Collecting as therapy for mental and stress issues

[Giants1964]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

im glad youre here Reggie!

me too

[Mister2Bits]

Originally Posted by Chris P

This is the hardest part of the year to get through for me. I've mentioned here before my Dad passed June 9th 2019 unexpectedly so its just a slew of major events that happen one after another that reminds me he's not here. My Parents anniversary (June 3rd) his passing (June 9th) Father's Day (next Sunday) and his Birthday (July 24th). On top of that I'm very unhappy and miserable at the job I started at 3 months ago. Bought some Bowman megas off Target to just get my mind off everything to rip and sort. Just a brief reprieve from reality

Can I offer a bit of advice?

Back in 2018 - in June/July/August, I lost 3 of my close friends to cancer. Instead of focusing on how sad I am during this time, I decided to re-focus on doing something in the community in their honor.

Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma took my best friend in July 2018. He was a brilliant skateboarder, so every year I donate boards to the community in his honor. I honestly really look forward to it. I know he's watching what I'm doing and he's proud that I'm trying to move past the grief and that I'm doing something constructive with it.

I no longer feel like I want to avoid this time in my life.

Good luck!

[unclemonkey]

Being a bit of a lifelong recluse, I find alot of joy in driving Uber/Lyft.

Don't necessarily need the money but the interaction with people has its benefits. Just in the last two weeks have met a retired drug dealer and spent 30 minutes waiting at Walmart with a grandmother listening to her life story.

It's an absurd reality.

Mostly hunt treasure of some sort looking for value in coins and cards. Find as much joy in the learning and the hunt.

Just learned in the past month my best friend revealed he has cancer that spread from his colon, to his liver, lining of the lung, and now into his brain.

It floored me, and he was one of at least four people in the last six months with BRAIN cancer.

No symptoms at all, just a random scan for COPD during a physical.

All the money in the world don't mean squat.

Bought a fishing kayak and plan to start a YT channel on fishing. Gonna travel and enter tournaments. Gonna play in WSOP tournaments as well.

Live life saying "I'm glad I did..." than "I wish I had..."

Prayers for all who have struggled in the past few years.

[AstrosFan17]

This hobby definitely helps to keep me sane, especially during stressful stretches in my life.

Sorting through stacks of cards and putting them in order just relaxes me and lets me forget about the stresses of the day. If I get especially stressed or angry about something I sometimes go into my office / card room and just rifle through random a stack a of cards to calm myself.

There's just something calming about flipping through cards that I can't explain.

[AcunaCollector]

Anyone wants to share thoughts in today?

[oplum29]

Originally Posted by AcunaCollector

Anyone wants to share thoughts in today?

i don't think i had every posted here on this thread, but i'll give it a shot today.

card collecting for me is very much like Hellfire Club from Stranger Things. if you aren't a part of it, you wouldn't understand at all.

there's a nasty stigma, don't know why, but that at some point, card collecting is for kids only. and once you grow up, you're supposed to move on from cards, to adult stuff, like a career, a home, wife and kids, etc. i remember always hearing about stuff like that. watch a show like The Simpsons for example, and look at how they paint Comic Book guy...

that's an idea of what card-comic book collecting is, it's a kid thing. so when you are able to connect with people your age, or older than you, it's an awesome thing.

i'll go to my LCS and i can be there for hours, just shooting the bull about sports and sports cards, again, like Hellfire Club. Unless you are in, you won't understand.

you all seem to be in with us, that's why for the most part, we all get along. but to outsiders, we can still seem like freaks. i'll still get the "you still collect cards? how old are you again?"

i get remarks like that. then when they realize that some of our collections could literally purchase a car, or even a house, they aren't as judgmental as before, even though they still are.

card collecting can be a quick fix, but talking about card collecting with a fellow card collector, is even better, if that makes sense. you're bonded from that point on.

