What's the Longest

Stone193

you've gone without buying something on ebay.

I just checked my profile - I bought a piece of sheet music on Nov 15th - was on my snipe or I would've cancelled it.

I'm sticking to my "resolution" to pay off what I bought and then buy when I have cash.

We'll see how long that tenet sticks!

mike

zef204

I am not sure I have gone longer than a few days within the last year.

MuckyMutt

Man, I don't even want to think about it. I've been buying way too much. I start looking, just to see what's available, and next thing I know I start adding items to my watch-list. Then when they are about to end, I just can't pass up what I think is a good bargain. I really do get some good prices, but when you buy 50-60 items it really starts to add up. I need to stay away from the bay for a while and pay off my credit card also. Mike -Do you have any tips on how to stop buying???

ArchStanton

I went on an ebay dry spell for several months back in 2001 when I bought my house. You REALLY have to stick to your resolution, though. I have not used a credit card or borrowed money for anything since I bought my home. It is an incredibly liberating feeling and well worth the short-term sacrifice. Hang in there.

p.s. I did refinance my house in 2004, which technically is borrowing money. But I only refinanced the principle that already existed.

Downtown1974

I think the longest Ive gone is about 6 weeks. I only buy from ebay 1 or 2 times a month on the average.
Mike, just curious about the sheet music, are you a musician or was it a collectable? I ask because besides card collecting I am also an avid piano player. Two great hobbies to get away from it all!
Bob

mikeschmidt

<< <i>you've gone without buying something on ebay.
>>



Mike:

I was completely ebay free for the first 22 years of my life. I figure it's not so bad if I do some catching up.

That said - I imagine my wedding/honeymoon left me off of Ebay for about 3 weeks or so....
~m

Goodsport40

Six months is my longest time frame without buying from Ebay, and that was in 2004.

I'm in the same boat as you, Mike. No cash, no bids.

Still like to have lots of items on my watch list, though.


Good luck on your resolution.

Robert

yawie99

Within the last 60 days, my longest dry spell was from 15 Dec to 2 Jan. I've probably had a few similar runs of non-winning over the years, but they've all been the result of just bad luck. There's no way I could exile myself from eBay for more than a day or two. Heck, a few hours, really.

yankeeno7

The next couple of months coming will probably be my longest ebay dryspell.....Im saving for a Rose Rookie. I recently prepaid for a case of Topps Heritage and also purchased a 1979 Topps set and a box of 2003 Topps Fan Favorites so that will curb my ebay purchases. I think that is plenty for now :-)

Stone193

<< <i>I think the longest Ive gone is about 6 weeks. I only buy from ebay 1 or 2 times a month on the average.
Mike, just curious about the sheet music, are you a musician or was it a collectable? I ask because besides card collecting I am also an avid piano player. Two great hobbies to get away from it all!
Bob >>


Downtown
Yes, I like music a lot - this is from the 90s - haven't got anything more recent at my fingertips - I'm not in a band now - the bars were killing my health.

I would like to get into a cover band of old farts and play in Holiday Inns again! LOL

MorrellMan has a really good cover band that plays on weekends and the sound is extremely good.

I collect baseball related sheet music - it's really cool to look at.



Hold down the shots on the Yankee stuff!!!

mike

Stone193

<< <i>Mike -Do you have any tips on how to stop buying??? >>


Mucky

I brought this up for discussion since I'm the king of OCD!!!

And, seriously, cold turkey is probably the best way.

After that, promise you won't buy anything till the credit card is paid off.

After that, when there's more on the credit card than you can pay off? Quit!!!!!

When the card is paid off - start again but with one difference - truly establish a budget!!!!!!!!!

And stick to the budget - this isn't fun - but it will stop all the buyer's regrets, late night sweats, early morning pangs and your wife on your back!!!!!!!

Just some thoughts
mike

detroitfan2

Mike, I'm impressed by your discipline. However, there comes a time when it's time to get back in the saddle. I suggest you start off slow, maybe with something like this:

Wants to come live with Mike.

-Tom

Stone193

<< <i>Mike, I'm impressed by your discipline. However, there comes a time when it's time to get back in the saddle. I suggest you start off slow, maybe with something like this:

Wants to come live with Mike.

-Tom >>


Tom
I wish!!!

The current top bidder is Steve Novella - he's a dealer who used to work for Greg Manning Auctions.
His stuff is pricey but he's a good guy and honest. One of the few dealers that I could spend hours talking to on the phone.

mike

kingraider75

probably a month for me

Allen

I am pretty good about controling my card buying. eBay gets me on my weakness for random stuff. This week I bought a data cable for my cell phone, a set of dog tags and a jersey. I guess my record is a few months maybe.

larryallen73

I have gone a couple months without buying on Ebay. Problem for me is I buy more when I am not busy at work. So, buy more when money tight and buy less when money is flowing!

Stingray

Stone is that really you? I think since collecting my 84s it has been about a week without buying something, when I was doing 67s and then 75s I would go a week or two in order to buy something.

