I have always looked upon my collection as a hobby and not an investment but I've often wondered what others think.

I know a few people who love to golf. They spend thousands of dollars a year on golf and truly enjoy doing so. At the end of the year they have nothing to show for it other than the memories and the enjoyment they got out of the game.

Compare this to someone who collects chips, or anything else, and spends the exact same amount as the golfer above. At the end of the year, the collector has the memories and the enjoyment of the hobby AND a tangible asset.

Here is my question. Assuming that the golfer and the collector spend equal amounts of money on their hobbies, aren't they always looked at in different lights? The collector is always faced with the question "Can I get my money back when I sell?" Why is this? Both parties get the memories and the enjoyment out of their individual hobbies but as soon as a purchase is involved everyone looks upon the "hobby" as an "investment".

My attitude as a collector is that as long as I enjoy what I'm collecting, it is not an investment. Of course I try to purchase my chips at the lowest price possible and hope that when it comes time to sell that I'm able to get the highest price possible. But even if I could only recoup 50% of my investment, that's more than the golfer. How do you feel?