I polled ten of my favorite clients for their buying or selling regrets regarding their collections of art, records, automobiles, antiques, contemporary culture, and books. Many clients wished they’d never sold special objects in their collections. They mentioned why they sold: needing space and money, or selling when the market seemed right. That “missing” feeling? That is classic Seller’s Remorse! A few folks mentioned times when they SHOULD have bought an object they discovered, or selling something too late, after the market for that style or type of object had fallen. Here are responses to the question “What do you regret?” and my comments in bold.
What have you collected or sold that YOU regret?
- Nancy said: I regret selling my grandmother’s English 19th century oil painting, because I fear I was “taken for a ride.” I sold it to a dealer who made a HUGE profit! My comment: This is what we call “fair action” in the secondary market, because you accepted the dealer’s offer. Making a profit is what makes the ‘resale’ market so important. Here’s proof: eBay’s 2023 annual revenue reached $10.1 BILLION; their net income in 2023 was $2.78 BILLION. Buying and selling for a profit is expected, so research the market before you sell.
- Sylvia said: I regret not researching the value of a particular object I sold at Mom’s yard sale, because I saw the ‘gleam in the buyer’s eyes’ as he walked away, and I got worried when I then researched the object. But I wanted to get the yard sale over with. My comment: Leave the items you’re unsure about UNPRICED but available for viewing. If a prospective buyer gets out a phone and diligently looks something up while at your sale, they smell a ‘score.’ Ask them to make you an offer, listen, and double that offer in return. That’s called a ‘counter.’
Dan said: I regret selling my 1932 Ford three-window coupe. We didn’t have the space, the rats got to the wiring, my wife hated it, and I told myself we could use the money. So, I took the cash offer. On the one hand, I have a pile of money. On the other I have a pile of potential regrets. I miss the darn thing!- Lloyd said: I bought too many pottery ‘bargains’ that turned out to be mediocre pieces. I regret not buying at the top end of the market. Today I buy quality over quantity for my midcentury California Ceramic collection. My comment: Excellent advice for a collector. Only buy the best you can afford, not the MOST you can afford.
Tom said: I regret selling my vinyl LP collection. I now buy some of those treasured records BACK and at much higher prices. I KICK myself for both selling—and for buying (again), but I miss them. My comment: Logic and reason leave us when desire enters the room.- Ernie said: I regret I ever begun to collect ANYTHING. Yes, I started a collection, in this case a collection of comic books. I’m guilty of three hundred counts of regret. At one time I loved the hunt, the knowledge, the fans, the competitive greed for a good title, and today the issues sit in five big cardboard boxes in the garage. My time is valuable, and I own
too many magazines to research! I always thought of the collection as a huge investment, but I did not predict the future correctly across the board. Only the best titles in the best condition bring high values. As a total middle-market collection, it’s something else to insure under my homeowner’s policy. My comment: Any object that is perishable and obsolete like printed ephemera WILL increase in value because they will become increasingly RARE. Just depends how long you want to hang onto those comic books. 
Louise said: I regret I’m out-of-style—because I LIKE my out-of-style things. According to my grown children, I’m not politically or environmentally correct. As my kids say, I’m an old hoarder! My kids want me to donate or sell before they have to deal with the stuff. They don’t want the hassle when I’m gone. They say, “Get with the times, Mom. People don’t have antiques anymore. They have hardly any monetary value.” Even though I feel I’m a dinosaur, they DO have value to me…but I admit, I feel guilty for keeping them. My comment: I have a favorite Aunt who said she will chuckle after she dies thinking of annoying her kids with her stuff….- Paul said: I looked on ‘Community eBay’ (a seller’s forum) for their thread base upon “Your Biggest Selling Regret.” Those “flippers,” those professional sellers, have trained themselves NOT to regret selling something they could become attached to. One seller said, “A collector can become an object, and the objects then become the collector (of the person!). And in turn the collection collects the dust into which the person will eventually become.” Memento Mori…. Paul suggested before THAT inevitable end happens, pass the objects ALONG, let someone else find the thrill of the hunt, or in his words, “Find the joy.”
- Elinor said: I regret beginning to own ANYTHING.
- Marianne said: I regret SELLING a few things that I will never forget.