A Peek at Collecting

I'm a collector. I collect comics books and also non-sports cards. I've been collecting since 1985. If there is one problem with collecting, it's when as a collector you start to realize that there are certain items that are part of something you collect that you will never own. Maybe it's because of how rare the items is, or possibly because of the price the item commands. I've been fairly lucky, I started with comics back before the big boom in the industry. When I started I managed to buy some very old golden age books when the price of them was still in manageable range. Several items in my collection are measure in worth in the 5 number range, and yes that's before the decimal point. But of the few I'm missing I realize now that unless I want to try and buy totally ruined copies I will never own them. No, I don't buy for condition. I buy to read the issues. But I still want to make sure I have the full story and be able to see the whole cover. I run into the same problem with my non-sport cards. Some sets have introduced cards that are so rare that the odds of getting one are astronomical, and the price of buying one on the aftermarket is outrageous. So I'm stuck knowing that my set will always be incomplete. Which as a collector drives me nuts. Want an example? In 2006 Artbox entertainment released a set of cards based on the old Frankenstein movie. There were 72 cards in the main set. There was also a chase set of 9 glow in the dark cards randomly inserted in packs. There was also 3 glow in the dark cards that could be found inserted in the cellophane of some of the boxes. Then there were flim cell cards, cards containing pieces of the original movie film. There were 9 different ones, and they only made 75 of each of them. When I first started getting them they could be found on E-Bay at about $20-30 apiece. But as folks began to realize how rare they really were the price went up and now they command maybe $75-150 apiece. I have 7 of the . But that's not all. There were also Prop cards released. They contain a piece of wiring from the original Frankenstein movie set. Only 50 of these were made and one is on E-Bay right now for $499.00. Lastly, oh yes we're not done, a cut signature card contain Boris Karloff's signature was part of the set. Only 3 were made and the last time one showed up for sale it went for $5,000.00. Yes. So that's the downfall of collecting. Companies making items so rare that no regular collector can afford them. Hmmm... I wonder what my credit card limit is....