The streak is over. I went cold turkey for 34 days but am buying again. With control this time.

41GoudeyGuy

I need a little support from the brethren here. I know there must be at least one other member who has experienced a similar fate and I'm hoping that with your support I can get through this.

The last month has been a bad time for me and my bank account. It's not my fault really but somehow a few weeks ago I got bit by The Monster. It was careless of me. I knew it was there but I had always been able to keep it at arms length and admire it from afar. But, somehow the past few weeks have turned me from a normal collector into somebody I don't recognize.

The T206 set has always been something I wanted to take a stab at and when I picked up the last of my 1953 Topps cards a few weeks ago I had a void that needed to be filled. What am I going to do next? I guess that is how how things start with other addicts as well. Anyway, I took what I thought was not an irrational step and bought a card. One card. Nothing fancy or expensive but I bought one. Ed Abbaticchio with Blue Sleeves in PSA 2. Piedmont 460 Back. $20 bucks. No Big Deal. The first card (alphabetically) in the set. As I envisioned things, this was the first step in a very long and sane journey toward a lifelong ambition.

Up to this point I'm real clear but soon after things start to get fuzzy. I remember that while waiting for my new card to arrive I started to do a little reading about The Monster. I read about things I "knew" but didn't really know. 524 cards. Sizable but managable given time. 76 Hall of Famers. 48 Southern Leaguers. 4 Ty Cobbs. 3 Cy Youngs. 2 Walter Johnsons. Tinker to Evers to Chance. Eddie Plank, Sherry Magie, Joe Doyle. And Honus Wagner. The Card. Just to be clear, my name is not Donald Spence. I'm a collector but also a realist. Reality says this will be a 520 card journey not a 524 card journey but hey, who's to say I won't win the lottery in the next decade? Anyway, we'll cross that bridge when the time comes. But then things start to get murky. I started to learn things I "knew of" but didn't really know. 40 different backs. Piedmont and Sweet Caporal. Old Mill and Polar Bear. Sovereign and Tolstoi. Drum, Broadleaf, American Beauty, Cycle and El Principe De Gales. Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb back. Brown Hindu and Red Hindu? Brown Lenox, Black Lenox? Uzit? Factory 42? Over 5000 known front-back combinations? Nine different Sweet Caporal backs? 150 Series, 150/350 Series, 460 Series? Super Prints? O'hara and Demmit in St. Louis? Horizontal poses? The information overload left me woozy. Like most things in life, the more you learn the more you realize how much you don't know. Knowing my tendencies I should have predicted where this would lead. But I was naive. I thought I could control things.

A couple days later I went to my mailbox with life seemingly in check when reality stepped in to remind me who is boss. There it was. A seemingly innocuous Bubble Mailer mixed in with a couple of other Bubble Mailers. I sat down as I do many evenings to savor my daily take. I can't tell you what else came that day. It doesn't really matter. All I can clearly remember is opening that special package and seeing my new card for the first time. It is beautiful. Ed Abbaticchio. Piedmont. I couldn't get enough of this 100 year old piece of cardboard. I showed my family. I showed my friends. They all heard me but they just didn't understand. They still don't. I tried to explain but they couldn't know how I felt. Unfortunately, just like most "high's" this one started to fade. I still love my Ed Abbaticchio with Blue Sleeves and a Piedmont back but I needed another hit. I needed to feel that high again. So in all my wisdom I hatched a plan. I thought "I'll do these cards one at a time to stretch the experience out and keep things under control. I'll do them in alphabetical order picking them up one at a time." This seemed like a good plan. It would be nearly 100 cards before I hit the Ty Cobb sequence and nothing up to that seemed unreasonably priced. So I went to my local drug dealer, ebay, and found card #2 in the set. Ed Abbaticchio with Brown Sleeves. PSA 3. Another Piedmont back. Piedmont 150 this time. $30. No big deal. And irrecoverably the second step down this infernal path was taken.