P.S. Off topic to this, but I really wish I could me some of you in person. You guys have really made me change the way I think about collecting. Just got back from a Gilbralter show (anyone from metro Detroit will know what I mean), and boy was it dead, half of the tables were empty and most dealers were closing up their tables at 7:00 p.m. with 2 hours to go. Have not been to a show in months and now I know why.

Stingray

Griffins

That is Stone, had dinner with him last month. He and Mary are really nice people.

Stingray, just put out a post a few weeks before the next Gibraltor show. I know 4 or 5 guys in the Detroit area. A bunch of the LA guys started meeting up before shows 2 years ago and it looks like we'll have 15-20 people for dinner after the show next month, plus spouses. Makes it a lot more fun and my wife was much more supportive after she met a lot of my friends and their wives.

kuhlmann

That is Stone, had dinner with him last month. He and Mary are really nice people.

Wait a minute MIKE?? if that is you? I thought you were a braves fan?? LOL JK

Stone193

<< <i>That is Stone, had dinner with him last month. He and Mary are really nice people.

Stingray, just put out a post a few weeks before the next Gibraltor show. I know 4 or 5 guys in the Detroit area. A bunch of the LA guys started meeting up before shows 2 years ago and it looks like we'll have 15-20 people for dinner after the show next month, plus spouses. Makes it a lot more fun and my wife was much more supportive after she met a lot of my friends and their wives. >>


Thanx for the kind words Anthony.

Plus, I want to tell everyone that not only is Anthony a great guy but immensely generous - he gave me a really cool baseball gumball machine!!!

This is the best hobby on the planet with great guys!!
mike

edit: now back to the game!

Stingray

Yes, let's go New England!!!!!


Stingray

envoy98

I just picked up a psa 10 Faulk SP Rc for my rushers set...before that, I was laying low. I don't remember what or when the last thing was I picked up. I used to buy a handful of things every week, mostly to put on my table at shows. Since I stopped doing shows (as a dealer anyway) I've been pretty incognito. Interesting thread.

lostdart58

After an intervention from concerned family members, I was whisked off to an EBAY shoppers abusers rehab center........it is a 30 day program........There is no on-line access during the 30 day rehab treatment.

So that would mean the longest I have gone without making an ebay purchase would be 30 days and TWO minutes (after arriving home from rehab I had to pee) .

julen23

i have gone 4 months at a time, i think that was solely b/c i was buying from businesses and individuals instead.

Julen

Stone193

Then how about this question:

How many feel there have been times when their spending was somewhat or totally out of control?

mike

yawie99

<< <i>Then how about this question:

How many feel there have been times when their spending was somewhat or totally out of control?

mike >>



Well, duh. But I usually end up offsetting such phases with a massive firesale.

MorrellMan

Hey, Mike - the longest? I'm starting to see some gaps in my buying now; haven't bought anything in about 7 hours....

and yes, I felt out of control a couple of months ago, and now I'm trying to rein it in a bit - thus, the 7 hours.

BTW; thanks for the plug. speaking of old farts; there's a band back east called Dad's Weird Friends.

I'll second the emotion, too - some great folks on these boards; Mike and Anthony are two of them, and I'm sure there's more even in this thread that I just haven't met. Julen, f'rinstance: who's your new pal? (I love icon-upload day )

Stone193

Thanx Mark!

softparade

I have spent alot of money by MY standards the past few months trying to complete my 1978 Topps PSA registry set. I got myself up to 95% complete and have stopped buying. I am getting married in May and the ol hobby is certainly taking a big back seat now. Upgrades within the grades is all I will do for the next few months or so. The one thing that I am verry happy about is that I have never used a credit card to buy anything to this point.

MuckyMutt

Well, I'll tell you how bad I have it - I just bought this, and I have no idea why?!?!? (graded PSA 5 - none higher.... or lower; 1/1! ) Now if I could just remember what position he played....

DataDriven05

Then how about this question:

How many feel there have been times when their spending was somewhat or totally out of control?

Boy does that resonate. I definitely feel like my spending sometimes gets out of control. Thankfully, it is from a completely separate account from the one my wife and I pay our bills out of, but still I burn through it fairly quickly when there is money in it. Looking at my EBay account I have won 31 auctions in the past 31 days, which isn't so bad, but when you consider my primary collecting focuses are the NFL HOF Rookie set and the Post War HOF Rookies (Baseball) things can get expensive fairly quickly. Of course when the money is low in that account is when cards I rarely see on EBay come up; in this case the 49 Bowman Richie Ashburn (PSA 7 & 8) and the 48 Leaf Chuck Bednarik PSA 6 are currently out there. Odds are I will get blown out of the water on both of them, but I can't pass up on trying, even if it means dipping into to some other funds.

I think I might need some Cardboard Anonymous sessions.

yankeeno7

Probably shortstop....he was what? all of four feet tall? LOL