[Closed] What do you consider a "small" collection vs. a "large" collection?

Compared to most here I guess mine would be considered small. I only have 180 lol.

George ... Very valid points ... I at least have spread sheets so I can at least research what I got ... so as far as still keeping them in their shipping boxes ....

For me ... And I can only speak for me

I'm moving in 3 years ... From Humid as heck Sunny Central Florida .... East Central TENN

So for me ... BEFORE I hit the big " R " ( retirement ) ... while I still have a decent check coming in ... I try to buy here and there ... because once I retire ... my purchasing days are " O V E R "

My paychecks with 40 hours "Over Timewill be over as well

However ... I'll have all the time in the world to unpack, polish, take pix and set up my displays once BIG "R" arrives ... and 36 months is not that far away

Bruce ... Bravo ol bean on an xclnt post .......

" Big or small ... we love them all

I SO get your message

And everybody message as well

My collection is what fancies me and my interests

I don't know my collection number ... But I sure can tell you what I do like and why I like it and maybe I just might have had that particular offering in my past life times

The point is ... we're all here for a reason ... we just love cars

And that's good enough for me

Dennis, you bring up the point that once you retire, your buying days are over. I guess my situation is the opposite of yours. When I was still working, I had to pick and choose what I could or would buy, as I had other bills, school tuition, college, house payment, etc.

But since I retired, I now have NONE of these monthly expenditures and I'm able to buy many more cars. Problem is, the mints quit making them, so now I have the money but no cars being produced. But, I'm on the secondary market and have bought about 20 cars since the Mints vanished.

I've got more disposable income in retirement than I ever did while working.

I have a mere 70 or so 1:24s, a small and cozy collection.

My limiting issues were available display space in my 1br. apt. and, of course, funds, due to rising housing and health care costs. That said, I have most of the diecast cars I want, except for few coveted models which I've now decided I'll have to live without: the two DM 1960 Eldorados, the DM '56 Roadmaster convertible and the two-tone green DM '55 Olds Super 88 convertible. My collecting was confined to cars from '49 to '60. I'm very happy with my modest little collection.

John, for the life of me I can't fathom how you'd not know you already have a car in your collection

I have 329 cars, and I know exactly what everyone of them are. And I don't have written record of what I have either, though I do have a file with each cars papers and titles they came with.

I do have six duplicates, but they were purchased on purpose. For example, I have Danbury's two '55 Oldsmobile convertibles...the red/white and the two-tone green. I have two of each model because I wanted to have one displayed with the top up and one with the top down. The others I have as duplicates are for similar reasons.

But how can you not know what you have already? Boggles my mind, but YES, we are all different.

Dennis, count your cars. It's easy, 1, 2, 3, 4....and so on.

I've only made that mistake once or twice...

... most of the duplicates I have were purchased for the same reason as you (top up/top down). I knew I had two of those WCPD 59s but saw another one in execllent condition and couldn't resist. One is displayed with skirts and wheel covers, the other sans skirts with dog dish hubcaps from the59 sedan delivery. I'll eventually auction off one or two. I was using the JSS software for a while, but I'm on a Mac and even though I installed Windows, it was still a pain in the as to use. I recently remodeled and now my models are not in the same room as my computer, so I have to be careful and not get carried away on eBay during happy hour;)
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Same here, George....

... I've always built kits but didn't start collecting die cast until I retired in 2013. My house and vehicles are paid for, so I have more disposable income that I ever did when I was working. It's nice not having justify my hobby expenses.

I know it may sound strange but I just like knowing that I own it even if it's not displayed

:You're right, it's strange to me. If it's only going to sit in a box in a closet, why have it?

I call it "pride of ownership".

I was never that orgnized. When I started selling off my collection I discovered that in several instances I bought two or three of the same model.

From what im reading here my 260 car collection sounds puny

LOL Frank, I don't think organization has anything to do with your not knowing you bought more than one or more of the same cars. Seems to me it might be more of a memory issue, which should be concerning.

Part of the excitement of these little cars is having the box arrive and the opening of it. I remember that thrill with every single car on my shelf. Not remembering I'd already had the car, would certainly concern ME.