Sunday, August 19, 2018

The Post-Binge Hangover

It's that time of year again.

Around late August, after the National, and whatever week(s) long card shopping spree I go on around it, the aftermath always feels like a hangover of sorts.  I didn't go to the National, but I did spend a week just before that on vacation going to a big show (Chantilly) and then touring the local area card shops and antique places in search of cardboard.  Had a really good time, and I'm still putting away all the stacks of stuff I got.

Wasn't quite this bad

But my local monthly card show is today, and I decided not to go.  After all my hauls, I still feel like I don't need any more for a while.  My hunger has been sated for now.  After browsing a big show, and countless boxes at shops, it just burns you out for a while.


What I feel like I want to do is place a SportLots or COMC order to knock out those last few elusive set killers that I couldn't find during my vacation.  But I can't bring myself to do it just now.

This is not to say I've stopped trading.  I just swapped for a complete Topps Series 2 set and got a couple packages of mostly Heritage singles and some nice inserts to cross off my lists.  You've seen some of the other incoming batches in the last couple posts.  I'm sending out a couple packages to bloggers and group traders, and have another deal or two in the works.  So I'm not burned out, but I just feel full.

But I've got a lot left to put away.  I can see why other collectors end up being unorganized or behind.  Although I really enjoy putting away what I get, and completing my sets or filling in holes in player collections, the sheer bulk of what is waiting is a bit hard to take.  I go into the card room for short periods and put singles with sets or sheet up some vintage, but I get sleepy after any more than an hour or two.  So I have to spread it out.
I don't want the card room to feel like this....

SportLots actual back room
So my blogging may slow down a bit - I've already missed a day.  I'm trying to build up a backlog of ready posts, but it's slow going.  I'm still up for trading, though.  Especially this year's A&G inserts, and I've added a lot to my want lists from some starters that I got.  I'll rest up soon and be back at it in a short while.  Just have to take a minute to fully enjoy the huge pile that just came into my collection.

How many of you experience a hangover after a couple big shows or shop visits in a row?  Or do they come more frequently than that?

2 comments:

  1. Oh, my collecting definitely ebbs and flows. A good show or two in a short time will hold me over for a month or maybe more. After that I "need" something to rip or a show to go to.
    Right now life is too busy to really think much about cards. When it slows down though I'll need a good cardboard fix for sure!

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  2. Can't say I get that feeling. Shows are far too spaced out for an extended binge and there are no shops around.

    It does take me forever to catalog cards. I finally finished with that dime box I bought in April and no sooner had I finished than a 3,000-card box arrived on the porch.

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