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How to Keep Collecting When Your Budget Tightens

Earlier this year my wife and I had our first child. He's the center of our universe. He's also expensive. Child care is NOT cheap and part of the way we've decided to pay for it is by reducing our "fun money". For me, that means fewer dollars available for sports cards.


Sometimes, your collecting habits need to change when your circumstances change. Maybe you've had a child, lost a job, or are simply entering a new season of life. What worked for you yesterday may not work today. So how do we move forward? How do we continue collecting cards that matter to us when our finances look different? Those are the questions we'll tackle here and I'll share the framework I'm using to navigate through these changes.


The Soul Searching Stage

  1. Why do you collect? - Motivations & Priorities

    Passion? Nostalgia? Investment? Community? Challenge? Personal Achievement? Creative Expression? Escapism? Legacy? Entrepenurism?


    Ask yourself: What are your true motivations for collecting? When your circumstances change, your priorities may need to shift as well. It's important to take a step back and assess how collecting fits into your life today. What once drove you to collect may not carry the same weight now, and that's okay.


  2. What do you collect? Why?

    Once you have clarity around why you collect, take a fresh look at what you collect. Do the cards and players in your collection still align with your current motivations? Do you genuinely enjoy the cards in your collection, or do some feel out of place? Would you buy them again at the today's prices? This is your chance to realign your collecting with your current values.


  3. What card attributes do you value?

    Is it rookie cards? Refractors? Strong eye-appeal vintage? Short printed parallels? It's important to know what about a card makes it special to you. If you're unsure, we've put together a non-exhaustive list of attributes that influence the value of sports cards, which you can use to help brainstorm.


These are deep questions, and the answers are unique for every collector. Don't rush through this stage. Block out some time to reflect. Sit down with your collection and organize it into piles - cards that align with your motivations and those that don't. This will help you gain clarity and fulfillment before moving into the tactical stage.


The Tactical Stage

  1. Collecting on a Budget

    With a clear vision of why you collect and what you want to collect, it’s time to get tactical. The first step is setting a new, realistic budget. Start by identifying your discretionary income after covering essential expenses, and allocate a portion of that to your collection. While monthly budgets are common, I also recommend coming up with an annual number. Annual budgets are better equipped to consider one-time payments like a work bonus or a tax return. They can also help contextualize what you're able to acquire better than a monthly budget.

    Example of what someone's budget might look like if they took a lower paying job
    Example of what someone's budget might look like if they took a lower paying job
  2. Assess your collecting goals

    How are your goals shift with your new budget? Maybe completing a full set, buying the highest grade, or finding the best cards of your PC player is no longer practical. Your goals might shift from quantity to quality—acquiring a few meaningful cards each year rather than constantly chasing every release or weekly auction. Focus on key cards that hold the most value to you personally. Remember what motivates you and construct new goals around those motivations.


  3. Sell the non-essentials

    It's challenging to change your collecting habits overnight. One way to help with the transition is to sell non-essential parts of your collection. Think of it as a soft-reset and as a tool to fund future purchases. Take a hard look at your collection and identify which cards no longer fit your focus or bring you joy.


The Participation Stage

  1. Embrace patience

    Whether you like it or not, you won't be able to buy the same cards as often as you used to. You need to embrace being patient. This means waiting longer for the right card to come along or holding out for a price fits your budget. Resist the temptation to make impulse buys, and embrace the process of slow, deliberate collecting. Sometimes, the best move you can make is choosing not to make a purchase.


  2. Enjoy the cards you own

    Increase the utility value of your collection by spending time with the cards you already own! We get so caught up in acquiring new cards that we forget to enjoy the collection we’ve built. Take time to appreciate what you have in ways that bring you enjoyment. Maybe its organizing, displaying, or flipping through your favorites. Maybe its changing up how they're stored or discovering new themes that connect your cards. You might even learn a thing or two by reading through the backs of each card or examining how the finish looks under different types of light. Explore your collection and reconnect with the cards that make collecting special.


  3. Explore New Players, Eras, and Teams

    By now, we hope you’ve discovered new ways to enjoy collecting on a tighter budget. But if you’re still struggling to find cards that resonate with you, it might be time to explore different players, eras, or teams. Even the most iconic cards are part of larger sets. Dive into checklists, explore our Player Profiles, or scroll through Instagram to follow new collectors. Try listening to a YouTube creator or sports card podcast you haven’t checked out before. Shifting your focus in these ways can reinvigorate your collection and keep things exciting, even with a smaller budget.



 

Change can be tough, but a shift in your financial situation doesn’t mean you have to give up the hobby you love. It just requires a different approach. By using this framework, you can redefine your relationship with collecting. Gaining clarity on who and what you collect can spark new creativity and passion you didn’t realize you had. Collecting, like life, has its highs and lows, but there’s no finish line. The key is to enjoy the journey and take pride in what you’ve built along the way.


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