The card arrived and the high was exquisite. I'm telling you it is better than sex. Heck I've been married 16 years so I don't really remember sex anymore but from what I remember this is better. But I needed another hit. And another. Card #3 Fred Abbott. Card #4 Bill Abstein. Easy scores. Quick highs. Low cost. Then the trouble began. I blame Card #5 Doc Adkins and I blame the Dodgers. My dealer was out of stock. How can this be? What do you mean this is a "tough common"? What do you mean you don't have any? I NEED DOC ADKINS!! My Dodgers are choking in September and I need something to get me through the regular season!! So, with my hands trembling slightly I decided to rethink this plan. I know, I'll expand my list. Sure, no big deal. I'll look for all the cards of players who's last names start with "A". There are only 10 more and it will give me more options. So with Doc Adkins (temporarily) unavailable I set off in search of my next hit. Atz, Armbruster, Anderson, Ames Portrait, Ames Hands at Chest, Ames Hands above Head, Adkins (finally), Alperman, Arellanes and Arndt all joined my stash with surprising rapidity. And fatefully my first back variations began to show up. A Sovereign, a Sweet Caporal and a couple of Polar Bears joined my Piedmont backed cards. With the "A" players having all been acquired I needed a new list. I took the next 10 cards and put them in my saved searches. And I started looking for Back Variations. And what the hell, while I'm at it I figured out a Brooklyn Superba's team set and decided to track that down as well. This really was my fatal mistake. With so many options I quickly bypassed the difficult cards and started buying with reckless abandon. I began making back alley deals with shady characters including our own beloved Felicia. I needed that next hit. I needed to score. I needed to recreate that high. And I went on a buying spree like never before. I bought those 10 cards ( the ones I could find), I bought 21 of the 27 Brooklyn Superba's. I bought a Cycle back, an American Beauty back, all the Piedmont backs, all the Sweet Caporal backs, all the Sovereign backs. An El Principe De Galles. Old Mill, Old Mill Southern League. I bought cards for no good reason other than the seller had them and I needed them. Hey, I'm saving shipping charges if I buy 2 aren't I? It's like the cards are on sale!! I had to have them all and I just kept buying.

Reality is a mother and facing reality can be a sobering experience. For me reality came in the mail yesterday. After quickly ripping through the large stack of bubble mailers last night I came across a very thick envelope from somebody called Mastercard. Maybe some of you know him? He acts like a friend but really he's just using you. Anyway my former friend Mastercard said it was time for him to call in his favors. It was time to pay the piper and oh what a steep price it was. As I stared at the sheets and sheets of charges I thought that surely somebody must have stolen my identity. Then I thought that HOPEFULLY somebody had stolen my identity. But after careful cross checking my records I realized there was no one else to blame. I had done this to myself. Somehow I had taken an innocent little step down the T206 path and turned that first slow step into 90 quick ones. Didn't I realize The Monster is a marathon and not a sprint? I had bought 90 T206 cards in only 6 weeks. Nearly 20% of the set in such a short time. I figured it would take me 2 years to get this far.

So, as I sit here recovering from the shock I realize there is only one way to get over this addiction. I need to quit cold turkey. No cards of any kind. 30 days. I should probably do 60 or 90 days but those numbers seem too daunting. 30 days. I can do it right? After all collecting is something I do right? Not who I am? It's a hobby, not an addiction right? Fortunately I have the post season to keep me occupied. Damn those Dodgers better knock off the Cardinals this week. I don't think I can make it without them. If they can just get to the next round that would give me a couple more weeks of distraction.

30 Days.

This is day 1.

larryallen73

Good luck! It's easy to get caught up in it. Your bank account will thank you though for taking the break.

Reljac

Ouch, that's very scary and collecting can be so addicting some times.

I hope you get yourself out of whatever mess that's been created. You might find selling off a few to undo the problem both a sobering experience as well as a reminder for down the road. You can always buy more cards, later...

fattymacs

Thanks for the wonderful read and the warning on "the monster". I've got a few T206's on my wantlist, but I'm afraid of what you just wrote about. I don't like to cut-back or go cold turkey, so I'm just going to avoid those little temptresses as long as I can.

