Starting a collection seems like a fun adventure; everything feels novel, every discovery seems interesting, and you start to believe that bigger is always better. Yet, the majority of collectors commit the same errors in the initial stages that will hinder their progress or lower the collection value in the long-term. The good news is: almost all can be easily avoided if you think the right way!
Having no specific focus
One of the most popular traps among novice collectors is to start a collection that lacks a clear theme. If all of them appear interesting, there is a high probability that the collection will soon become a mess of random things, which are unrelated to each other!
Even the simplest and most straightforward theme works as the filter allowing you to decide whether an item is worth adding to your collection or not.
Buying based on emotions instead of logic
Another mistake that beginners make is the impulse buying. You see a rare or simply an aesthetically appealing item and think that you can’t afford to miss out. However, the problem here is that the item doesn’t necessarily have to fit your overall strategy.
It takes discipline to step back before buying or acquiring each item and to ask yourself: does it really bring any value to my collection, or is it just more clutter?
Not doing the research
It’s easy to forget about the importance of research! You might not know which items are originals, when they were actually released, and how much they are worth. The lack of information and understanding could cause you to buy a low value item instead of an expensive one, which could also affect the consistency of the collection.
Even a little bit of knowledge you gain can significantly influence your ability to make the correct decisions and prevent early mistakes that could ruin your collection.
Prioritising quantity over quality
Having a large collection feels awesome, but it also doesn’t necessarily mean a valuable or a good collection. An excessive number of items may even be an issue as a collection without a clear structure might be hard to organize and less aesthetically pleasing.
Great collections are built slowly, piece by piece!
Lack of proper organization from the beginning
It’s very common for people to put off the organization of their collection, but when it grows to a size that’s too big to be managed. Without structure, all details about when and from where the items were obtained, as well as about why they were bought, can be easily lost over time!
It’s easier and less time-consuming to keep records with notes, pictures or lists right from the start.
Not looking at a broader picture
Collecting takes time and patience! One of the most common pitfalls among new collectors is that they expect their collection to grow faster than it does. In reality, a truly valuable collection takes a while to grow, sometimes over years.
Patience is the key to turn your collection into a lifetime investment!
In conclusion
It takes very few wrong choices to lose all of the time and money you have invested into your collection. To make your passion for collecting more meaningful and less time-consuming, you just need to slow down, be focused and look at the big picture!