[Canthardlymiss1]

Originally Posted by oplum29

i don't think i had every posted here on this thread, but i'll give it a shot today.

card collecting for me is very much like Hellfire Club from Stranger Things. if you aren't a part of it, you wouldn't understand at all.

there's a nasty stigma, don't know why, but that at some point, card collecting is for kids only. and once you grow up, you're supposed to move on from cards, to adult stuff, like a career, a home, wife and kids, etc. i remember always hearing about stuff like that. watch a show like The Simpsons for example, and look at how they paint Comic Book guy...

that's an idea of what card-comic book collecting is, it's a kid thing. so when you are able to connect with people your age, or older than you, it's an awesome thing.

i'll go to my LCS and i can be there for hours, just shooting the bull about sports and sports cards, again, like Hellfire Club. Unless you are in, you won't understand.

you all seem to be in with us, that's why for the most part, we all get along. but to outsiders, we can still seem like freaks. i'll still get the "you still collect cards? how old are you again?"

i get remarks like that. then when they realize that some of our collections could literally purchase a car, or even a house, they aren't as judgmental as before, even though they still are.

card collecting can be a quick fix, but talking about card collecting with a fellow card collector, is even better, if that makes sense. you're bonded from that point on.

I’m completely connected to this point you made especially as card collecting being looked upon for “kids” only! I recently came back in the hobby a few years ago and it seems it has brought out the that kid excitement again. I think growing up and becoming more stable has allowed to fund a collection or card arhat seemed unattainable back then, all while reliving that same passion!

Those that don’t have that connection will never understand how exciting it is to come home after a long day of work with facing responsibilities as a dad all while giving love to the kids and wife or significant other, but in the end having that spare block of time dedicated to a a card room. It doesn’t happen every day but when it does I take full as advantage. It’s a feeling that can’t be described into words but just a jolt of positive rush as you sort out, reorganize or just admire pieces of the collection or put thoughts together of the next challenging set or card to chase.

Just the other night I opened the PSA publication magazine and a quick sniff of it reminded me a pack of 1991 Stadium Club and it’s distinct smell. I must have smelled a few more times but lost the scent but never that memory of finally getting that Frank Thomas in a pack! With all that’s going in the his world and everyday stresses it’s nice to have a cave or space to go to where you feel absolutely connected in a way that only true collectors would understand.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[oplum29]

there's this card shop in San Marcos, TX, if you guys are ever fortunate enough to pass by there (between San Antonio and Austin), and there's a Comic store that has vintage cards there.

the owner of the shop is a ball to talk with. you could easily be there talking for an hour about sports, players, stats, and cards. i got into an awesome conversation there the last time over how much i liked the horizontal cards that featured multiple players, like this 58' Fence Busters card.



we were going over the players, and we both named every single guy on the card, it was such a cool connection.

again, Hellfire Club

i'm happy to be a part of this community of collectors

[Patsfan]

This thread is so great! It's nice to see people open up about mental health, especially guys! My anxiety has been pretty bad the last 6-8 months but sometimes I find solace in cards and baseball in general. When I am really feeling bad I will try to focus on sorting or sleeving or whatever. Sometimes just surfing ebay and these sites help as well. Stay strong guys (and gals if there are any in this thread), only the strongest are given things only some can't imagine!

[Drew3000]

I’ve been wanting to move for the past couple years then Covid hit and delayed me. Now, I can’t seem to make up my mind where I want to go. I’m not working a regular 9-5 right now so taking the time to get healthy. Eating correctly, walking, lifting weights. Feel absolutely wonderful and have dropped 40lbs from Jan 1. I’m 6’5, 220 and best I’ve felt in 4 years. I’m 31, single, no kids, no debt. Life is great

Had some anxiety issues in 2020 through 2021 that are gone now. Still some sleep issues but those have greatly improved. Not working has been an absolute blessing. Health > money. A meat based diet has worked for me

Really enjoying looking through cards and selling the stuff i don’t want to focus on going forward. I’m leaning toward going to a smaller city in Texas now.

[AcunaCollector]

Originally Posted by oplum29

i don't think i had every posted here on this thread, but i'll give it a shot today.

card collecting for me is very much like Hellfire Club from Stranger Things. if you aren't a part of it, you wouldn't understand at all.

there's a nasty stigma, don't know why, but that at some point, card collecting is for kids only. and once you grow up, you're supposed to move on from cards, to adult stuff, like a career, a home, wife and kids, etc. i remember always hearing about stuff like that. watch a show like The Simpsons for example, and look at how they paint Comic Book guy...

that's an idea of what card-comic book collecting is, it's a kid thing. so when you are able to connect with people your age, or older than you, it's an awesome thing.

i'll go to my LCS and i can be there for hours, just shooting the bull about sports and sports cards, again, like Hellfire Club. Unless you are in, you won't understand.

you all seem to be in with us, that's why for the most part, we all get along. but to outsiders, we can still seem like freaks. i'll still get the "you still collect cards? how old are you again?"

i get remarks like that. then when they realize that some of our collections could literally purchase a car, or even a house, they aren't as judgmental as before, even though they still are.

card collecting can be a quick fix, but talking about card collecting with a fellow card collector, is even better, if that makes sense. you're bonded from that point on.

