Worthless memorabilia

So I'm moving at the end of the month. For the first time, I'm gonna have my own place.

I'm gonna be bored as hell.

But this post isn't about that, it's about some of the issues that have popped up as a result of said move.

It's always a good idea to do some spring cleaning when you move. Since all of your stuff is gonna be picked up and moved anyways, you might as well figure out where it should go: the new place or "a better place".

I've been going through our storage locker, bringing stuff up to the apartment one box at a time, performing triage a la Hawkeye Pierce. Man, I have a lot of stuff..and some of it is shit.

Anyhow, I came across some old sports cards - hockey cards and the like. Hmmm...maybe I could finally sell some of this old stuff I have and make some cash, eh? I remember an episode of Amazing Stories where this kid kept all of his old toys on the advice of a troll, despite his parents' pleas and the taunts he got from friends. He eventually became a millionaire when all that old stuff gained value. Ever since then I've been afraid to get rid of any of my comics or toys or sports cards for fear that I wouldn't be maximizing my "investment".

But all this got me thinking: what the heck happened to all those sports card stores? Back at the end of my highschool days and all during my university days sports card stores were popping up on every corner and kids would pour in and buy packs which, of course, could never be opened. I hated those stores. The idea of buying something you couldn't enjoy as an investment seemed absurd and arbitrary to me.

Comics were different. You could read a comic, put it away in a bag and board, keep it in as good condition as when you bought it, and still make some dough. You still got to enjoy the "episode". I love comics. Always have. The fact that they have become an investment and have led to higher prices ($0.25 when I was young, $5.00 now - what kind of inflation is that? I'm not THAT old!) has discouraged me from buying any more, except on very rare occasions.

Baseball card packs you couldn't open for fear of depreciation? Stupid.

It would seem all (or most) of these card shops have vanished, the victims of market over-saturation. Serves 'em right, the greedy bastards.

Coincidentally, I came across this article on MSN today. Looks like I may not be able to sell these cards at all...

But then who's gonna buy my Welcome Back Kotter cards?!


Have you noticed that their stuff is shit and your shit is stuff? God! And you say, "Get that shit offa there and let me put my stuff down!"
- George Carlin