Weekly Review- Collecting

Sorry, I don't have a item review this week, rather, I wanted to share a bit of my story on how I started collecting and what collecting means to me. I tried to make it as short as possible but it's still rather long so please bear with me. 

I have been collecting Sailor Moon items for over 10 years.
I started watching Sailor Moon in Middle School and started collecting by High School. Back then I only got $15 a week in allowance for working hard on a farm and doing chores around the house. I was in a few clubs at school so I didn't work a "regular" job outside of school.

At first I bought the manga and DVDs, and anything cheap I could get my hands on! I would sometimes beg my dad to let me use his eBay account. The star locket I own now is the same one I bought in high school, I saved up for weeks and finally dropped $50 to buy it on eBay, and I thought that was expensive!

It has taken a lot of searching, saving, and yes, maybe even some luck to get my collection to where it is today. I am by no means rich. I am a full time student who works part time, and I now live on my own paying rent, bills, etc myself. It's harder to save up for buying items for my collection now, but it is not impossible.

Maybe I'm just fortunate that I'm a very frugal person, I've always been a saver. I saved up twice to pay my own way to go to Germany, it might have taken me two years(+) each time, but I did it.

Maybe some people think "you must have credit card debt". Well, you're wrong. I don't even own a credit card and never plan to, the only debt I have now is student loans. Some say that it's stupid to spend so much on "toys" look around you, chances are you have a collection, too. Be it books, coins, shoes, purses, clothes, etc... I do a lot of things to save up for what I have. I save money where I can, and it's my money to spend how I want.

Ask yourself: Why do you buy things? Why do you keep them?
Because they most likely make you happy in some way (or you really need it).

So, my collection is not “big” because I am rich, and by sharing it, I am not trying to rub it in anyone’s face... I’m trying to say “I’ve worked hard on this and I’m proud of it, so I want to share it with you” and I hope that you will enjoy seeing it, too.

Of course I get a little jealous of items in other people’s collections, but I’m jealous in a way that I think “wow, their collection is neat, I hope people think the same of mine”. I look to anyone who has a collection for advice, I’ve seen very small, focused collections have an item I never knew existed, and asked them to tell me about it.

A collector is not defined by the size of their collection, I don’t think there are good or bad collectors, you’re all sharing the same love for something, be it Sailor Moon, or whatever. It takes a lot of love, time, and devotion to be a collector. Big or small, your collection is something for you, and that’s what matters most.