I know I’ve talked about this a lot lately, but I stumbled across this video by RedLetterMedia and it seems that they understand the problem, from an entirely different hobby. This kind of crap happens everywhere!

So let’s go look at the video, which is funny, and talk about it.

First, here’s the video. Watch it if you’d like. Why do I really want to find a digital copy of Nukie, just to see how terrible it is?

The problem, as always, is that people are trying to make a buck off of the backs of the collectors. There is no need to have your VHS tape graded and sealed in plastic, any more than you need to have your coins or stamps or comic books encased similarly.

It’s one thing if you want to see if it’s legitimate. Send it in for that. Get an expert opinion, then stick it in your album or whatever. There is a huge difference between being certified authentic and being graded. Grading is idiotic.

Sadly, there are a lot of idiots out there.

This is what happens, as I’ve said time and again, when you go from being a collector to an investor. It’s when you start speculating on the market instead of just having a good time. It’s really sad how many people these days have fallen for this completely.

Screw those people.

I had a conversation not too long ago with a coin dealer who has an active channel on YouTube. On the one hand, he supports people having a good time collecting coins. On the other, he wants people to buy lots of expensive coins so he stays in business. Given a choice, it’s obvious which way he leans and that’s why I don’t watch his videos anymore. In fact, I don’t watch any coin YouTube videos anymore, simply because I cannot stand that mindset and it’s all-pervasive. “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” is nothing that I want anything to do with. Therefore, any thought of going to a coin show or buying coins online, it’s gone.

RedLetterMedia had it right. Collecting is about enjoying yourself. It’s not about making a profit. In fact, profit should be entirely irrelevant. I’ll never sell a single collectible as long as I live. I used to collect action figures. I don’t anymore but I still have them all stored in the garage. I know that I could make many thousands of dollars by selling them on eBay. They’re just not going anywhere. I don’t care about making money. That’s not why I collect.

I’ve also got tons of stamps I could sell. I’m not going to. I noted, in passing on a forum recently, that I have some high-value stamps. At the moment, U.S. Scott #1 is going through the roof, based on the crappy economy. Soon, they’ll be worth close to a thousand dollars. I’ve got one. I could sell it. I’m not going to, any more than I’m going to sell my 1840 Penny Black. That isn’t even part of my collection, per se. I got it because I saw it and I wanted it. It’s also not going anywhere. That’s not why I collect. It can’t be that hard to understand.

I’m not saying that others have to do what I do, only that I have little interest in hanging around with people whose only goals are financial. I explained why I think it’s so pervasive these days over on my other blog, that’s a more political post than I put here but I think a lot of it is true. Maybe that’s why so many hobbies are falling apart these days, because so many people are doing it for entirely different and often at-odds reasons. I don’t know, but at least other people are taking notice too. It’s just driving me out of the public sphere with my collecting, which is fine, I guess. I don’t think that’s doing the hobby any good though.