What advice would you give to someone just starting to collect?

[admin]

We were all beginners at some stage and most of us have made a host of mistakes on our collecting journey. If you were asked to give some advice to someone who was just starting out on cartophily what would you say?

[magpiemick]

If you ever get a chance read Hunter Davies Confessions of a Collector a very good read covering all aspects of collecting  including cigarette cards he gives the following advice 1 if you buy a bad card then thst is what  it will stay regardless so no increase in value through the years however if you buy a very good/excellent card then it can only increase

2 If you have £100 to spend it is better to buy 1 good set rather than spend £100 on a lot of lower priced sets

But it is a hooby to enjoy and its all down to personal taste it doesnt matter if you have a rare £500 + card or a lower priced set its the enjoyment of collecting what intrests you and makes yourself happy

[lachlan]

Simple. Go for quality, if possible, and go for cards with subjects that appeal to you. No point in  buying cards just to store them away. You want to look at them, to read the blurb on the back and generally derive real pleasure from collecting cards, be they sets, themes or whatever.

[mrp1017]

When I had my stores here in America, I used to tell the kids who came in and asked the same question this:

Read. Ask questions. Read some more. Don't spend any money. Read. Ask questions.

After you have done your homework on the issues go and find yourself 2-3 dealers you can trust. Build a working relationship with them and utilize them when you can. A good dealer will work with you, educate you, cultivate your relationship. It should be like the relationship you have with your mechanic.

Collect for the love of it and the issues. Once you make it a money thing, its over. Don't expect your collection to be your retirement fund. If the market takes a dump will you be happy with the collection you have?

Have a plan. Target your purchases. Like cricket players or Royalty? Make a stunning collection of this and branch out from there. If you try to target 1000 issues you will never have any structure to your collection.

Collect the highest quality your wallet can afford. High grade is best but not always affordable. Go for a cheaper set to get higher grade. Use any extra cards to finance other cards.

Lastly, HAVE FUN. If this is work you are doing it wrong.

[Ogdenscards]

It is good to get a general overview of what's available but this comes with experience and research.
I myself have specialized into one firm, Ogden's. There are about 30000 different cards to collect, most are affordable. There is a good guide to what is available with most subjects being covered.
Condition is always a point of discussion and yes is important but I like to know what exists and then improve, as perfect cards are not always there to be found. If investment is your primary motive then you are not a true collector. Pleasure is my motive, the hunt and that satisfaction of the find is tremendous, and the bonus is that you become a specialist in your chosen field. On many occasions I have paid to much for cards but all my regrets are the ones I didn't buy but I am not talking about common cards.

What gives you your greatest pleasure and that's the start.