A reckoning

[BennyBlade]

What am I doing this for?

This is the most important question of all... i think if collecting makes you happy... collect.

Do I still get the joy or happiness out of this that I once did?

My brother enjoyed collecting trains until the day he went to the hospital for the last time... his buddy and i were joking today about some of the stuff in his collection. Stuff that was ridiculous and probably cost him more money than he should have spent (he always paid far less than retail), but he had an eye for and liked, even though it didn't really fit in with his collection at all. He liked it, so he bought it.

I They will be split between my son and my daughter. I'm sure the knives they don't want will be sold or given away. Each passing day I'm knowing that there are far more important things to do with the money I've been blessed with.

You'd be surprised at what they want. They probably will cherish your used beat up garbage, much more than your most valued treasures. Of 77 boxes 17 contained only engines. Used engines of this type go for about 100 each. Older discontinued stuff is more valuable. Each box holds about 30 engines... that's the staggering part. Of The whole collection, I was glad I got to get these 2 discontinued $65 engines. They remind me of some of the best times I ever had with my brother. So out of a collection probably worth around 60k, I would have put my hands in the fire for 130 bucks...
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[brianv]

This is the most important question of all... i think if collecting makes you happy... collect.

My brother enjoyed collecting trains until the day he went to the hospital for the last time... his buddy and i were joking today about some of the stuff in his collection. Stuff that was ridiculous and probably cost him more money than he should have spent (he always paid far less than retail), but he had an eye for and liked, even though it didn't really fit in with his collection at all. He liked it, so he bought it.

You'd be surprised at what they want. They probably will cherish your used beat up garbage, much more than your most valued treasures. Of 77 boxes 17 contained only engines. Used engines of this type go for about 100 each. Older discontinued stuff is more valuable. Each box holds about 30 engines... that's the staggering part. Of The whole collection, I was glad I got to get these 2 discontinued $65 engines. They remind me of some of the best times I ever had with my brother. So out of a collection probably worth around 60k, I would have put my hands in the fire for 130 bucks...
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I totally agree with you.

 

[BennyBlade]

I totally agree with you.

I think I missed the humor in your original post... lol... that being said, I bough my first Buck knife in 2012 and it was my only knife other than a sak. Since 2019, I have acquired 2 small home depot boxes of bucks knives, plus a stack of taped closed Buck mailer boxes.... my wife says I'm really addicted to waiting for the mailman, not Bucks...

 

[brianv]

I don't think you missed any humor. I think this is an important topic. Reckoning. By wisdom I was referring to the topic and all of the comments.

My wife and I have been blessed with her getting a new job and much more money. It has allowed me to splurge on things I don't really need but enjoy. I've come to thinking that there are far wiser things to do with my money. That doesn't mean that I won't get the occasional knife. I've got maybe thirty knives and I've gotten knives that I never thought I would be able to get. The bottom line is to what end? I enjoy the comradery of the forums and I'll stick around as long as you guys will have me.

I just don't know how many more knives I will buy.

 

[SteveFord]

With any hobby or collection most people eventually reach their limit.
My things are Gibson electric guitars and tube stereo gear and Red Wing boots and vintage Stetson dress hats and British motorcycles and recently Buck knives.
With each one it's oh boy oh boy and then you eventually reach the point where anything else would be ridiculous.
How much longer am I going to be around and what am I doing with all this stuff?

The problem is Buck makes so many beautiful and interesting variants of their products and they don't take up much room.
That looks interesting, hmmm...

 

[tommycopper1]

Yes SteveFord you are correct. I did collect Coleman lanterns, they took up to much room. They do go back to early '40's and earlier but take up to much room so I stopped.

 

[SteveFord]

At least with hats they can do double duty to deaden overly bright rooms.

And then you think I probably have another 60 hats that aren't all over that one room (there's more in that room that aren't pictured) and I only have one head.
With lanterns I would think shelving and then one row hung from the ceiling around the perimeter of a room.