When the aged guys think of new, worthwhile hobbies golfing, fishing, or hunting usually come to mind. Others though seek to spend their time and money collecting - sports memorabilia, cars, even vintage toys that we enjoyed from our childhood. To our wives and partners, this may simply be seen as hoarding but collecting can be much more than that. Starting a collection is something that can be a rewarding pastime combining a passion for a subject, a way to decorate your personal spaces, and a mental exercise to keep you going in search of both knowledge and expertise. Unfortunately this hobby can take lots of time and money. Here's our tips for starting your sports collection on a budget.
Deciding On Your Passion
Of course, you need to decide what you are going to collect. You may want to pick something that been a long-standing passion, or sometimes, it may have already been decided for you. Maybe a hand-me-down from a relative can start you on this journey. But when you are thinking about what to collect, the important thing is to actually not put too much thought into it. A lot of people think of a collection as a way to earn some extra money, but it's about the thrill of the chase, not the end product at this stage. And you will amass a collection in a more organic sense if you have a particular passion for a subject. For example, if you are never seen without a book, then purchasing classic first editions is a logical step. If you are a sports enthusiast, memorabilia can be found in so many places, and there's enough of a market online that you can easily start this collector’s hobby. A marketplace like Powers Sports Memorabilia has so much classic memorabilia for sports enthusiasts that it doesn't take long to build up a decent collection. But when choosing what to collect, it’s important that your choice is pretty broad at the beginning, so you can hunt for items with ease. Because if you pick something that is quite niche, it can easily overwhelm you due to the difficulty of acquiring certain items.
Undertake Necessary Research
You've decided what you want to collect, and now it is all about undertaking the research on the items you want to collect, but also what your competition is out there. When you are starting your collection, it's best to go for items that are lower in value but are worthy enough to provide a decent foundation for your collection. The first important stage is to identify and figure out the low-value pieces in comparison to the most expensive and rare of items, so you can get an understanding on where to aim for. There are numerous forums and websites for pretty much every collection out there. It's not difficult to get on the road to collecting; it's the staying on course that is more difficult
Take Your Time
You don't have to get everything right away, not only is this a pointless endeavor, but it can easily drain your finances before you've built up a proper enthusiasm for the collection. The whole idea of building up a worthy collection of items is to turn it into a lifelong habit, not just a hobby that you pick up and put down. And this is where it's important for you to take your time because if you overload yourself too quickly, it can be an obsession, rather than something that is done for fun.
Don't Turn Into A Hoarder
Obsession can take over our lives, and this can be to the detriment of our finances, but also our personal lives. A collector's habit is something that should be celebrated. So instead, think about what you can do with this collection. There is no point in them staying in the basement gathering dust, if you find yourself becoming too obsessed and turning into a hoarder, you may want to slow down your habit, or find a way to display your collection. This is one of the more fun aspects of collecting, by showing off what you have amassed over the years hits home how much you've achieved.
Decide When Enough Is Enough
You may have spent years collecting items, and you've delved deep into the stories behind each item, searched high and low for something that has made a certain set complete, where do you draw the line? Sometimes when we've gone so far, it can feel impossible to go back. You don't necessarily have to decide when you're done, but if there is a logical conclusion, and you've got everything, what do you do next? You may feel that there is a nagging emptiness inside you, and maybe it's time to put this habit to bed. Or, on the other hand, you may want to start on something completely different. And this is the beauty of a collector's habit, it doesn't necessarily have to end, but it can evolve.
When we think about worthwhile hobbies outside of our normal lives, collecting can feel a bit of a nerdy pursuit, but in so many ways, it can provide depth and meaning that a few rounds of golf can’t. After all, whether you're collecting antiques, or something that is close to your heart, you develop an affinity for these objects, you'll learn the stories behind them, and you live your life in a different way. This may sound grandiose, but much like a history buff can't get enough of artifacts and the stories about a certain era, it can be a way for you to have an extra sense of meaning to life. We don't necessarily pick hobbies because we don't have the time, and we fill our lives with pointless tasks, or things that don't benefit us. But when we get fully invested in a habit like collecting, it provides a sense of fulfillment you wouldn't necessarily have in a social function with your buddies!