Rehab is for quitters.

Beck6

Good Luck! I would say it is time to discover the thrill of trading for some of your T-206's you need. I always sink back into the classic trade when I overspend for a month or two. Evens out the urge to splurge. Addictive set. I started buying one per year and that turned into two and then who knows where it stops. I feel your pain.

Elemenopeo

Many empathizers here, I'm sure. Good luck with your 30-day fast.

richtree

Basically,

Here is what you need to do. You need to set up a budget of all your income vs all your expenditures.

Then you need to determine a set amount that is appropriate for spending on your collection each month.

Do not exceed your limits that you have predetermined.!!!!

Some people say, "what if there is one card that I cannot pass up", "Insane deal"!, or "Dream Card".

To this I say you get 2 "tickets" where you can buy something outside of budget a year. If at anytime you are over budget in the year, you lose 1 ticket each time.

The best way to do this is to have someone else monitor your spending, since you have no self control.

If you feel you can do it yourself, simply put all of your spending into a excel sheet and track everything.

Here is the best part !!! If you are under budget you can use that money for next month !


I know this is something that a lot of people go through but you must pull yourself away from the small picture and look at the big picture.

Budgeting is all about trade offs. For example, I have a 1982 Fleer John Littlefield error PSA 7 -- it cost me 20 bux, which I think is a great deal ! -- Now I can buy the same card in PSA 8 or 9 for 100 dollar range.

The trade off is , Do I really want the PSA 9 or can I be happy with the PSA 7.

Make smart decisions, most of us collect because we enjoy it and want to keep it. We are not trying to sell items to make a profit.

Take some time, think, orangazine and plan. Read the book, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." It can help motivate you.

I feel your pain but cold turkey isn't only a temporary answer, when you need a lifetime solution.

Good Luck to all in these tough financial times!

-rt

itzagoner

i knew that Felicia was a shady character. sheesh.

i went down that same path with a 1939 Play Ball set in mind.....fortunately, i got diverted and made a U-Turn when i realized how daunting the last 50 or so cards are to get.

back to the sixties!!

Dboneesq

What a GREAT read!!! I LOVED it. Why? Because that was me a few years ago ... not with the same set nor did I put it on my credit card, but I went CRAZY just like you! Very well written ... I really liked reading it.

Now, can I tempt you with this one?

cwazzy

This hits pretty close to home. I've never gotten into credit card debt but I know what you mean about needing the next "high". I've never been addicted to crack, heroin, etc. (and I imagine that's worse) but cards really are an addiction for me. I imagine it would do us all some good to take a month off from collecting once in awhile. I would consider it but I think I would probably die.

caramelcollector

fun read, thanks

your spelling is great and your punctuation was excellent

and i like your use of Capital letters

beware the monster! and other pre-war creatures!

BPorter26

Good Luck, Been there done that in the mid 90's.

TheVon

Fantastic writing, 41GoudeyGuy! I felt addicted with you.

You seem like a pretty efficient guy. If you can get 20% of that set in about 3% of the time you thought it was going to take you, maybe you could "kick the habit" in 3% of the time you think it'll take? That would be by the end of Day 1 in a 30 day program, right?

I hope that doesn't make me an enabler.

Seriously though: good luck with cutting back for a while but also good luck when you venture back into the fray.

2cardguys

and I at first didn't open this thinking it was about quitting smoking (which I need to do) or something along those lines... Very funny and unfortunately very painful at the same time...

I'm trying to talk myself into quitting smokes and turn that $8 a day habit into a $7 buck a day habit on cards.... see this way I am ahead of the game saving $365 a year and picking up 365 cards a year... as a matter of fact the more I think of this as I type, the better it seems... what an easy sell to the wife!....

Good luck with your "friend" the Master Monster...

Ken

gosteelers

Interesting post about something most of us can relate to, thanks.

IJustLoveCards

So would this be a bad time to offer to sell you the Magie error card?

detroitfan2

I am going cold turkey for the rest of 2009. No more major league baseball for me. No TV. No newspapers. Nothing. Well, except baseball cards.

