MichaelRothenpieler I don’t know the correct answer. I suspect it’s something we all have to work out on our own.
Like a lot of people have already said “just not sell anything”. I tend to do that a lot of the time also. But having said that I’ve been trying to look at things a little differently the last couple of years.
I think people who collect things are just wired a little differently. They also probably collect other things or have in the past. Some collect to proudly display them for others to appreciate too. Others like me collect in silence and no one even knows. They don’t know that there are times you're preoccupied with the thoughts of another knife you just have to have. The ones who don’t display them but enjoy looking at them and using them but not telling anyone unless they’re asked. That’s definitely me.
If I personally let one go I have to really talk myself into it. Am I selling it to fund another purchase? Can I live without it? Do I really see myself using it? All the normal things. But recently I’ve also been looking at it a different way. Is the collection still fun? Does it bring me enjoyment or has it become a burden either because it’s worth to much money? To fragile that I don’t want to touch it? Would my wife just throw it all in a donation box at a second hand store if something happened to me?
I recently gave away a really nice Trail Guide knife to a family member. No strings attached they can do whatever they want with it. Use it, don’t or whatever. I would lie if I didn’t think about that knife at least once a day since. It’s not a common knife to find here where I live and it was really nice. That’s the selfish hoarder/collector side of me. But this person expressed an interest in that knife in particular after they had asked to see my “other knives”. I guess I saw the same thing in them that got me excited when I found it. Maybe that’s more important to me now? I don’t know. I see myself now as more of a caretaker than an end user I guess.
So if you sell a knife or pass it on maybe try to focus on the excitement you’ve given someone else. The excitement you’re passing on. You made their day. I don’t know if and when I will do that again but I’m trying to change my focus. Is it the right approach? I have no idea. It’s the excitement of finding something and how that fits into my EDC rotation that drives me know I guess. I still buy stuff I’ll never actually carry but that’s more to save from destruction , sell, trade or disassemble to use in a custom.
I’ve got a lot of interests and hobbies so I have a lot of stuff I’ve spent a lot of money on over the years. None of it is junk/low end stuff. I’m trying to take the same approach with everything. That’s just the stage of life I’m at. A lot of us get there at some point.
