collecting is a timeless hobby that often gets confused for an investment opportunity.
Written by Christina Epperly
I was a child during the 1990s, and I remember the TY Beanie Baby craze well. I don’t think I will ever forget how excited I was when I realized that I had 100 Beanie Babies in my collection. I loved adding new bean filled friends to my collection. TY Beanie Babies were always on my birthday and Christmas lists, and it was a hobby that I had in common with many of my fellow 90’s kids. I also remember being told by multiple adults that my collection would be worth money one day. Some years later I lost interest in TY Beanie Babies, and I ended up getting rid of my collection. However, in my adult years, I started building up a collection of TY Beanie Babies again. I remembered the joy that collecting the adorable toys brought me during my childhood, and I’m thrilled to say I was able to recapture that blissful joy even now that I’m a tax paying adult.
Along with rebuilding my collection, I also got into the hobby of thrift shopping. As I watched videos on thrift shopping I would often here people in the videos say that you shouldn’t buy Beanie Babies because they don’t resell well and that you can not make a profit from them, That statement never set right with me. Now, I know that the people in the videos were giving advice on reselling thrift store items to make a profit and that they were not speaking to collectors. However, I had a hard time moving past that statement. I think the reason why I feel that way originates from my first experience with collecting. Many kids who had a Beanie Baby or another toy collection were also probably told that it would be worth money someday. I do realize that the adults who told this me and other collectors had good intentions and that they were encouraging a young person to make good investments. However, that is what really bothers me. Collecting should not be looked at as an investment. It is a hobby. Most people would not tell a kid that enjoyed playing the piano that they should be focusing on getting a collage scholarship or tell a kid that enjoyed swimming that they needed to focus on getting better so they can be a professional swimmer. It makes me sad that a lot of people seem to forget that collecting is a great hobby that can be very rewarding on its own without making any money at all. I collect Beanie Babies and other toys such as Barbie dolls because I like them. I get excited when I add a new item to my collection. It feels like winning an award.
I have to admit that I have sold a few things from my collections and there is one item ( a Lisa Frank party game) that I wish I never would have sold because the nostalgia that it brought me was worth more than money. I remember when I got that game, I was so excited when I saw it sitting on the self at the thrift store. I had the same game as a kid, and it brought back memories. I sold the game because I was going on a trip and I knew I could sell it quickly for some extra money. I deeply regret selling the game. I know that I probably will never find another one on a thrift store shelf again. Selling that game taught me an important lesion. When you collect items for the purpose of reselling them, the wonderful hobby of collecting becomes no different than investing in a company in order to make a profit.
It hurts my heart when I see people that are part of a collecting group contently ask how much items in their collections are worth. Collecting should be about creating an amazing collection of items that you truly love, not something that you do for money. I also know that thrift stores will often look at reselling sites and price their items based on price they see online. I think it is so sad that the hobbies of collecting and thrift shopping have been impacted by the desire to gain money. If you are thinking of starting a collection, let me offer up a little advice for you. Collecting should never be viewed as an investment. It is possible that your collection may be worth some money sooner or later, but the point of collecting should never be money. It should be for the blissful nostalgic joy that it brings.
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