While purging and decluttering and realizing I don't need some of my collections, I figured I would do what many of you are doing and list things on Craigslist or Ebay. But first I wanted to see what things are going for. NOTHING, that's what. Cat's Meow? No one wants them. The collector's doll my mom painstakingly kept cleaned and working? No one wants it. My 7 seasons of Buffy? Nada. So I am having a pity party of one and wondered what are the items you thought might be worth something and/or were expensive when you bought them, and are basically worthless now. What were you most surprised about?
Overall Rating: votes
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Posted 1 year ago #
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Collector teddy bears were my big expense. I started before the huge craze hit in the mid 90's, so most of mine were one of a kind handmade ones, not the mass-produced with a brand name sort, but heavens, when a craze crashes, it's not pretty! I still have some of the most expensive ones, which thankfully are the miniatures. I still love them, and put them out as decorations at Christmas. (Never collect anything you don't love is a really, really good idea!) The mass-produced ones like Mary Meyer and Green Mountain usually ended up in a Toys for Tots bin when I uncluttered. Worth nothing.
At least I had the sense to sell off the Beanie ones while they were worth oodles!
Posted 1 year ago # -
@Beth: What's "Cat's Meow"?
Posted 1 year ago # -
@jbeany - fortunately I never got a lot of Beanies, but the last 4 went out the door this weekend. They are so darn cute though.... I culled my stuffed bear/rabbit collection, but there's still quite a community on the top of my high bookcase. I do love them though...
Beth - someone thought that since I love cats (real ones) that I should collect Cat's Meow - I was able to stop that with 4 pieces, plus the cat, and those all live on the top of the door frame in the kitchen, and are meaningful to us (i.e. DH was a fireman, and we have the fire house).
I had a little pity party about my books, and clothes as well (not really collections I know) but having them gone is worth a lot.
Posted 1 year ago # -
It's kind of like mourning the time wasted on bad relationships or bad jobs; it's only really wasted if you don't learn from it.
I'd consider that i wasted my life if I made the same mistakes over and over again. But instead, I'm always making new ones. So I'm making progress ;)
Posted 1 year ago # -
@bbchapman - cat's meow are small wooden houses that are 2 dimensional that represent either real or made up houses that all have a small black cat stamped on them somewhere. They fit on door sills well, but really are dust collectors. I got them because of the cat.
@rosa - i'm with you, why make the same mistake twice when there are so many others out there?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hey! I want all seven seasons of Buffy! That isn't a waste of money at all :)
Posted 1 year ago # -
i was never one for those sorts of collections, but i have my share of expensive junk.
i like things that i can use, like hermes scarves and parker 51s....but i probably have all i'll ever need right now.i agree with rosa....it is only a complete waste if we learn nothing along the way.
the big lesson for me, is to never start buying that kind of stuff in the first place.Posted 1 year ago # -
Have you done a web search for "Cat's Meow collectors" or "Buffy" fan sites? You might see if there are forums for those specific groups and whether they allow advertising. Because it's not necessarily that the items are worthless. Ten years ago, eBay was still going strong, but now (partly because of the increased fees, partly because payment is only through Paypal, I believe) it does just a fraction of that business.
Posted 1 year ago # -
oh gosh, I'm hearin ya on this one today. Two dozen miniature beanie kids - they were a couple of bucks each - whole sets going for a dollar or two on ebay. Really gorgeous kids clothes. It's quite painful, isn't it. Still, I've got a couple of boxes I'm going to haul off to charity when I finish this note.
Pity you aren't in Australia, Beth, I'd so buy those Buffy DVDs from you - I just got series 1!
I'm reminding myself again how good the empty space is going to be. I love space. Space is freedom. That's worth the money!
Posted 1 year ago # -
There is a thing called the "endowment effect": when we own something, we begin to value it more than other people do (see Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely). Ownership changes our perspective about an object. It holds our feelings, emotions, and memories but a prospective buyer obviously cannot see any of these things and will put a lesser value on the object than the seller.
Things are only worth what someone else is willing to pay for them - and sometimes that isn't even $0! Ouch!I remember hearing an appraiser say that anything marketed as "limited collection" or "collectible" isn't. They are not investments, they are moneypits and should be avoided. Worth remembering when watching or reading adverts and you begin to feel tempted.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Although e-bay might not be what it once was, I found it to be a good reality check for me for those things I (or my husband) think may have value, but don't. It's helped us let go of a lot of stuff we were holding onto.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Me too on the Buffy :-) My sister owns them all, and I've watched them 3 times (as well as whenever they're on TV). Can't bring myself to buy them all; they're too expensive in Australia, sigh.