What you need to do is find your T206 equivalent of blowing a 3 game lead with 4 days left. Then it's easy.

Awesome awesome read, and as others have said, something we can all relate to.

richtree

<< <i>So would this be a bad time to offer to sell you the Magie error card? >>




LOL !

how much for Sherry !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


lol

Morgoth

You have excellent writing skills. Joe Orlando should call you up for a few articles as none in recent SMRs has been this entertaining.

storm888

From netaddiction.com


eBay Addiction


eBay addiction is a new and increasingly worrisome category under the umbrella diagnosis of Internet Addiction. Due to the popularity of online auctions such as eBay, a growing number of individuals are showing signs of addiction related these sites in the past decade.

For the addict, winning the bid represents an emotional rush or high. It isn’t the item but the experience of winning that keeps them bidding. Online auction houses create a stimulating place where users can conquer others as the highest bidder, which can be intoxicating as one beats out others in the last precious seconds to win the desired prize.

In moderate cases, eBay addicts will wake up at strange hours just to be there for the last remaining minutes of an online auction. “It was 5 am and I couldn’t log on,” explains one eBay addict. “I had a complete breakdown, I started crying, and my husband didn’t know what to do with me. That’s when I realized I had a real problem.”

In more serious cases, eBay addicts feel a sense of accomplishment when they discover they are the highest bidder and begin to bid on items they don’t need just to experience the rush of winning – sometimes to the point that they go into financial debt, take out a second mortgage, or even go into bankruptcy just to afford their online purchases. One client stole funds from her husband’s 401K until he discovered her addiction. “He shut down my account and threatened to divorce me,” she explained. “I was about to lose my marriage all because I couldn’t stop myself from using eBay.”

How Do I Know?

Because of the popularity of eBay and auction sites in general, it is difficult to know if you are dealing with a true addiction. The Auction Addiction Test will help you determine if the behavior crosses the line into addiction.

Where to Find Help?

Finding therapists familiar with how to treat Internet addiction is often difficult given that it is a relatively new disorder, and finding therapists who understand the unique dynamics of eBay addiction may be especially difficult.

Over the years, Dr. Kimberly Young has worked with several clients struggling with an addiction to online auctions. She examines what bidding means for the addict and how the act of winning may be fulfilling an unmet emotional or psychological need. In many cases, addicted users suffer from low self-esteem and winning makes them feel important and they gain personal recognition if they become a highly rated “power seller.” Dr. Young’s program utilizes a structured approach that helps clients’ redirect their energy into healthier outlets that boost their self-confidence and addresses the underlying psychological needs sustaining the addictive online behavior.

30

.................

Internet Addiction Test (IAT)

How do you know if you're already addicted or rapidly tumbling toward trouble? The Internet Addiction Test is the first validated and reliable measure of addictive use of the Internet. Click here to read the study. Developed by Dr. Kimberly Young, the IAT is a 20-item questionnaire that measures mild, moderate, and severe levels of Internet Addiction.

To assess your level of addiction, answer the following questions using this scale:

1 = Rarely.
2 = Occasionally.
3 = Frequently.
4 = Often.
5 = Always.

1. How often do you find that you stay on-line longer than you intended?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

2. How often do you neglect household chores to spend more time on-line?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

3. How often do you prefer the excitement of the Internet to intimacy with your partner?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

4. How often do you form new relationships with fellow on-line users?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

5. How often do others in your life complain to you about the amount of time you spend on-line?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

6. How often do your grades or school work suffer because of the amount of time you spend on-line?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

7. How often do you check your e-mail before something else that you need to do?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 =Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

8. How often does your job performance or productivity suffer because of the Internet?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

9. How often do you become defensive or secretive when anyone asks you what you do on-line?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

10. How often do you block out disturbing thoughts about your life with soothing thoughts of the Internet?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

11. How often do you find yourself anticipating when you will go on-line again?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

12. How often do you fear that life without the Internet would be boring, empty, and joyless?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

13. How often do you snap, yell, or act annoyed if someone bothers you while you are on-line?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