I do agree with your assessment, for sure we are part of a very special group of people that enjoys collecting, outsiders will be judgemental because they did not grow up in this moment, they do not understand the excitement we share for our hobby.

[mchenrycards]

This week I took my wife to a routine doctors visit that turned into something quite different. My wife is a two time cancer survivor with her first cancer having a 3% survival rate but it has been five since her last bout of this crappy disease and walking into the doctors office, cancer was the last thing on our mind. During this visit the doctor noticed something that he didn't like and immediately did a biopsy and as I write this, we are still waiting for the results of this test. Will we have to battle cancer for a third time together or will this be nothing at all? At this point our faith is carrying us through and we both feel that, no matter the outcome of this test, God has his hand in everything.

I have had the chance these last few days to contemplate my journey in life over the past four years. Four years ago I was working 60 hours a week and driving two hours a day to and from work. Spending time with my wife of nearly 30 years was not a huge priority because after all, I was working hard to provide everything she wanted so she didn't really need me around to keep her happy. After her last battle with cancer, I realized that being away from home all of those hours was not something that either of us wanted or needed. I let my employer know I would not be working the hours they were demanding as I felt I needed to spend more time with my wife. I knew I would hate myself if something every happened to her and I put my job over her. I imagined myself standing at a funeral home and saying to myself, "I should have worked less and spent more time with her". Not long after I issued the ultimatum to my employer I was not surprisingly, let go and honestly, I was happy about this. I spent the next ten months searching for work and would eventually find a work at home position in the same field in which I was working in previously but with a 40 hour a week requirement. It has now been four years since I lost my job and I have been at home every day since and get to spend quality time with my wife with zero regrets. Those 60 hour work weeks and the endless hours of driving have now been replaced with a 40 hour work week and breaks, lunches and before and after work hours filled with time spend with the person I love. I know now that if this cancer scare turns out to be something we will have to battle, I know I will have no guilt because I have spent every waking hour of the last four years with my wife, which is something I would not trade for anything in this world.

But lets bring this back to cards. In the last four years I refocused on the hobby I have loved for nearly 50 years. I sold off stuff I didn't want or need and focused on building a nice 1956 Topps baseball set. I completed the set about a year ago and funded it through trades and card sales while taking nothing away from family funds. I would never had the time to do this previously if it wasn't for the opportunity to just slow down, work from home and spend more time with my wife who actually encouraged my collecting habits, something she had never done before.

Collecting is certainly something that has helped my mental health as Covid did a number on my wife and I as we could not go anywhere due to her reduced immunity due to the cancer treatments. But building this '56 set really helped get my mind off of being cooped up at home while I browsed web sites, Ebay and these boards for deals. Now I just need to decide on my next set building adventure to get me through this next stage of life.

Keep collecting my friends but dont make it your sole focus in life. This is a hobby for most of us and should be an escape and not a source of pain and frustration.

[AcunaCollector]

Originally Posted by mchenrycards

This week I took my wife to a routine doctors visit that turned into something quite different. My wife is a two time cancer survivor with her first cancer having a 3% survival rate but it has been five since her last bout of this crappy disease and walking into the doctors office, cancer was the last thing on our mind. During this visit the doctor noticed something that he didn't like and immediately did a biopsy and as I write this, we are still waiting for the results of this test. Will we have to battle cancer for a third time together or will this be nothing at all? At this point our faith is carrying us through and we both feel that, no matter the outcome of this test, God has his hand in everything.

