MAJOR life decision, please weigh in................

[reoddai]

If I were in your position, its definitely time to reevaluate the card and hockey hobby. I'd take your option one but keep a few pieces.

First off, if you think that your collection can cover your debt, do you have insurance for it? If you are like most of us, probably not. Find out how much your collection is insured for from your home insurance (its likely <10k). Keep anything you want below that and time to sell the rest. I'm more of a "this is a hobby, not a business" collector. Going into debt for a business with a sound business plan is one thing. Going into debt over a hobby? No way.

Also, if you can afford a 400 $ payment a month, why not ask the bank how muh of that payment would go into paying interest? Thwn, sell as much as you can bear and put 400$ a month into an account. Whatever would have been paid to intrest goesmtowarda getting yourcollection back to its glory. The rest is retirement savigs.

God luck with whatever you chose to do.

CCheers,
Reoddai

[cygnusx1]

Ugggh, as much as I hate to say it (as I always enjoy your show and tells, so diverse!), If you don't take care of the debt it will ruin your life. I've been fortunate in the sense that I've never been in debt, but at the same time, the only reason that has happened is because I've seen what has happened to others, including close friends.

Giving up the collection will be a huge kick in the gut... but I feel like it will serve you well long-term. As crazy as it sounds, you CAN replace the items you will lose.

Best of luck, and if there's anything we can do, just let us know.

[87sluggo]

Best of luck, and if there's anything we can do, just let us know.

Hmmmmm, if there's 134,000 SCF members and you each mail me a buck...........then I'll see you back here same time next year another $50,000 in the hole bahahahaaaaaa!!!


There will still be show n tells, with ITG International Ice autos & Habs Inks & McDonalds jerseys and the occasional ITG Ultimate card I can't live without and maybe I can start in on some olllllldddddddd stuff, they'll just be every month instead of every few days.........


So I won't die with the most toys, so what?


Besides, now I get to see if this stuff is actually worth anything eh?

[Frendo]

Just sell all you don't need and save all those card you REALLY loves.

Like I has did this year, I has for here and now sold about 3000-3500 cards (soon much more!) from my collection, mostly here in sweden becuase of the shipping rates then.

Base cards or 1:1 parallels/inserts cards are just a unecessary obstacles because they takes too much spaces IMO.

Of course it's quite tough in the beginning but in afterwards it's like a liberation for me to release all those unecessary cards...

[30ranfordfan]

My best suggestion: Start selling things off that are not as important to you.

If you keep the stuff in display cases, the PCs you treasure the most, and sell off (most?) everything else.... if that eats a good chunk of the debt away, re-evaluate.

It sounds to me like you've already come to the conclusion that the financial freedom that selling parts, if not all, of your collection would bring..... it's a good thing, and probably much more important than keep the cards.

If you moved out a lot of the extra stuff, the things that are less important to you, and cut the debt in half in the process (or more, or less?) that might be a good start?

[87sluggo]

My best suggestion: Start selling things off that are not as important to you.

If you keep the stuff in display cases, the PCs you treasure the most, and sell off (most?) everything else.... if that eats a good chunk of the debt away, re-evaluate.

It sounds to me like you've already come to the conclusion that the financial freedom that selling parts, if not all, of your collection would bring..... it's a good thing, and probably much more important than keep the cards.

If you moved out a lot of the extra stuff, the things that are less important to you, and cut the debt in half in the process (or more, or less?) that might be a good start?

I was up til midnight looking through everything, I found maybe 30 cards I forgot I even owned and could part with. The rest of it, they're still my babies..............

Decisions, decisions.........

[aspencer528]

If I was in your situation I'd go number two. If you got rid of everything you'd probably feel like there's a hole or void left behind, but if you trim it down and keep the most meaningful while getting you debt down you'd probably feel a lot better about it. IMO.

[royfan]

Personally, if I was dropping my collection after a divorce, I wouldn't worry how much my ex cries. But I'm not in your shoes, all the best man, hope it works out.

[Gallinator]

PM sent with a few thoughts

[TheBoxBreaker]

This might not seem like the answer you were hoping for, but I think that selling pretty much your entire collection might just be the better way to go. Not all at once, but slowly you'll have to get used to the fact that you can't keep on living like this.

It's called a hobby for a reason; you need to be financially stable to keep buying. I was absolutely blown away by hearing the sheer amount of your debt. With that in mind, I personally wouldn't to able to just keep on buying more cards with a good conscious. Look at it this way: Every card purchased is a step backwards; every card sold is helping you along your path to recovery, so to speak.

Keep your Dryden collection. Keep your Montreal Centennial collection. Keep your brilliant display. But you and I both know that you have a lot of things to spare that you don't really need. In the end you might even be able to sell a few of your actual PC's.

Collect only what you seriously enjoy (such as Dryden and perhaps SPA Buybacks), but limit yourself. Wouldn't you rather have a couple of astonishing (and complete) collections rather than hundreds of un-completed, dust gathering PC's? Say (for example): "I'll track down as many Drydens as possible and I want to be a Kesler supercollector. Once in a while I'll pick up some stuff for my Montreal Centennial set, but I'll limit myself to these 3 collections and try to sell the rest", and then leave it at that. No one can collect everything, and if they try they end up with debt and perhaps even a bit of regret (it sounds like you regret that you have to many Roys, Haseks etc.).

I hope this was helpful. SCF is here for you, buddy! Small steps, no one can ride a bike at their first attempt, no matter how much they're read or heard about it. In the end it comes down to actually trying it for yourself and going: "Hey, this isn't so bad... I can do this!"

-Ethan