francisento
New Aurelian
Posts: 26
Country: Switzerland
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Post by francisento on Oct 25, 2015 18:33:49 GMT
I am experiencing a period of high density in insect offers attracting my interest, but I am well aware that if I continue to order and collect what I want it is straining my monthly budget. I mainly collect Orthoptera, Heliocopris, Theodosia and Mecynorhina ugandensis. In the last two or three months I cam across very rarely offered Orthoptera material during certain weeks, but at the same time rare Heliocopris were available from my dealers, and now nearly every week new listings of fantastic Mecynorhina ugandensis (+75mm) show up on eBay. Last but not least I just have seen several pairs of the fantastic and largest Theodosia sp. (antoinei) for sale. Each time I consider to order these specimens I have to decide wether it is reasonable or not, because I can't afford to just take all of the fascinating material, or I will end up paying huge credit card bills (400-700$ per month) or stocking up my paypal credit. And this strains my budget because with my family and kids etc. I want to and have to be aible to put money aside... I know I probably should reduce the insect groups I am interested in and follow priority to very unique or top rare specimens. But I often have the impression or know exactly, that some of the proposed material hasn't been offered for a year or more than a few years. The other problem is, as larger and more complete the personal collection get's, the more will the searched after insects or subspecies etc. cost! What do you propose or think about what I am sharing here? What should I do? Just focus on absolutely splendid and rare specimens really completing my collection or continue to grab good offers attracting my interest? I look forward to your remarks  |
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Post by mygos on Oct 25, 2015 18:55:43 GMT
I think you should just spend the spare money you have as a rule, otherwise you will get into trouble. It is no good to buy everething you want, as you will quickly get bored. It is better if you dream of something for a long time before you can obtain it ...
A+, Michel
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Post by deliasfanatic on Oct 25, 2015 19:02:41 GMT
I would restrict purchases to items that may seldom if ever be available - the frequent items will usually remain available, at least for awhile, but "one of a kind" things may not come around again for many years.
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Post by wollastoni on Oct 25, 2015 19:37:55 GMT
Specializing is the best option as it enables you to invest strongly on a specific genus/family.
I personally also resell some specimens/species that I have in extra-numbers in order to reinvest in my collection.
Then, if not sufficient, you can also tell your wife and kids that they should stop spending money for useless things... so that you can keep on buying some bugs ! ;-) #senseofpriority
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Post by Paul K on Oct 26, 2015 3:25:06 GMT
Then, if not sufficient, you can also tell your wife and kids that they should stop spending money for useless things... so that you can keep on buying some bugs ! ;-) #senseofpriority Yes! I am fully agree on that ...and I am more then sure your wife and kids will understand your terrible dilemma and do everything to help you fulfill your dreams...am I right?  |
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Post by trehopr1 on Oct 26, 2015 5:50:13 GMT
I think many viable good points have been mentioned thus far. I agree with Mygos comment on sticking to your "spare money" or "disposable cash" budget and never exceed it. That means that if supplies are needed than less specimens OR no specimens that month --- period. There's always next month or the month after that to seek out specimens.
I think that you should step back and take a good look at what you now have and assess it. What is your greatest strength? Your greatest strength is most likely your strongest interest. That is the true nucleus of your collection so continue to run with it. But, at a slower pace. Be a lot more picky on what will truely enhance this nucleus. A good point made by deliasfanatic. Additionally, try to trim back or trim off areas of this nucleus that seem to have gone off on a tangent. And as wollastoni said re- invest all those trimmed back items by selling them off.
Finally then, take a real good look at the 3 beetle genera you mentioned and assess them. I say take out your BEST single box (or drawer) of each and place all 3 on a table before you. Look at them. Which is the 1st one which "grabs you" and pulls you in. That my friend is your true next best following or interest. It may not even be the largest or best represented of the 3 genera you like. But, it's what gravitated or grabbed yor interest next in line AFTER your main interest. Go with that and look forward to dreaming about new possible additions or enhancements. But, still keep in mind the idea of culling out what you can.
Our tastes in things we collect sometimes evolve without us even realizing it. Maybe that genus you initially liked is HUGE in numbers you really never thought of. Or perhaps, it's a complex group with little recent work having been done on it. Maybe the market is different now than years ago so that now what was affordable (if not downright cheap) has now skyrocketed in price. The bottom line is maybe it's just time to say to yourself "I'm done with this". It's just too much. So then what you do is set aside just the BEST of what you once found attractive about that group and then sell off and re-invest into your heartfelt interests.
