So exactly how did pickers ruin the hobby for you?
I take it you were never a picker. So you would have bought at auctions or swap meets.
Who is the guy selling at the swap meet that your buying all your stuff from for 50 years, maybe a picker.
Sure would be a slow hobby if we had no pickers and we all collected for 50 years never selling anything.
If your making money at picking these days your working hard at it.
If your not making money, well I guess you won’t be a picker long simple as that.
I was picking collecting 45 years ago but couldn’t afford to keep it all, I guess you could, so I had to sell some to go buy more.
Sooner or later it all goes down the road, either before we go 6 feet under or after.
Very well said. I’ve never had a problem with the people in any hobby doing the dirty work getting theirs. Without them, there’d be slim pickings for the rest of us. That and, like you say, no one would waste their time doing it. The only time I can see someone finding issue with this kinda thing is when someone buys something on eBay or elsewhere for a good price, that a collector who was going to keep the item could have gotten for that good price, but then the item pops up on FB or elsewhere for top, top retail. I see it constantly over on FB but that just means if someone wants that item that they need to be quicker to that item than the other person. I find little joy in getting all worked up about a hobby that is supposed to bring you enjoyment, not anger.
Additionally, people are constantly learning and constantly altering their collecting habits as tastes change and new things catch their eye. Could anyone imagine having the same tastes at 50 that you had at 18? Now that’s funny. Unless you are swimming in money or like the exact same thing your entire life (and let’s face it, most have a hard enough time liking their wives that long :D), you part with items to use that money for something new or different. Heck, I’ve seen people part with things to pay for unexpected taxes on their life, be it medical bills, vet bills, home repairs, whatever. I think that’s great that that is something someone can fall back on.
Now, I’m not sure how anyone can expect every person to know every value of every item in the hobby. That seems a tad unreasonable. I’m also not sure who it is hurting when an unknowledgeable seller prices an item higher than it should be priced? If it’s too high, people won’t buy it. The community sorts itself out. I can’t imagine being new to the hobby, believing your doing your due diligence in checking auction results for a price point on your pump or sign and unknowingly using Mecum or Barrett or other such auctions with filthy rich, clueless buyers throwing 20k at a restored 3k pump so it can go with the 250k car they just bought to price your stuff. There’s so many intricacies to pay attention to in this hobby it’s practically a full-time job in itself. I don’t fault anyone for not being able to donate that kinda time to something they do purely for enjoyment. And, hell, prices change on a near-daily basis. Two years ago did anyone think a Penntroleum quart would triple in price? I’m not paying $1250 for one, but someone did. Sure, I thought the seller was a bit of a nutter for the price but I was proven wrong. Did anyone think a Hot Rod two gallon would see $2500 in a FB auction?
Or maybe it’s someone’s I don’t want to sell it price but, for the right number, they will let the item go. There’s people out there that want an item bad enough to meet that number. Good for both of them, I say.
With all that said, I’m sure there are outliers to the equation that I am not addressing, there’s a bad seed in every bunch. But, at the end of the day, we’re not taking any of this with us to the “next life”, were only sharing a temporary ownership in the larger goal of preserving history. A hobby should bring you joy, excitement and, if you’re lucky enough, camaraderie with fellow collectors. Smile, help others and let live.