I have had the chance these last few days to contemplate my journey in life over the past four years. Four years ago I was working 60 hours a week and driving two hours a day to and from work. Spending time with my wife of nearly 30 years was not a huge priority because after all, I was working hard to provide everything she wanted so she didn't really need me around to keep her happy. After her last battle with cancer, I realized that being away from home all of those hours was not something that either of us wanted or needed. I let my employer know I would not be working the hours they were demanding as I felt I needed to spend more time with my wife. I knew I would hate myself if something every happened to her and I put my job over her. I imagined myself standing at a funeral home and saying to myself, "I should have worked less and spent more time with her". Not long after I issued the ultimatum to my employer I was not surprisingly, let go and honestly, I was happy about this. I spent the next ten months searching for work and would eventually find a work at home position in the same field in which I was working in previously but with a 40 hour a week requirement. It has now been four years since I lost my job and I have been at home every day since and get to spend quality time with my wife with zero regrets. Those 60 hour work weeks and the endless hours of driving have now been replaced with a 40 hour work week and breaks, lunches and before and after work hours filled with time spend with the person I love. I know now that if this cancer scare turns out to be something we will have to battle, I know I will have no guilt because I have spent every waking hour of the last four years with my wife, which is something I would not trade for anything in this world.

But lets bring this back to cards. In the last four years I refocused on the hobby I have loved for nearly 50 years. I sold off stuff I didn't want or need and focused on building a nice 1956 Topps baseball set. I completed the set about a year ago and funded it through trades and card sales while taking nothing away from family funds. I would never had the time to do this previously if it wasn't for the opportunity to just slow down, work from home and spend more time with my wife who actually encouraged my collecting habits, something she had never done before.

Collecting is certainly something that has helped my mental health as Covid did a number on my wife and I as we could not go anywhere due to her reduced immunity due to the cancer treatments. But building this '56 set really helped get my mind off of being cooped up at home while I browsed web sites, Ebay and these boards for deals. Now I just need to decide on my next set building adventure to get me through this next stage of life.

Keep collecting my friends but dont make it your sole focus in life. This is a hobby for most of us and should be an escape and not a source of pain and frustration.

First of all welcome to this thread and from me I wish and will pray for your wife to be Cancer free brother. On the work issue It took me a lot of years as well to see the whole picture just like you, but I do not regret anything as it teached me and I know it has to be with God wanting it that way for a major reason we as humans do not fully understand or choose not too. We have to see it a every day God will give us a learning experience. Collecting gives us the chance to calm down from everyday issues and problems, we have to embrace it to the fullest for sure. Blessings and will be praying for you and your wife for sure!

[Dodgerfan74]

Thank You for starting this thread. My wife tells me I'm "playing" with my cards. I tell her it is my hobby. I trade on different sites including Facebook groups. I've "talked" some great people on different sites who are fellow collectors and I've met some @#$&+ who flip and charge crazy prices or just in it to make their money without any regards to the hobby. Everyone has their problems whether it is physical-MS, Cancer, Mental-anxiety, depression, or financial. Where I'm going with this is it can be a terrific way to relax or get away from our problems for a little while. Keep praying to God and spend time with your family, but also keep a little time (15-30 min.) for your own self therapy.

[Hollywood42]

This has been a pretty terrible month. I'm not sure I can describe what I feel like I've been going through. And I'm not through it yet, and honestly sometimes I don't know how I'll get through it. But cards have helped give me an escape here and there. I'm still struggling, and sometimes struggling a lot. Today has not been good. I'm thankful for the times sitting down and sorting some cards, or coding my site, or playing around on TCDB can help take up at little space in my mind and push out even a little of the tough things. It doesn't solve anything or make the problems go away. But it helps, even if only a little. And right now I'll take that

[oplum29]

Originally Posted by Dodgerfan74

Thank You for starting this thread. My wife tells me I'm "playing" with my cards. I tell her it is my hobby. I trade on different sites including Facebook groups. I've "talked" some great people on different sites who are fellow collectors and I've met some @#$&+ who flip and charge crazy prices or just in it to make their money without any regards to the hobby. Everyone has their problems whether it is physical-MS, Cancer, Mental-anxiety, depression, or financial. Where I'm going with this is it can be a terrific way to relax or get away from our problems for a little while. Keep praying to God and spend time with your family, but also keep a little time (15-30 min.) for your own self therapy.

my family looks at me like i'm stupid sometimes because of the money i've spent on cards. for some of them, a real investment, is in a house, something you can actually see and carries weight.

when they see cards, they see a game, it's not real for them, because they don't know. i don't even talk to them about it anymore, because they just roll their eyes, or yawn about it.

they fawn over a fellow family member because he's got several houses he's invested in, but not me, i'm just waiting my time and money, in their eyes.

so it's good to have somebody to talk with here on this board. i appreciate it.

