talking about. Darn!

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Posted By: Josh Adams

Yes, this time of year definately cramps our collecting style!

"On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a T206 PSA 3 in a pear tree!"

Go Go White Sox
2005 World Series Champions!

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Posted By: peter ullman

it sure does seem like a good time to buy...around the holidays that is! I have no budget for collecting...I buy and sell to balance and every now and then go into debt!

pete in mn

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Posted By: Jason L

and then the occasional piece of memorabilia, then I cover the mortgage, then food for the kids, and then if I made it this far and there's anything left over, I buy whiskey and scratch-off lottery tix...
It's not pretty, but it's a system, and it works sometimes

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Posted By: Darren

Budget? I don't need no stinking budget!

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Posted By: Cat

The only thing some people on this board know about Budget is that is where they rent their car when they go to the National.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

If a "gotta have it" shows up, I have a credit line to buy it and the sell end of the BST thread and Ebay to fund it

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Posted By: Jason L

that's the problem with this hobby!
I had two "gotta have it"'s show up this year, and I blew through 6 months' worth of my annual "budget" to get them...
but, they are now the most prized pieces of the collection...only problem is, I didn't exactly take 6 months off either...

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Posted By: peter chao

Jason,

The unfortunate part about advance collections is that the "gotta have its" most assuredly will blow any budget. I haven't found a solution to the problem yet.

Peter

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Posted By: warshawlaw

My "gotta have its" are generally modestly priced, just very hard to find. I can only think of one card in the lot that has gone into four figures to obtain. Of course, I also have enough trade fodder to pick up items I'd not otherwise want to buy.

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Posted By: peter chao

Adam,

I have plenty of trade fodder that's not the problem, the problem comes when the guy with the "gotta have it" doesn't want your trade fodder and wants good old cash. Then I'll either have to run around like crazy making deals to generate cash. Or I'll just give in and blow my budget. It's usually the latter. Laugh out loud.

Peter

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Posted By: fkw

Must sell to buy. All my "normal cash" goes to everyday bills.

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Posted By: Steve M.

I've been blessed. Happy Holidays to all!

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Posted By: leon

$12 ..... let's hear it for the armpits ....

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Posted By: martindl

phooey Leon, we know you're pulling in about $15 a month from the advertisers

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Posted By: Jason L

I've maybe only reached half your league, in terms of single card purchase value...

No, I blew my budget this year on a couple of '49 Bowman PCL's, and a high-grade game-used bat - BUT! I am proud to say that both purchases were very well within the focus of my collection! (reference to another of Leon's threads)...

Peter, please please please let me know when you find that solution...I have much to do, and too little time left!

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Posted By: joe brennan

My budget depends on how well I do at poker. The last 6 months I haven't bought much. That should tell you how things are going.

In Rememberance of James W. Brennan Sr. 1924-1982. Dad, thanks for everything you did for me.

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Posted By: peter chao

Jason,

Remind yourself, that with today's internet there is virtually no such thing as a "gotta have it." If the price is not right, let it go. Simple solution to the "gotta have it" itch.

Then when the funds are available search the internet to satisfy the itch. 99% of the time you will still be able to find that key card and possibly get it at an affordable price. Or so goes the theory. Laugh out loud.

Peter

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Posted By: Richard

I think I can safely say that almost everyone's "Got to have it card" does not fall under the catagory of:

"Then when the funds are available search the internet to satisfy the itch. 99% of the time you will still be able to find that key card and possibly get it at an affordable price."

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Posted By: Bob

The M116 Sporting Life set is goofy. Because of the means of distribution, the scarcer cards only come available in PSA 7 and 8 a lot of the time and they are so rare I have had to bite the bullet. If you snooze on these cards, you lose....

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Posted By: barry arnold

all of my moonlighting money from the evening counseling practice
minus the overhead goes to the 206's.
and i try to keep the overhead real low.

all the best,

barry