Thinking about leaving the Hobby please read!

[PittPens8771]

Hey everyone....I am trying to make a few big trades and then I think I am pretty much going to be leaving the Hobby...I have spent waaaaaay to much money that I don't have. Collecting cards is crazy fun and addicting and I think that I need to step away with the debt I have lol....I have made many many trades and met some awesome friends. I was never in collecting for the money and I was always willing to help out a fellow trader get some of their dream cards as well. What is better then having that rush as you bust open a pack of cards and then seeing another kid or person smile cuz u are willing to trade it to that person. When I first started collecting cards a few years ago I remember thinking that I would never own a game used or autograph card. Then I pulled my first autograph (Ken Griffery Jr. out of a 99 cent pack from Wal-Mart) Then I was hooked. Then I started thinking I will never get an auto of certain players such as Malkin, Crosby and Gretzky. Then I started to trade higher end cards and pulled some along the way. I feel that I have my collection where I want it to be and I can say that I have my dream cards (once a trade is done for a crosby fw auto and crosby cup patch auto)....I am glad to have been able to deal with most of you guys on here or at least talk hockey sometimes. As the guys that I have had conversations on here to my friends on facebook it has been a great road of memories and trades lol......Thank you everyone for helping me learn so much about cards and helping me to obtain a crazy PC as well...If u have any questions or want to talk sports please feel free to contact me sometime! thanks everyone!

[CSSports]

Although I havent had too much interaction with you - I understand where you are coming from. I was in pretty big debt before and I know its tough to get out - So I wish you a lot of luck there - Just stick to the plan you set and you will be fine.....

Even though it will be tempting...you can always check out the boards and chat on the boards here....

Good Luck!

[Qwikflipz]

Just limit your spending. I spend 25% of my spendable money on cards.

[mugmasher]

i can totally relate to what you are saying...i love this hobby..and the thrill of opening packs of cards and pulling that big one!!! but then you realize what you spent or keep spending to get that rush..( oh my god i'm addicted!!!!!!!!!) well i knew that because every time i leave i keep coming back WORSE THAN BEFORE!!!!! like many people on here whom spend waaaaaaaay to much money on wax and cards..i have to learn to set a limit..the one thing that is going to help is the fact that my wife and i have been trying to have a baby....we are going thru envitro..tuesday they are planting the eggs ( sooooo gross) and within two weeks we will know if i am going to be a dad...so when that or if that happens i will definitly have to control my spending..i would hate to ruin something i love doing so much because i can't control my spending..the hobby is the only thing i have that i can call my own...i already started a nice pc for my boy or girl...take care and check back from time to time..i enjoyed your threads in the box break sections YOU HAD CRAZY CRAZY LUCK!!!!!!!!!! and for the love of god STAY AWAY FROM WAL MARTS OR TARGETS OR ANY OF THOSE BIG STORES THAT CARRY SPORTS CARDS..that gets me everytime...

[PittPens8771]

for sure...thanks for all the support guys...It is alot of fun and I totally agree with all of you guys...lol And I really hate to admit it but I actully found myself sometimes consumed in cards...Like i went to work and thought about cards and when I could make time to go to the shops, and then when I was there I would spend a long time there, then I would come home and post the pics on here and on facebook and found myself spending hours talking about the cards and trying to make trades getting almost nothing done lol. I need to take some time for myself and away from cards, I was getting way in over my head and it was consuming me that is for sure lol...

[mugmasher]

for sure...thanks for all the support guys...It is alot of fun and I totally agree with all of you guys...lol And I really hate to admit it but I actully found myself sometimes consumed in cards...Like i went to work and thought about cards and when I could make time to go to the shops, and then when I was there I would spend a long time there, then I would come home and post the pics on here and on facebook and found myself spending hours talking about the cards and trying to make trades getting almost nothing done lol. I need to take some time for myself and away from cards, I was getting way in over my head and it was consuming me that is for sure lol...

dude!!!! i know it's horrible..even at work all i think about is my collection and what's coming out next how to go about getting some...

[PittPens8771]

dude!!!! i know it's horrible..even at work all i think about is my collection and what's coming out next how to go about getting some...

shooooo glad i am not the only one lol

[mugmasher]

shooooo glad i am not the only one lol

oh no your not!!!! i actually drive my co workers nuts talking about what i pulled or how much it's worth..my co workers ask me JIMMY!!!!!!!!! don't you ever think about anything else????? i say yeah!!!!!!!!!! SEXXXXXXXXXXXX!!!!!!!!!!

[roy.the.greatest]

Difficult to know on internet of we speak to a 12 years old or 68 years old person... my only advise is study, have a good job, and you'll have money for everything in life, including this hobby. Outside a house and cars, all the rest should be 100% paid with money on hand (no debt to purchase things). If you don't have the money, as for me sometimes I decide to pass because I cannot indefinitely purchase all I want, simply pass on a deal until you have the cash available. Good luck

[habscards]

One great thing about this hobby of ours is that we can actually sell off cards pretty easy to pay back debt. Also instead of trying to save money we can sell off cards and have a nice lump sum just from doing so.

We have lots of options weather it be on here or other hockey card websites or ebay. We can just list our cards and in less than a few weeks have money in our bank accounts. We may be in a hobby that we usually lose money in but at least we can cash out pretty easy. You compair it to other hobbies where people do woodworking and make little knick-knacks or restore old cars or something like that it may take longer to sell them off than what we do.


On one side note I was going out with my girlfriend for about two years and we knew each other for about three years before that. We were living together in our house that we bought. We have a joint bank account and she was not happy with me spending our money on hockey cards because it is an expensive hobby and to come home with a box of the newest product whenever it comes out can be costly. So I wanted to get married to her but I was trying to figure out how I could save up money to buy an engagement ring without her noticing that I am taking out a lot of cash from our bank account and stashing it away. So I just pretty much took all of my cards I had and sold them on here and HI and ebay. From the sales I was able to surprise her with a nice ring that she was not expecting what so ever. Since then I have had little money go back into hockey cards because the wedding is about two months away now and weddings are costly. I decided to do a sales thread here and to donate 25% of my sales to ALS(Lou Gehrig's Disease) research because it means a lot to me. Now I realize that hockey cards mean a whole lot to me and that donating to a great charity and family life come first. By the way check out my signature if you would like to help. It would be greatly appreciated.