[OneSickDegen]

Originally Posted by oplum29

my family looks at me like i'm stupid sometimes because of the money i've spent on cards. for some of them, a real investment, is in a house, something you can actually see and carries weight.

when they see cards, they see a game, it's not real for them, because they don't know. i don't even talk to them about it anymore, because they just roll their eyes, or yawn about it.

they fawn over a fellow family member because he's got several houses he's invested in, but not me, i'm just waiting my time and money, in their eyes.

so it's good to have somebody to talk with here on this board. i appreciate it.

I quit trying to please other people decades ago. It takes some effort but when you finally hit that point where you just don't care, it's liberating.

[AcunaCollector]

Originally Posted by oplum29

my family looks at me like i'm stupid sometimes because of the money i've spent on cards. for some of them, a real investment, is in a house, something you can actually see and carries weight.

when they see cards, they see a game, it's not real for them, because they don't know. i don't even talk to them about it anymore, because they just roll their eyes, or yawn about it.

they fawn over a fellow family member because he's got several houses he's invested in, but not me, i'm just waiting my time and money, in their eyes.

so it's good to have somebody to talk with here on this board. i appreciate it.

So sorry that you feel that way, same particular thing happened to me with an ex wife I had, she never believed in this as an investment, she rather saw it as a wasted money. I divorced as I felt I can't be with a person which does not believe in me nor support me in that matter, not a money support, more of a moral support. Blessings brother, and sometimes is better to get rid of toxic people, even if they are "Family".

[AcunaCollector]

Originally Posted by OneSickDegen

I quit trying to please other people decades ago. It takes some effort but when you finally hit that point where you just don't care, it's liberating.

Agreed, for sure it makes you a new person all together!

[kkart]

Wellp, I'll share my story with you all.
This will be very long and very deep & intense. I'll likely be taking a few breaks as I write this because it's not easy to discus & talk about.

In late 2019 before Covid, I came back to the hobby after nearly 30 years. It was one of the best life choices I have ever made. It was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever made. For those of you who follow me on Twitter, some of you know what's up with me already

I had an absolutely gigantic collection of cards, so big that my dad did shows in & around the Chicagoland area in the 80s. What a time to be alive as a card collector! It was amazing! And I collected everything & anything baseball related; cards, memorabilia, if it was baseball related I had to have it lol A lot of it was vintage too, in fact I'd say roughly 90% of it was mostly golden era & pre-war. I exited the hobby in roughly 1990 after I became disgusted with baseball, the game, and the greed. I wouldn't begin collecting again until late 2019.

Roughly in between 2006-2008 I became very ill. Like really, REALLY ill to the point I was dying. This was before Obamacare & I don't mix the hobby with politics ever but I'll say this - Obamacare literally saved my life. Anyways, I was dropped by both my health insurance companies for hitting the coverage cap and due to medical bills, I had to sell off my whole collection to not only pay for medical bills but healthcare & rX as well.

Nobody could figure out what was wrong with me but I lucked out. My mom was a patient at National Jewish Health here in Denver & she was able to speak with her doctor's (she had Sarcoidosis, a rare lung disease) about seeing me & they agreed.
I was formally diagnosed with a rare lung disease called Alpha 1. I was unable to breathe, packed on nearly 300 pounds because of it, and I was in really bad shape....
Thankfully these days it's mostly in remission but I do get flare ups.

And then 2015 happened....

One morning my dad rushed me to the ER because I had a 104.3 temp and was shaking with the chills uncontrollably. I had sepsis. And I had no idea what that was or what that meant. Flash forward and I've had sepsis 11 more times since. Yes you read that correctly - ELEVEN.

Come to find out, I have a superbug infection! And I'm but 1 of only 2 people in the world who has it. How's that for a parallel, I'm almost a "suprefractor!" lol
I'm infected with both antibiotic resistant E. Coli and antibiotic resistant Staph.
It's so much fun! All located in my lower abdomen sub-tissue. And yes, I get flare ups a lot and have seen the inside of a hospital so much that the staff at University of Colorado Hospital all know my name lol I even have my own set of 3 different reams of doctor's!

