>>Now if I was beginning today, would I feel I had a chance? I don't think so. <<
We've discussed this topic before and its a good question.
Believe it or not I kinda wondered the same thing in '95 when I started collecting. In retrospect I'd gauge it both easier and harder for someone to build a complete collection today - both for the same reason: there's a lot more information available about the marketplace than there used to be. By 'marketplace' I mean the price trends associated with different pieces and the factors that affect their value.
Heck, many newbies might be surprised to learn there was a time when the only way to know what a model looked like was to see one, or to see an old HL brochure. And without the Internet - where are you gonna find an old HL brochure? The Internet has made the broad spread of information possible and brought a widely dispersed collecting community together.
Its very possible to build a collection today - but you need to go about it methodically. One key is to realize its
very difficult to keep up with the release of new pieces while at the same time attempting to acquire older ones. Perhaps I shouldn't say difficult, 'expensive' is more accurate.
Its a matter of where to put a finite amount of funds. As you point out, prices do continue to rise. Imo, one needs to have sufficient discipline to forgo purchase of the shiny new 10,000 edition size models and go after older ones instead. This is hard to do because so many of the new LEs are great pieces. However the vast majority of 10k pieces will still be available at retail in two years, but the Barnegats, Old Point Lomas, and New London Ledges will only be higher. New LEs ain't cheap - most are in the $70-$100 range. Many of the older and rarer 5500 series LE's can be had for just twice the cost of a new model.
My own theories on how the wacko should proceed are laid out in a 3+ part series labeled 'HL Factoid #11 - What to Buy'. These are geared specifically to the person who wishes to build a large collection.
Here's a mini-jumpgate to those postings:
Factoid #11
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 A few more threads that touch on the topic of understanding the market place:
http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/Forum16/HTML/000010.html http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/Forum16/HTML/000010.html http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/Forum1/HTML/000024.html The question is an interesting one and I hope we get some other folks to reply:
Is it still possible to build a complete collection? Is it feasible to try? :-)
From the Fog Signal Building,
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/im
[This message has been edited by JTimothyA (edited 05-23-99).]