And for My Next Performance…

I’m in the middle of a death defying juggling act that has the collector in me licking his chops with excitement and cowering in the corner with dread. I have three fairly large comic deals in the works and only enough money in the bank to cover one of them. That in and of itself isn’t such a bad thing since I can spread out payment without being too much of a burden on the sellers. But when you factor in the fact that I’m jonesin’ to buy that $70+ X-Men Omnibus, well, then you get a hint at my despair.

And don’t get me started on the other great deals I’ve spotted in the last few days...my eBay watch list is reaching maximum capacity.

At this point, I can’t even use my tried and true Mark-to-Market style of collecting: I’m out of options on things to sell. Sure, I have plenty I could move, but I’d have to start cutting into those collectibles I really enjoy. And let’s face it, it’s next to impossible making that decision. Will the one I want bring me greater joy than the one I already have? It’s like deciding which of your children you’re willing to sacrifice. (Okay, let’s not get out of hand here. We’re talking comics and football cards, not kids. So yeah, this is a much more difficult decision.)

At this point I’m starting to feel like a company about to stumble into chapter 7 bankruptcy. First I need to consider those debts I already have and factor in their importance. Second, I need to ponder the possibilities that might open up by spending money elsewhere, as if the future is in the palm of my hands if I make that right decision.

You’d think some of these decisions would be easy for me by now. Hell, I could just read some of my blog entries and supposedly have the answer. For example, buying that X-Men Omnibus today does what exactly? I don’t have any BroDart, so I won’t be opening the book or reading it for at least a month. Look what happened when I had to buy that Fantastic Four Omnibus. Good God, it’s still in its shrink-wrap. So I should be able to strike that from my list, right?

Wrong. Instead my mind works double time factoring in the other elements of that transaction. For example, if I don’t buy it now, I run the risk of In Stock Trades running out of copies. This would mean I’d end up spending extra money in the long run because all other sellers charge shipping fees.

Is saving $8 to $10 in shipping worth the repercussions of delaying those other transactions a day, a week, a month? I have no idea. And to be completely honest, part of me doesn’t even care. I’ve lost interest in those others. It’s almost as if my mind has tricked me into believing I already have all of those comics. And any hardcore collector understands when I say that I’m beginning to look past them and on to the next hunt. So although I was excited beyond belief when I found that Amazing Spider-Man 265, right now, it’s completely off the radar. Well, except for that minor detail called payment. But is that insignificant stumbling block really worth potentially missing out on that next exciting purchase?