So I have all this time on my hands.
My dad is my literal caregiver & employed by the state to do so. Yup, I'm in pretty bad shape. And with all that time on my hands and not being able to do what I love - photography (I'm a professional nature photographer, my website is here BTW jdebordphoto.com ) I decided one day comepletely out of the blue that I would do what always brought me happiness - take a dive into collecting baseball cards again!

This wasn't an easy choice especially given I had to sell my whole collection to pay medical bills. For the longest time I couldn't even look at ebay because it gave me literal PTSD when I'd see baseball cards. The experience I went through was incredibly traumatic and it really messed me up in a lot of ways. The memories are very unpleasant & it was one of the most stressful times i've ever experienced in my life. But...I needed something. And one day I was cruising ebay when I out of no where came across a set of Milwaukee Brewers police cards from 1981.

And that's when things drastically changed.

I used to have these cards. As a kid living in Oconomowoc, WI. my friends & I would chase down cop cars in order to get baseball cards. And the memories began flooding in. Things I haven't thought about since the early 80s began flooding my mind and all of it was happiness. And that's when the lightbulb went off. I bought that set of cards! And it was the beginning of my return to the hobby.

I was even able to find part of my original collection for sale on ebay.







Now THAT was a big highlight since coming back to the hobby.
And my experiences thus far have been nothing short of amazing since coming back.
I've met some amazing people who I will be friends with for the rest of my life and I've built some amazing relationships. For me, it's all about collecting not investing, & I think that's a big reason why I am having so much fun! I collect what I love and like first and foremost. And I buy ultra-modern to sell so I can finance my PC which is a few modern players (Devers, Story, Yordan, a few others) in order to buy vintage. My eventual goal is to get back into pre-war but being disabled & on a very limited income makes it very difficult given how expensive pre-war is.

I have managed to snag a few T206s and T205s but I'm priced out of anything less than a poor condition common player lol So I decided to get creative & look to see what I can afford.
Exhibits. B18 Blankets, oddball releases. And I love each & every one of them! I've always really been into oddball stuff. It just has a draw and hits differently.

And I'm slowly replacing the items from my original collection I once owned. Granted, I will never get everything and some things I come across I had forgotten I ever even owned! Like this piece below. I owned this, and I got it from when I attended a Brewers game in 1982! And one day I'm once again cruising ebay and see it and BOOM! A "Holy sh!t moment!" was born lol Yup, I had to have it



In closing, the hobby has been absolutely wonderful for me.
I'm basically home bound. And it helped me deal all of that listed above along with the passing of my mom in late 2019 from Covid which was an absolutely horrific experience.
Through it all though the last couple years it's been baseball cards which have kept my sanity. It's my one little safe space where I can get lost and just relax letting myself detox, breathe, and get lost for awhile. My hobby Twitter I keep politics & drama free, only ever tweeting about baseball cards & some football card material here & there. And it too has become a little safe space.

Yes, the hobby has helped me in ways I can't begin to describe.
I'm incredibly thankful for everyone I've met, the relationships I've built, and finding that despite the divisions today, we all come together for the love of 1 thing - baseball card collecting! And it's absolutely beautiful! <3
--John

[GMSportsCards]

Originally Posted by kkart

Wellp, I'll share my story with you all.
This will be very long and very deep & intense. I'll likely be taking a few breaks as I write this because it's not easy to discus & talk about.

--John

Wow, what a story! Thanks for sharing. Finding your old sets on eBay is incredible! So glad that you have been able to find comfort once again in the hobby. I hope your health improves . As new medical breakthroughs occur, maybe one day you will be cured. I hope you are able to keep that child-like joy for card collecting as well.

[calmar]

Thank you for sharing that. And good luck with everything.

[AcunaCollector]

Originally Posted by GMSportsCards

Wow, what a story! Thanks for sharing. Finding your old sets on eBay is incredible! So glad that you have been able to find comfort once again in the hobby. I hope your health improves . As new medical breakthroughs occur, maybe one day you will be cured. I hope you are able to keep that child-like joy for card collecting as well.

Agreed with this comment 100%!!! Blessings brother!!!