One last thing to keep in mind is that some genera like Mecynorrhina, Theodosia, Lamprima etc. seem to have no end (seemingly) to their variations of color. And pretty soon your all caught up in snagging everything you can which falls (between) the color forms. In short, long series start shaping up and the specimens continue their upward climb. You have become a far too serious player in the market of a very popular species. A money pit really unless you have copious amounts of money to throw around. If you find yourself in this situation than just stop the cycle where it is. Keep the best and sell off the rest !
Wish you well in your decisions. It's all about good family relations and commitments first and wise choices (hobby wise) second !
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Post by nomad on Oct 26, 2015 6:17:22 GMT
Family should always be placed before a hobby. I have know of one well known modern British collector and many others of old who went bankrupt, through insects usually butterflies collecting becoming an obsession. Even dear Lord Rothschild who was super rich, spent too much and had to sell his beloved bird collection to a American museum.
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Post by exoticimports on Oct 26, 2015 12:15:16 GMT
Keep in mind that you are buying commercial specimens that are "expensive" but may not be necessarily "rare." Other than baubles to look at and brag about, what good are they? Save your money and go on a collecting trip. It will expand your horizons and then when you look at a specimen it will be yours not because you financed it, but because you caught it and brought it home.
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Post by Paul K on Oct 26, 2015 12:48:28 GMT
I have mention that somewhere in previous posts.
When you buy specimen...you have a specimen.
When you caught your own specimen...you have the specimen and whole story and adventure attached to it which you'll remember for long time when you will look at it at home after many years. Nothing can replace that, even the most rare and expensive specimen from eBay.
Paul
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Post by nomad on Oct 26, 2015 17:51:12 GMT
Keep in mind that you are buying commercial specimens that are "expensive" but may not be necessarily "rare." Other than baubles to look at and brag about, what good are they? Save your money and go on a collecting trip. It will expand your horizons and then when you look at a specimen it will be yours not because you financed it, but because you caught it and brought it home. That's all well and good, but many people collect butterfly specimens from the remote places of the world. If we are talking about the bank balance here, who can afford to pay for a trip to a remote Russian mountain, a remote Solomon Island or a mountain in New Guinea, not many here. Buying a specimen is the only option for most collectors. Most people that collect butterflies do not have that kind of money or time to travel to those places, they need to work to buy their insects in the first place. We all cannot be collector explorers and besides you will never get that permit in the first place. |
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Post by wollastoni on Oct 26, 2015 18:01:58 GMT
Very true. I would just nuance that sentence : "you will never get that permit in the first place". 1- Permits can be obtained, not easy but possible 2- Permits, if you get them, have no worth to the locals you will meet there. You will also need their "permits". And no, money is not always enough for them. 3- would AS Meek and Pratt brothers refuse to go there without permits ? or would they think it is part of the risks ? Food for thoughts.  |
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Post by nomad on Oct 26, 2015 18:19:19 GMT
As regards many areas of New Guinea, permits would be the least of your troubles I believe. To visit many parts of Indonesia New Guinea, you have to get special permits just to travel to those areas and many places are off limits. That's why western visitors are nearly always channelled to the same areas .
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Post by trehopr1 on Oct 26, 2015 20:00:53 GMT
Collecting trips are all very nice and memorable. However, any such trip these days is not just some cavalier adventure. It will likely run several thousand factoring in air fare, lodging, length of stay etc. Furthurmore, the likelihood of you actually finding very many "fantastic" specimens is usually very low. Most will be commonplace. Additionally, not everyone is necessarily cut out for such an endeavor. Or as nomad remarked " we all cannot be collector explorers".
Personal health or more importantly un-healthiness should be a big concern to any would-be Indiana Jones. Also, you had better have a strong resolve in coping with oppressive heat, humidity, rugged terrain, long night hours (night collecting or packaging), and food that may not always agree with you !
These sort of "food for thought" issues all need careful consideration before any such endeavor is seriously undertaken.
And will your family really be all that accepting of you spending a "boat load" on just yourself and your personal whims?
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Post by satyrinae on Oct 27, 2015 15:28:10 GMT
I agree with wollastoni that specialisiation is the ideal. My speciality is Satyrinae of the Western Palearctic and has been like this for years and never got bored.
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Post by Paul K on Oct 27, 2015 17:05:02 GMT
I agree with wollastoni that specialisiation is the ideal. My speciality is Satyrinae of the Western Palearctic and has been like this for years and never got bored. I am trying to figure out what family i would like to focus on and I still can not make up my mind ( 30 years+ ). They all different and in some way interesting and amazing. Including moth families. Paul |
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