Does it seem to anyone else that interest in the hobby is maybe slipping a little, especially among some of the older collectors? I have been collecting for around 25 years personally so I might qualify for that category. I still buy whenever I find a decent deal which has admittedly gotten much harder, especially these days where the tv shows has brought guys out of the woodwork that are only interested in making a quick buck. I also sell, and have done so successfully on this website. At this stage of my collecting I have two choices; quit buying or continue to buy when opportunity presents itself, but take something off the wall and sell it when I do. I enjoy the hunt. I enjoy wheeling and dealing. It's all part of this hobby or most any hobby for that matter.
The thing that bothers me at least here of late is when I run across something that I don't know about, and post a question here regarding value, rarity or whether real or fake, I either get no answer or a smart*** answer. I fail to understand this and can only surmise that because I post things on here for sale I have been pegged a "picker" and basically get the silent treatment. I hope I'm wrong about that because nothing could be farther from the truth. Most of us in the hobby are to some degree a "picker". How many collectors here have not at one time or another made great finds, purchased items at good prices and sold something for a profit along the way? Don't get me wrong, I don't support the individual that is out there trying to shaft some old-timer by buying his valuable pieces for nothing and then trying to gouge buyers by attempting to flip for a fabulous profit. That behavior will be repaid in spades at some point. I believe in Karma. If I'm asking a question about value because I'm not sure what to ask for the item when/if I sell it so what? It might be something I bought in 1995 for $50 and I simply don't know what I should ask for it today. If someone is interested in the piece, what's stopping them from sending a PM and asking me about it? I make every attempt to be fair when I sell and the fact is there is not one single piece in my collection that I wouldn't sell for fair market value. At the end of the day it's just stuff and people are more important.
If somebody, regardless of who they are asks a question about value, rarity, or whatever, and if I have the answer, I'm going to give it to them happily without expecting anything in return. Do unto others as you would like done unto you. Like I said, I've dealt with numerous great folks on here, made some new friends and I visit the site daily. I hope the hobby and this website stays strong regardless of the changes taking place within the hobby.
Totally agree!
First off,I would like to share I'm a newer collector(about 18 years now)Notice I said collector!...........
I can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on a single sign,globe ,etc.BUT....what I do buy I am very interested in!I want to learn all about the item,so I do some on-line research.That's what you do right?I have books,they are outdated and can only help so much.So off I go to OG or FB groups to hopefully get help.
I have reached for help to,I'll steal a term from another poster here on OG,a celebrity in our hobby to buy a book he wrote.Must have been having a bad day that day.Granted the book is great and I'm glad I bought it,but would refrain from contacting him again.
On another occasion with another celebrity,I asked in a FB group about a Standard white crown globe I bought,and soon had the post deleted due to being to common(this was his reasoning)(BTW this was my first globe and I LOVE IT even if it is common!lol!)
They always say,"you don't want to meet your hero's"!
So bottom line,I do what research I can on-line and move on.I don't want to poke you og OG'ers and be a bother.I lurk here and hope to learn things as they pop up.So post all your wisdom for the next generation!If you take it with you ,it'll be buried in the dirt!
As for the picker subject,best way to tell is by how much they REALLY want to learn about a certain item.Collectors want just about every detail there is to be known,pickers want the minimum so they can buy it cheap and/or sell it high and move on.
I sell duplicate items and could care less if the next owner makes money,as I sold it for what I wanted and am happy at that.