14. How often do you lose sleep due to late-night log-ins?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

15. How often do you feel preoccupied with the Internet when off-line, or fantasize about being on-line?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

16. How often do you find yourself saying "just a few more minutes" when on-line?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

17. How often do you try to cut down the amount of time you spend on-line and fail?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

18. How often do you try to hide how long you've been on-line?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

19. How often do you choose to spend more time on-line over going out with others?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply

20. How often do you feel depressed, moody, or nervous when you are off-line, which goes away once you are back on-line?
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Does Not Apply



Your Score:

Results:


After you've answered all the questions, add the numbers you selected for each response to obtain a final score. The higher your score, the greater your level of addiction and the problems your Internet usage causes. Here's a general scale to help measure your score:

20 - 49 points: You are an average on-line user. You may surf the Web a bit too long at times, but you have control over your usage.

50 -79 points: You are experiencing occasional or frequent problems because of the Internet. You should consider their full impact on your life.

80 - 100 points: Your Internet usage is causing significant problems in your life. You should evaluate the impact of the Internet on your life and address the problems directly caused by your Internet usage.

After you have identified the category that fits your total score, look back at those questions for which your scored a 4 or 5. Did you realize this was a significant problem for you? For example, if you answered 4 (often) to Question #2 regarding your neglect of household chores, were you aware of just how often your dirty laundry piles up or how empty the refrigerator gets?

Say you answered 5 (always) to Question #14 about lost sleep due to late-night log-ins. Have you ever stopped to think about how hard it has become to drag yourself out of bed every morning? Do you feel exhausted at work? Has this pattern begun to take its toll on your body and your overall health?

For immediate help, visit our Counseling Services which provides affordable and confidential counseling or review our array of Books and Tapes on Internet addiction to learn more.

30

cwazzy

<< <i>and I at first didn't open this thinking it was about quitting smoking (which I need to do) or something along those lines... Very funny and unfortunately very painful at the same time...

I'm trying to talk myself into quitting smokes and turn that $8 a day habit into a $7 buck a day habit on cards.... see this way I am ahead of the game saving $365 a year and picking up 365 cards a year... as a matter of fact the more I think of this as I type, the better it seems... what an easy sell to the wife!....

Good luck with your "friend" the Master Monster...

Ken >>



That's a brilliant idea and deep down I've often wished that I had a habit I could break to save money for cards. Unfortunately my bad habit is buying cards so it would be a moot point. Good luck with quitting!

hammered

<< <i>I bought cards for no good reason other than the seller had them and I needed them. Hey, I'm saving shipping charges if I buy 2 aren't I? It's like the cards are on sale!! >>

EchoCanyon

A) Incredibly well-written.
Maybe get a job with Joe O writing for SMR -- sorry, but those writers suck.

TheHun

Quite an interesting recital.

I am surprised so many members read it all the way through.

Perhaps many can relate.

I wish you the best of luck. There were many constructive suggestions among the responses.

If your "cold turkey" is strickly limiting purchases, then you may consider trading as suggested by one reply.

I have a few T206s that may keep you "fixed".

cheers

MBMiller25

That was fabulously written, I found myself laughing outloud while reading portions of this. Best of Luck on quitting for 30 days. Not sure I could do that.

leathtech

<< <i>You have excellent writing skills. Joe Orlando should call you up for a few articles as none in recent SMRs has been this entertaining. >>



I agree 100% This should be in the PSA magazine.

SDSportsFan

I really can empathize with you. I've been the same way with T206. At first, I collected all the hall of famers...took me about 4 years to pick up the 74 of 'em. I really intended to end there, and had no intention/desire to go further with the set. The more I read though, and kept seeing pictures of various cards, started to light a fire in me.

At that point, I decided to go after all the T206 Cubs. After picking up about 75% of the Cubs, I decided to collect all the Dodgers and Giants. Not to long after that (sometime last year), I just decided "what the hell", and made the decision to go for the set.

