Off Topic Traditional Collection Quandary

Raising kids requires sacrifice, but not total sacrifice unless absolutely necessary. When we had a young family, I kept tinkering with my hot hatchback and my wife sold her horse but kept riding. If you would like to keep the collection then put it in a nice glass case and maybe treat yourself to one every so often. On the other hand let them go if you're just into it for the money or the thrill of the hunt. Don't however sell because of a misplaced feeling of guilt: we give the better part of our lives to our children when it's said and done.
 
Well, I collected Empire knives, and enjoyed them for years in a very nice display case! Someone found out about them, and bought them. My den is not quite as great without them, but it was an offer I could not refuse!! You can get the best of a nice collection like yours, Paul, if you display them!! In more ways than one!!
 
Thank you very much for all the responses guys, I really appreciate it.

The family doesn't want for anything, we're not by any means rich, but I've a good steady job/career and we do fine. When I said about the guilt, I simply meant that it seems an extravagance to me (struggling to shake off my up-bringing I suppose) and as I'm the only one of the family to benefit, it feels a little unfair on them.

Why I collected them? Initially, I simply loved the pattern, and the variations on the theme. The thrill of the hunt became a big part too, but the quarry is so scarce now that the appeal is failing.

I might simply be going through a blue patch....
 
pmew said:
Thank you very much for all the responses guys, I really appreciate it.

The family doesn't want for anything, we're not by any means rich, but I've a good steady job/career and we do fine. When I said about the guilt, I simply meant that it seems an extravagance to me (struggling to shake off my up-bringing I suppose) and as I'm the only one of the family to benefit, it feels a little unfair on them.

Why I collected them? Initially, I simply loved the pattern, and the variations on the theme. The thrill of the hunt became a big part too, but the quarry is so scarce now that the appeal is failing.

I might simply be going through a blue patch....
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im sure theyd like to see you happy as well, and if having those knives is what does it, and there is no wanting, c'est la vie. i am just as happy with 5 gec 15s as I was with 11 15s, in fact letting some go made me happier cause I had funds for other hobbies. they were just sitting there and other people seemed to want them. so why not. I keep my knives mint mostly and in fact almost never use a new knife. i buy users to use. so letting them go means less dead weight. but i do see the other members point of diminishing returns.
 
Bugdoc said:
Raising kids requires sacrifice, but not total sacrifice unless absolutely necessary. When we had a young family, I kept tinkering with my hot hatchback and my wife sold her horse but kept riding. If you would like to keep the collection then put it in a nice glass case and maybe treat yourself to one every so often. On the other hand let them go if you're just into it for the money or the thrill of the hunt. Don't however sell because of a misplaced feeling of guilt: we give the better part of our lives to our children when it's said and done.
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Good point.

If it were I, I think I'd sit on them awhile. If the family is not hurting, then it doesn't hurt to hang onto them. And you may find as things settle out that you have a renewed interest in them after a while. I have a few things that I put aside. Some time later I rediscover them and the joy is back. And there are other things that, after some time goes by, I get rid of because the interest never came back.
 
pmew said:
point in being a collector when there is nothing left to collect?
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The point here old mate is that you are not a collector.Once you have collected you become the owner of a fantastic world class collection.Such as yours Paul. Dont worry about the money tied up in it. Mate I ogle my 72s 73s and 74s frequently and think yikes there's a couple of grand in that box. Which reminds me I should update the home and contents.
I see 2 spaces vacant in your sadly incomplete wannabe collection :D
I may have the solution.PM sent.
My wlst collection contains 2 . Those 2 are not present in your line up as far as I can see.
Now seeing as how I'm pensioned out and have nothing to do Lets go on safari in the Australian bush....cue dijeridu music and kookaburra noise....
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Wait.Look.ssshhh.If i can just get doon wind o the beasts.

I say shoulder to the wheel. all hands on deck.man the pumps and full steam ahead.
Its blue sky we want not blue patches -in my case the blue patch came with blue lights. Onward and upward. You may feel like the collection has become a monotonous millstone around your neck but hey-the guy who works at the Louvre probably gets sick and tired of the same old boring Mona Lisa everyday too.
I like the idea of getting the WLST s out on display in a suitably austere and classy cabinet. What you have is a work of art. Underline 'work" and put it in big red letters.
 
