Can we talk about the 'collecting for investment' crowd ruining old hobbies?

I was at a flea market in Portland last weekend and overheard two guys talking about buying vintage fountain pens only to flip them online. It just felt wrong, like the whole point of finding and restoring these things is gone. Anyone else get annoyed when a chill hobby gets turned into a side hustle?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevin_west2d ago

Ugh, that's the worst. I saw the same thing happen with old film cameras, where suddenly every thrift store find got priced like it was on an auction site. Takes the fun right out of just enjoying the stuff, doesn't it?

torres.grant1d ago

@kevin_west, what's the next hobby to get ruined?

the_nathan1d ago

Totally get that feeling. I had to stop looking at certain online groups for my own hobbies because the hype just kills the joy. What worked for me was finding a smaller, local group of people who just like the thing for itself. We trade stuff at fair prices and don't talk about market value. Maybe try stepping back from the main online spots for a bit?