Now, a bit more than $10K later (just for the non-HOFers), I'm at roughly 46% completion. Nearly all my cards are PSA 4 (some 3, some 3.5, a few 4.5, and a couple 5's).

I fight the battle every single day. Just in the past two weeks, I've picked up 15 PSA 4/4.5 T206's (including 6 from the Great Felicia ). Luckily, I seem to be able to survive on tuna sandwiches. Also, I don't have a wife or kids to think about.

I do wish you the best in your efforts. This collecting addiction we all share can be a lot of fun, but it can also lead to problems. Like eating and drinking though, if it's done in moderation, you should be ok.



Steve

HeritageAddict

Definitely a great read, and I can understand where you are coming from (not with the T206's, but cards in general). I am fortunate in that I only collect baseball, so other sporting seasons don't affect me. Of course baseball season ends roughly the same time hunting season begins, and in all honesty 4 months of hunting probably ends up costing me more than my card addiction.

gotsparks09

Like most of the other collectors said, I feel your pain as well. I'm pretty sure the VAST majority of us have been down that road and gotten that "Whoa..." moment when we realized we messed up big time.

Richtree's idea in regards to a budget is excellent. Everything he said makes a lot of sense and that's almost the exact plan that I follow. It makes getting your sets go a lot slower, but it also helps curb the impulse buying. It's a much better feeling to slowly build your sets within budget than it is to get a hit like you did. Remember how it felt and don't ever forget it.

I'd take the next 30 days as an opportunity to organize, learn more about the cards you want to start collecting, and spend some quality time with the ones you already have.

Good luck to you.

stevek

I was addicted to gambling...that I quit. I am addicted to card collecting...sorry but I'm not giving that one up.

Dboneesq

<< <i>I was addicted to gambling...that I quit. I am addicted to card collecting...sorry but I'm not giving that one up. >>


STEVE ... I'M RIGHT THERE WITH YOU IN BOTH CATEGORIES!!!!!

pdub1819

Spectacular read...I would love to have more threads like this to read. So who is going to pass this along to Joe O. and get this published?

Estil

You must have had one heck of a credit limit to be able to charge 90 T206's! Our credit (and income) is so bad we can't get a credit card at all. But that's probably for the best.

nightcrawler

Just post paddn... feelin the pain with ya GoudeyGuy. Good read.

VitoCo1972

Phenomenal read. Having been "addicted" at one time or another to CD's, DVD's, Star Wars action figures, signed golf balls, signed baseballs and lastly cards, this was a great insight into the mind of an "addict." I'm making my wife read this.

dodgerfan

Good post! I would sometimes get those crazy impulses when ever low pop cards would come up for auction , I would sometimes feel if I didn't get that card at that time I would be doomed to walk this earth forever scarred
I eventually got over it , those low pop always come around , just like flies on CACA!!!

frankhardy

I can say ditto to having a budget and sticking with it and also keeping track of your purchases on a spread sheet.

I would like to add one thing. This just comes from a personal preference of mine on my Cardinals team set collection. (Obviously, I don't do this on newer cards). When buying the more expensive cards for my collection, I settle for low grade, that way I have the card, but it cost much less. You might try to complete the set in PSA 1 for stars and raw, low grade for commons. That way you could finish the set for much, much less.

One other thing. During this 30 hiatus, try to enjoy the cards you already have. When I go through spells of not buying cards, I just try to enjoy and be content with what I already have.

By the way, it looks like your wish for the Dodgers is going to come true. The Cardinals must have read this post and felt sorry for you, and handed the Dodgers game 2!

41GoudeyGuy

Thank you all for the kinds words and support. I know I'm going to need it. I read every comment repeatedly and will do my best to make myself a better man through your collective nuggets of wisdom. I appreciate the praise on the initial post and anxiously await Joe's six figure offer to overhaul the SMR. That magazine really
could be so much better. It's a feeling that many of us seem to share and I'm glad I'm not alone in that area as well.