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I always seem to go against the grain, but my advice would be to sell those knives off. The way I see it, money is time. We've all heard that time is money, but my wife and I take the opposite approach and say money is time. We trade our time away for money in the form of a paycheck. Any money we spend is an agreement to spend an equivalent amount of time away from our family. When I realized how many knives I had acquired I realized that I was indeed being selfish. Not because we couldn't afford it, but because I was choosing to spend my time making money to buy those knives that nobody but me cared about instead of spending that time with my family. I don't care how well your family is doing. I would urge you to sell off those useless knives (because in the end there really is no purpose to having that many pocket knives) and use the money you make to spend some time with the family. I started putting my knife budget into an envelope, and I use it to pay a neighborhood kid to do my yardwork. He comes by and cuts my lawn, rakes, shovels snow, etc. I make a point to take the time that I would be out there working and spend it with my kids instead. It's much more satisfying than owning another knife that's just going to sit and collect dust, and it's costing me nothing.

I want to point out that I would never push these opinions on anybody if they hadn't asked. This has worked for me, and if anybody personally prefers material possessions to spending time with family more power to them. However, if you're wavering and looking for opinions my opinion is that the possessions are a trap and you should avoid them like the plague.
 
KBA said:
I am extremely surprised that no one has suggested the obvious:

Gift them all to @pertinux :D
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I couldn't do that! She gifted her second to me!

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Ahhh, just keep that one, and another, and give her the rest. :D

Beautiful 25 :thumbsup:
 
Everyone has something... fishing, hunting, hot rods, motorcycles, electronics, sneakers, snowmobiles, etc.
Impressive collection, very focused! Mine is all over the place, but I can also go to a knife show and have a great time without buying a knife. Enjoy it, every man needs a little time to himself for himself every now and then.
 
Well, Traditional knives are beautiful, they bring beauty into life and there's often a surfeit of the ugly. That is very important and motivating, for everybody. Choose a favourite and use it, admire the rest and dream....:)

Regards, Will
 
pmew said:
Thank you very much for all the responses guys, I really appreciate it.

Why I collected them? Initially, I simply loved the pattern, and the variations on the theme. The thrill of the hunt became a big part too, but the quarry is so scarce now that the appeal is failing.

I might simply be going through a blue patch...
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^^^This^^^

As a fellow WLST© aficionado, I can relate to the way the 25 market has gone, particularly in light of the most recent acquisitions. I paid dearly for them, and that in itself was mildly depressing.

I even went so far as to limit myself to 1 of each configuration, divesting any duplicates I had. It made the hunt a little more interesting. For a while.

DSC03180_zpsibfv5xza.jpg

I believe this is the collection at the highest concentration.

It now stands at this;
DSC03525_zpsztpto8yc.jpg


And that's not even showing the four latest additions.

I know you have been devoting most of your "stalking" to 2012, and that can be somewhat limiting. One can burnout on not finding that "last piece of the puzzle", and with some of the 25's being a "one-off", the puzzle may never be completed.

I never set out to acquire for the purpose of investment, that's just silly. As pointed out, you'd have to keep them pristine and handled with white gloves to realize any kind of return on the $$$ paid.

I prefer to use mine, trying to keep some kind of rotation going, but often settling on a favorite for a while. Case in point - I've been carrying the Black Micarta Jack for months now. And it's what?, 1 of 14? I carry the Rose Petals fairly often, and it's 1 of 4. The s/n 02 Yellow set? I have the only complete set extant, outside of the set at GEC. And I'm assuming they have set s/n 01. I know set s/n 03 is incomplete, it sold on the 'bay many moons ago without the Rodgers jigged knife. You can bet whoever bought that set is hoping and praying for that one to become available, unless they already had it.

I think you should just sit tight, enjoy what you have, and keep up the quest. I get discouraged at times too, but I scan regularly still. And I still jump up to check if the latest quarry is already in the stable when spotted. That means the interest is still there.

In summation; a long-winded version of what Will said...
 
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