Posted 1 year ago # -
So that's my problem, I don't live in Australia! If I lived there, Buffy would be history!!! ;)
@susanintexas - yes, ebay shows us what is and is not going. Basically it comes down to something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.
I guess I am lucky that I only have a few of these things laying around. I could be stuck with hundreds of beanie babies (crikes!) or "limited edition" paraphanalia. I am just glad the collecting phase was short and sweet. AND I wish Netflix had been around before I bought all the Buffys!
Posted 1 year ago # -
I remember I bought season 1 of Buffy once when it was only 15$ on sale at Wal-mart. That was during my dvd buying faze. I did two sell offs of DVDs, made 80$ the first time and around 60$ the 2nd time after you figure in shipping and mailing envelopes. My boyfriend sold them on amazon for me. There was a few I didn't sell on amamzon b/c they were not worth anything sold a few to friends, and fave a few away. There were some I never even watched! I did have one that i paid around 7.99 for and it sold for ever 30$ b/c it was a hard to find DVD, I was really excited about that. I use Swap a DVD now for ones I can't sell or give away, and I just swap out the ones I've watched that I've gotten off there also. so now the only DVD's I've kept are the ones I really love. I was glad that at some point I saw I was wasting my mom on all those DVD's though.
Up until recently I still had a problem with impulse shopping, but after getting rid of items I'd only recently bought(and couldn't return)I've pretty much cured that!
If I had gotten all 7 seasons of buffy I probably would have kept them though b/c I do love that series, but I only had one and don't want to spend money buying the rest, plus I was able to watch it without spending any money.
I've spent so much money on stuff! I'd be rolling in money right now if I'd saved it all!
Posted 1 year ago # -
*sigh* When my husband and I first got into Anime about 10 years ago, we bought SO much stuff. Especially "collectible" action figures for display. I displayed them on the wall and bookcases of our spare room... but of course, eventually became tired of it looking like a comics store in there. So I sold a ton on ebay, made quite a good profit. I kept about 30% of our collection, especially the really "valuable" stuff.
... wish I hadn't!
When I finally felt detached enough last year to let it all go, the market had crashed and it was all going for absolutely NOTHING on ebay. I just put the last two into the goodwill bag a couple of weeks ago.
Lesson learned!
Posted 1 year ago # -
I think someone else on this forum said (somewhere, I paraphrase) that it's unwise to collect an item unless it's something you absolutely love. I would add to that: collecting should never be based on what an item might be "worth."
Very few "collectible" items have any intrinsic value. Most things that we collect have completely subjective values - the item's value *to us* nearly always resides in the emotions/memories associated with the item.
If you collect something because you love it, be satisfied with the return you get in simple pleasure. If something used to please you but doesn't anymore, it's time to let it go with no regret.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I thought I had responded to this earlier, but guess I never hit submit!
Remember, it does no good to mourn our past mistakes. After all, we cannot change our actions from the past. However, we can learn from them and move on in the future. (Can you tell I've been in the classroom giving back tests today?)
My suggestion is to just pass those items on to someone who is interested in having them today, whether this is by selling them for any small amount they are worth or by giving them away.
Then, in the future, don't collect anything expecting to ever sell it. Instead, treat all items that you are collecting as if they are consumable goods that will be used up. Consider the value of those items to be the enjoyment you get from them while they are in your possession, not anything you might someday get if you sell them.
I have several small collections. I've eliminated HUGE portions of some collections in the last year. They had grown to a size where they were no longer adding to my life, but detracting from my ability to enjoy my favorite items. The items I kept are more valuable to me personally now because I can enjoy them more easily. I was able to organize both collections in a more useful manner, too, with a smaller collection. I have one more collection to reduce but it's going to be a winter task in front of the fireplace when I have time off work!
Posted 1 year ago # -
I had a friend who collected 100s of dolls. Her grandchildren don't want them so she felt she was "stuck" with them until she figured out she could give them away at baby showers. My daughter got one for her baby shower (and she has since given me 5 other baby doll type dolls). I plan to give them to her for her birthday/Christmas's. While I am not into collecting stuff anymore, I will let her play with them without trying to keep them "nice" and when they are worn out I will toss them out without guilt.
I used to collect certain 7" Madam Alexander dolls. I have about 12 prince and princess fairy tale type dolls. What a waste of $$$! When dd is older I will let her play with those too and toss them out if/when they get raggedy.
Posted 1 year ago # -
We bought the three Lord of the Rings movies when they were released on DVD. Today they cost 1/5 of what we paid. However we've watched them so many times and like the movies so much that it's not a collection and it doesn't feel like wasting money. So if you're buying movies, buy the ones you will feel like watching over and over again. And don't buy them all at once, or in the frenzy of the series, wait a while.
Posted 1 year ago #
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