Collectables

When are ‘collectables’ not collectables?  Does anyone really know. I’ve seen packages of the most interesting things with the word ‘collectable’ on it.  Perfumes? and Jams?, I didn’t know they were collectable.  I guess when you come down to it, anything you collect is collectable,  however, when someone sells you a ‘collectable’ of some value, you expect that value to be retained.  But what is value?  When and how does it rise and fall? Some mysterious time between the time the person who sold it to you walks away snickering, and the time the so-called ‘expert appraiser’ callously and recklessly digs around through your treasures, possibly damaging them, only to peer down their nose at you , tell you it’s worthless, and give body language of ‘you wasted my time with this?’ leaving the hopeful ‘collector’ crushed, devastated, dragging their precious ‘collectables’ back home to store them in the hottest or coldest place they can find until the next time some so-called ‘expert’ presents the promise of “$$$CASH$$$”. It has all become about greed. This rookie card is ‘worth’ this much, that antique is ‘worth’ that much. It is only worth that much to 2 people. The person who has it, and the person who really, really wants it. The rest is just an excuse to sell books and magazines telling people what these things are worth.  What ever happened to collecting for fun? I know what happened, the ‘experts’ don’t get any money that way. Me, I think I’ll start collecting rocks. They’re free, and next time the ‘experts’ come back to town, maybe I’ll show them my collection, in a very unique way. I’m looking forward to it.