How much the wife knows about your collection

[todeen]

My wife hates card collecting. She knew I was infatuated with baseball, and Card collecting when we married. But we met in college when money was not existent - so I wasn't making purchases then. I guess she supposed I outgrew it. She is a penny pincher, and hates that I spend any money to add anything more. She is aware that I have collectors insurance, and what the amount is valued at should the house burn to the ground.

She calls ebay my mistress. And when I'm on my phone she asks if I'm talking "to my baseball card friends."

I don't like to talk about my collection in real life. So when my wife brings it up it becomes awkward. I hate when she brings it up in front of anyone besides my closest friends. I hate trying to answer questions from people.

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[Republicaninmass]

Was sure as heck checking my consignment check to see what all the fuss was about!

[butchie_t]

My wife put together the 1971 Topps Baseball set. She knows the value of the cards even though she may not know the overall value of the collection. I have no concerns as to her being able to get the most bang for the buck.

It is a definite advantage to have a partner that enjoys the hobby, while not as much, but still enjoys and shares in the hobby like she does.

Butch

[rjackson44]

my three girlfriends are clueless

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by rjackson44

my three girlfriends are clueless

Playa!

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by todeen

when I'm on my phone she asks if I'm talking "to my baseball card friends."

That's nice. Whenever I head off to a show, mine tells me to "have fun with the other dip$h**s."

[ricktmd]

Doesn't sound like any of the people posting have been through a divorce.

[cubman1941]

I've been through two and each time it took me down to zero so I had to start all over again. After the second, when I got back on my feet, I started collecting in earnest. My present wife knows nothing about sports (we have been married 30 years) therefore has no interest in me collecting. She collects clothes and shoes and I collect baseball and football. Keeps us both happy.

[alywa]

Originally Posted by ricktmd

Doesn't sound like any of the people posting have been through a divorce.

Thankfully my ex ignored the cards and our wine collection. Can't say the same for everything else.

[Vintageismygame]

Mine does. Card sales have paid for our wedding, honeymoon, and 30% down payment on our home. Sold off most of my triplicate and duplicate vintage sets and star cards (mainly newer cards ie: Brady, Lebron, Jordan, Griffey,) in 2021-2022 and purchased a lake house in MO and several hundred acres of pasture grass.

Looking at selling the rest of the duplicates (sets and star cards) in order to get ready to purchase a mountain house in CO once prices cool off in a couple years.

[Fred]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

That's nice. Whenever I head off to a show, mine tells me to "have fun with the other dip$h**s."

I think I like your wife.

[seanofjapan]

There is a significant difference between the question of “how much it is worth” on the one hand and “how much you spent on it” on the other.

I suspect that the degree to which the answers to these questions diverge from each other, and in what direction, is more salient in respect to the broader issue of maintaining the peaceful coexistence of a spouse and a collection.

[Texxxx]

My wife,while she was alive, didn't care anything about my collecting or how much it was worth. Her mouth would have hit the ground if I would have ever told her. As long as all the bills got paid on time and she could buy anything she wanted, she was happy. She didn't spend much.
Now my son is a different story. He collects himself, mostly 50's threw 70's stuff. He has a ballpark idea what it worth. I joke with him all the time that he is just waiting for me to die so he will get it. He just rolls his eyes.

[LEHR]

Originally Posted by Texxxx

I joke with him all the time that he is just waiting for me to die so he will get it. He just rolls his eyes.

Bruce,
I'm not pretending to know anything about you, your son, or your relationship, so take this with a grain of salt. My father-in-law makes jokes like this all the time about how his kids can't wait till he dies so they can get X. My wife and her siblings hate that he continuously jokes about this and have been very vocal about it amongst themselves. Maybe that's why you're getting the eye rolls?

[G1911]

I've found a card collection can be a really good tool to get you out of a relationship. Instead of having the crying and drama of dumping a girl I don't want to see anymore, I can just invite her over to look at my card collection and be lectured on how many "e"'s my T206 Magee has and that he also has a batting pose, and they come in several backs which sometimes have some small printing defects upon close examination of the cardboard, but one has to be careful because of the reprints, and the reprints smell different. After just one hour, she's running for the hills. Boom, problem solved.