From High End to Collecting On a Budget

Its obvious, things suck right now in terms of just about everything. Money is low, products are being churned out on a seemingly endless parade of crap, and you still have that itch to bust. You know what im talking about, it gets to the point where you walk past the display in target and you STILL think you want to go and bust, even though you know that the shit that makes its way to a retail outlet is about as worth it as buying old crap from the 1990s. There is a mental slap you can give yourself, but really that only works for so long. Eventually the dam will break, and I am here to tell you how I survived in a shitty time for collecting, because at least you gotta pass the time until things get better.

First thing you gotta do is realize that you wont be able to function the same way you always have. You wont be able to buy every product you, and you surely wont be able to get every cool card from your favorite player. The trick is to get excited over one or two especially awesome products and start planning. If the card will cost 100-150 bucks in a month or two, start your shit now. Find out what you can live without, and start getting excited about the future. Dont even look at other crap until you can look at the future offerings. If you only have a mindset where you dont find your mind wandering, its really tough to penetrate it (thats what she said).

Secondly its time to trim the fat. We all have it in our collections, the stuff that is just there so you can tell the others that you have it. Interestingly enough, its worth something to someone. It may only be worth two dollars on ebay, but thats still 2 dollars you could have in your account. Its isnt worth your time to have a 2 dollar you dont care about, when you could have more progress towards that upcoming product you do want. Sell that shit off and start to think in quality over quantity. It takes time to sell, so dont waste it, and ill tell you nothing is more satisfying than seeing money in your account.

Of course, when the time does come for you to get your sustinance, dont buy the wax to get what you want, just buy that one thing. Why waste your money hoping for something big, when you can just buy that one card you want right away. Wax is for people with disposable income, and also, wax is for suckers. Why waste your time? Its not feasible to buy the chance on a budget, its much better to buy the stuff itself. Trust me, you arent any less of a collector for using ebay rather than pulling your prize out of a pack.

If you need to bust, you cant avoid it, and you arent in target or other retail shit places, buy cheap products like Chrome or buy a few packs of the expensive stuff to tide you over. No need to spend 100 bucks on SPA boxes when you can buy a few packs at a time for a good rip. That way you save money and you can avoid getting Earl Bennett patches when you do spend 100 bucks.

Also, youtube is a good energy release. Sometimes, if you watch the masters bust thousands on the tube, you will either get that rush from watching them pull something amazing, or you will see them waste their cash and it will turn you off. I do it all the time, because I know I will see what I want to see. Surprisingly, it works.

Group breaks are also a really great way to scratch that problem itch. You spend a fraction of the cost, you get lots of interaction, and usually, you still have the same odds to pull a monster. You may not always come away with cards, but at least you spent less money, and you still had a chance.

Trading posts are always a good way to get nice stuff, and most of the time, the people arent so stupid that you cant stand them. You have your bad apples, but if you play your cards right (no pun intended), you should be able to get stuff you need. For instance, you have a card you pulled as a box hit from a product you shouldnt have bought. Most likely, someone needs it, and has something you need too. That way, you trim the fat from your "needless haves" and add something from your "I need wants."

Lastly, if you have the choice, just blog. It takes your itch away, and you usually dont have to spend any money to do it. There are a number of different people who will happily give you a plug, myself included, as long as you arent a douche about it. I see a number of people who comment on blogs who I think would be great bloggers themselves, and most of the time I will read your shit even if I disagree.