[chris_ac]

People with careers, families, friends and the daily activities associated take for granted their health way too much. Your life of course, but in terms of this hobby as a true outlet separate from real world difficulties, it has gotten me out of bed each day for the last 9 years when I stopped being to able comfortably leave my home other than doctor appts. Quarantine is not close to the deliberate life of staying away from germs. My parents adapted to that lifestyle when I born. Neither got depressed. I was taught to entertain myself for hours on end in a hospital room or at home when ill. Now, thanks to the full extent of this hobby on the internet, it can be enjoyed in all it's glory without venturing out. Social experiences were always overrated for someone born with Cystic Fibrosis. Peers never could understand the obstacles each day to go to public school (which is a germ net in itself). The only relatives we keep in contact with live up the road but still never grasp my needs. They always think you just get better like it's a quick cold/flu and you move on to better days. Not technically true. You get better from pneumonia, but recovery is slow and then goods days can be marred by coughing due to typical allergies and/or circumstances. The new "miracle" drug for CF didn't really make my life much better and now its a slow decline.

Just providing yet another post in this thread about how this hobby is more important than people tend to give it credit for. We all need joys in life, even in just healthy downtime, but sports cards can be a direct lifeline to a drowning person (in my case and others above, debilitating health concerns). The athletes themselves and their performance in relation to the cardboard we buy, is quite a trick when it's all going well. Can actually have glum days when your favorite player is not playing well or is hurt. Beyond cards, internet video highlights with full blast audio still gives me goosebumps to feel I'm alive and breathing (a true ode to lung disease btw) like I went to the game myself.

Point also, is other collectibles really don't provide that spark. I like comics and their movies as much as anyone but something about sports and the person creating a moment and the trading cards you have to hold and feel the connection. A little sappy, but hopefully 1 person gets my premise.

[FlyingDutchman]

Originally Posted by Hollywood42

This has been a pretty terrible month. I'm not sure I can describe what I feel like I've been going through. And I'm not through it yet, and honestly sometimes I don't know how I'll get through it. But cards have helped give me an escape here and there. I'm still struggling, and sometimes struggling a lot. Today has not been good. I'm thankful for the times sitting down and sorting some cards, or coding my site, or playing around on TCDB can help take up at little space in my mind and push out even a little of the tough things. It doesn't solve anything or make the problems go away. But it helps, even if only a little. And right now I'll take that

Hang in there! Hopefully things will begin to look up for you!

Originally Posted by kkart

And with all that time on my hands and not being able to do what I love - photography (I'm a professional nature photographer, my website is here BTW jdebordphoto.com ) I decided one day comepletely out of the blue that I would do what always brought me happiness - take a dive into collecting baseball cards again!

Those photos on your site are awesome! Nice work!

Originally Posted by oplum29

i don't think i had every posted here on this thread, but i'll give it a shot today.

card collecting for me is very much like Hellfire Club from Stranger Things. if you aren't a part of it, you wouldn't understand at all.

there's a nasty stigma, don't know why, but that at some point, card collecting is for kids only. and once you grow up, you're supposed to move on from cards, to adult stuff, like a career, a home, wife and kids, etc. i remember always hearing about stuff like that. watch a show like The Simpsons for example, and look at how they paint Comic Book guy...

that's an idea of what card-comic book collecting is, it's a kid thing. so when you are able to connect with people your age, or older than you, it's an awesome thing.

i'll go to my LCS and i can be there for hours, just shooting the bull about sports and sports cards, again, like Hellfire Club. Unless you are in, you won't understand.

you all seem to be in with us, that's why for the most part, we all get along. but to outsiders, we can still seem like freaks. i'll still get the "you still collect cards? how old are you again?"

i get remarks like that. then when they realize that some of our collections could literally purchase a car, or even a house, they aren't as judgmental as before, even though they still are.

card collecting can be a quick fix, but talking about card collecting with a fellow card collector, is even better, if that makes sense. you're bonded from that point on.

I have similar sentiment towards fantasy baseball. People hear I play and I get the look. But for me it's about keeping up with old friends. Three of us in our league have known each other since we were in diapers. Six of us grew up playing sports together since we were 5 or 6 years old. A few of the guys are from college. There's only one guy in our league we've never met and I just sent his 12 year old son some cards as a surprise. Every year for our draft we try and get together for the day. It's neat to keep those relationships going.