Have you ever take a break from the Hobby?

[jbudny]

If you have taken a break from the hobby how long did you take it for and why???

I don't want anyone to think "uh oh, another one of these leaving the hobby talks"...I have just been thinking about reasons people would leave the hobby.

Personally I have made some really big choices in my life over the last few weeks and it involves me taking a bit of a pay cut to go after what I really want in my life.

I need to really scale back on what I spend on cards but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for the greater good of my future.

I really love collecting and I know I will for life. I'm going to focus on trading on the boards and making customs. I've really enjoyed making customs and I'm excited to show them off when they come back autographed!

[Bluedogcards]

I took a break when i got disabled for about a year, when you take a 300 dollar a month paycut time were tuff had to keep what i had just to make ends meet. but i got back on here even if i cant get new cards/boxes i still can enjoy the hobby, one day i will get back into i wish it could happen sooner

[30ranfordfan]

Yes, several times. Here's the two minute version of my time in 'the hobby':

I started out collecting when I was 10 years old (way back in 1990). BY my late teens I had lost a lot of the interest, and went 3 or 4 years without collecting anything.

Picked it up again in the early 00s..... but really just bought singles on eBay. Didn't go near wax. Really just focused on my Ranford collection..... nothing else.

05-06 Season, I ramped up my collecting a little bit more (did break some wax).

06-07 Season... maybe it was the "poor student" thing, I don't exactly remember the reasons..... but I pretty much quit again.

07-08 I was back to buying singles..... and 08-09 to Present I've done lots of Singles, and Wax.


The only consistency is there has really been no long term consistency in my collecting habits.



Hockey Cards shouldn't be even a little near the tops of most people's priority list. It's a hobby. I think it's always going to be something that goes in cycles for people, and there is nothing wrong with that.

I just think a lot of people make the mistake of saying "I'm leaving the hobby" because they've got bills to pay, or time that's better spent elsewhere. Then they go into "Fire Sale" mode, because for some reason they've got it in their head that if they aren't going to be actively collecting more cards, they shouldn't keep any of the ones they do have....... only to decided 6 or 12 months down the road, that they want to "get back in".

Like most things in life, we need a break sometimes. Nothing wrong with that.

[RGM81]

1994-2007.

Back in full force ever since. :)

[jbudny]

1994-2007.

Back in full force ever since. :)

thats a long break!! what made you get back in the hobby?

[patsfan84]

i took a break from june until a couple weeks ago, left because ex took off in summer, cleaned out the savings and i was making slightly more then what the mortgage and bills cost, havent bought much still just made a few trades and sold a few cards on the bay and with that $ i will buy some singles but not read for wax yet maybe in a couple months i will be able to afford that again. Like its been said by oher members its just a hobby and it should be low on the priority list when money is tight.

[RGM81]

thats a long break!! what made you get back in the hobby?

Can kinda blame McDonald's for it actually. Mrs. RGM81 and I did the packs from 05-06 to the 07-08 season each year but it had never really gone beyond that. In January 2008 we were out for a walk by the Halifax Forum and we saw that there was a card show and thought it might be neat to go inside and check things out. I was pretty floored by how much things had changed...all the autos, GUs, etc. that didn't exist when I had last collected as a kid. Since I only had a few bucks in my wallet that morning I didn't get in on any of that action. I did, however, see this available for $5:



Suffice to say I've been hooked ever since. :)

[mr ozzie]

I'm taking a break from the hobby after the summer also. Life has thrown me some twists lately and I have to deal with them first. Doesn't mean I'm selling my stuff though. This hobby is very addictive though.

[xirxious]

I only have so much time and I do alot of rennovation projects on my house, I have 2 project cars I'm restoring plus 50-60 hours a week at work often. a few years back I was busting a LOT and since then, It cost me sooooo much more to get lousy breaks and try to sell them and still losing money. I decided to focus just on Zetterberg and my O6 set and leave it at that. I really enjoy collecting memorabilia and for what a shield card or two costs, I can get a jersey and stick.

[joshpackham]

I was basically out of collecting from the time I was 12 until I was 25, started collecting when I was about 5, yay for proset and score. Basically I hit high school and got interested in other things and then went to university had bills to pay. Now that I'm done school I have a little bit of extra money which I spend on cards, usually only buy singles unless it's lowend boxes (score) unless I'm at the expo and then I bust to get the redemption cards. Love spending time on here, reading stories and the latest news. Keeps me informed.