There were many suggestions to budget better and enjoy what I already have. These are exactly the sentiments that I need to focus on right now. I'll do my best to immerse myself in my existing cards now and will focus on collecting within a budget as I get closer to the end of the month. All support however, even the curious praise for my spelling, punctuation and use of Capital Letters is cherished as being good intentioned and from the heart. Keep them coming.

That being said, some of you are a bunch of enablers and should be ashamed of yourself. The temptations thrown my way yesterday in this thread, on other boards, in my e-mail in-box, through PM's and even from the grave make me question whether I will be successful. Eventually somebody may come up with that offer I can not refuse.

Dbonesesq: You almost ended my resolution in the first few hours. When I scrolled down to your post and saw the Cy Barber flip I nearly flipped. I realize there is no way you could have known but the card you offered is EXACTLY the card I stopped at in my alphabetical pursuit. I NEED a T206 Cy Barger so bad I can taste it!! My heart started racing. Beads of sweat formed on my brow. I started wondering how many coins my kids had in their piggy banks. SOMEHOW I HAD TO HAVE THAT CARD!! Only after scrolling down more did I realize you had posted a T205 instead of a T206. Rather than relief I felt disappointment and shame at my weakness so early on in the month. And also disappointment that I still need that damn Cy Barger card. Patience grasshopper, patience...

Larry Fritsch: So I get home last night and what do I find in my mailbox? A Larry Fritsch catalog. Are you freaking kidding me? The guy has been dead 2 years but the family decides to send out another catalog NOW?? Just in time to arrive in my mailbox on Day 1? This is not what I need right now. Fortunately the Larry Fritsch catalog has always been about the WORST catalog ever printed so temptation was easily dissuaded. I mean had an REA catalog shown up I would have lost it. However, the old man and I were working on a deal for some 1941 Goudey's before he died and since then the family has never gotten back to me to re-open the deal. I never did get those cards and was dreading that I might see them again in the catalog. I could probably have waited 30 days to get in touch with them but I need 4 cards to finish up the 1941 Goudey Master Set and Fritsch had one of them. Patience grasshopper, patience... Nobody else collects these cards. It will still be there in a month.

Which brings me to my biggest concern. The biggest enabler of them all ebay: I need some help from the members here. What should I do? I have nearly 100 saved searches and get 30+ e-mails each day reminding me of all the glorious things I could be buying right now. Some of them are common items which makes delaying the purchase easy to rationalize. But, we all have our white whales. Those cards we've been looking for forever and would buy if we could just FIND THEM!! When your white whale comes up how do you tell him to circle the boat on a bit longer? I mean I have a saved search that I have had for at least 6 years. Every year it expires and I keep renewing it. One day I will get that card. But in the last 6 years only 2 have come up for sale and they went for CRAZY money. A famous collector bought one of them for way beyond what I felt was reasonable. So what do I get in my e-mail inbox this morning? A freaking notice that my card is available. And not just one of them but TWO. One with a BIN that I AM WILLING TO PAY!! This is going to be a real challenge. How do I not hit the button on this one? Surely I can rework the plan to allow for this situation? I should probably turn off my e-mail notifications but that won't solve the problem, only hide it for now.

Alas, no. This is the exact thinking which got me into this situation. The I HAVE TO HAVE IT NOW BEFORE SOMEBODY ELSE TAKES IT FROM ME mentality which prevents rational thought. I won't buy the card but I also won't divulge what it is in hopes that a month from now at least one of them is still available. Then again, if I miss out, so be it. There will be another one someday. Right? There will be another? Oh this is going to be hard. But at least the Dodgers stole one last night. Now I'm sure to have that distraction for a bit longer. Plus my mailbox will continue to provide me with little packets of pleasure for a few more days. As long as my earlier purchases keep arriving (and the Dodgers keep winning) I should be able to hold off the demons. A Tuesday Game 5 and an empty mailbox could be a nasty combination though...

30 Days

This is Day 2

jdmi32

What about your ebay bucks? If you've got any, they expire Nov 8 (you might have picked a bad month to go cold turkey). Surely you won't let them go to waste? You should check your ebay account right now an see how much you've got.

leathtech

<< <i>What about your ebay bucks? If you've got any, they expire Nov 8 (you might have picked a bad month to go cold turkey). Surely you won't let them go to waste? You should check your ebay account right now an see how much you've got. >>



that would be like free money...

41GoudeyGuy

No ebay bucks. Not enrolled. Never even heard about it until the last day or so. Sounds like I missed out on something good?

jdmi32

And if you do have ebay bucks, you could use them to purchase cards for some of the wonderful members here who've given you such good advice. That way you won't feed your addiction and assist someone else in not feeding theirs. We are here to help.

jdmi32

Oops, never mind my last post. Ebay bucks is program whereby you get a percentage back for every purchase. You can accumulate up to $500 dollars every quarter. Bucks were just dispersed today and they expire within thirty days. I think it's a pilot program right now and might find its way to every member soon.

I share your addiction, but alas not the remorse. I need help.

metsfan

<< <i>What about your ebay bucks? If you've got any, they expire Nov 8 (you might have picked a bad month to go cold turkey). Surely you won't let them go to waste? You should check your ebay account right now an see how much you've got. >>



You could use the ebay bucks on something other then cards. Gifts for the holidays,things for the house,etc. As many have said, your writing is excellent.

Might not be a bad idea to summit your writing to SCD, and any other hobby publication you can think of. Actually,you could write some type of journal on your daily ups and downs. This may actually help anyone with any type of addiction. So, in the end you could probably write for lots of publications(not just hobby). In the end you can help others while helping yourself.

Good luck!
Wayne

41GoudeyGuy

Dodgers got it done. I don't think anybody saw that coming. Cardinals were the team I feared the most in the playoffs. With their pitching and hitting I figured they would be tough. It was close in LA but they just didnt show up tonight. I'll take it. Given the weather in Colorado the Dodgers may be sitting in LA for a while waiting on an opponent. GO BLUE!! Every day you are in the post season provides a nice distraction.

The advantage of my Cold Turkey edict is it doesn't keep the mailman from dropping off little crack packets in my mail box. 5 packages today gave me plenty of material for immersion into the hobby. Unfortunately there are only 4 more out there. Once those are here I'll be having to make due with what I have. I started scanning my cards today. This is a project I always wanted to do but never had the time. Well, now I do. I'll post some links as I get sets done for any interested viewers.

I'm starting to track the cards that closed that I missed out on. I plan on revisiting this list at the end of the month and seeing how much spending I avoided. I also want to see how long it takes for these cards to come up again and exactly what cards I "missed out" on.

30 Days

Today was day 3

Dboneesq

Only 27 days to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TNP777

<< <i>

I'm starting to track the cards that closed that I missed out on. I plan on revisiting this list at the end of the month and seeing how much spending I avoided. I also want to see how long it takes for these cards to come up again and exactly what cards I "missed out" on. >>

Personally, I would avoid that. Cold turkey means cold turkey - if you don't check what's available, you won't be tempted to pick off any low-laying fruit. Scan your cards and show 'em off to us, and fully immerse yourself in how cool the cards you already have in your possession are.

edit: oh, and go Dodgers!

benderbroeth

<< <i>

<< <i>

I'm starting to track the cards that closed that I missed out on. I plan on revisiting this list at the end of the month and seeing how much spending I avoided. I also want to see how long it takes for these cards to come up again and exactly what cards I "missed out" on. >>




Personally, I would avoid that. Cold turkey means cold turkey - if you don't check what's available, you won't be tempted to pick off any low-laying fruit. Scan your cards and show 'em off to us, and fully immerse yourself in how cool the cards you already have in your possession are.

edit: oh, and go Dodgers! >>



i agree completly

Griffins

<< <i> Patience grasshopper, patience... Nobody else collects these cards. It will still be there in a month. >>



nah, no one would be crazy enough to collect '41 Goudeys in all 4 colors.
Fritsch has a stash, interesting

fuj

Although I hate the Dodgers, I'm glad you have some sort of distraction since our Cal Bears have looked like crap the last couple of games.

MeteoriteGuy

Glad I took the time to read it.