Another year has passed and like many of you, most of what I hoped for in the last year hasn't shown up at my doorstep. I'm still not a millionaire, I didn't lose 40 pounds, I don’t have a new car in my driveway and I didn't take that trip to Machu Picchu.
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Being a generally positive person, whenever I reflect back on a year I also try to put the good things in perspective. I had a chance to live in “small town” BC and find out I need to live in “slightly larger town” BC to really make a go of it. I got to spend almost 4 days visiting my youngest son and his awesome family. I had the chance to move to the beautiful Comox Valley-Strathcona area of Vancouver Island. I had the chance to dry run my hobby in a retail location to see if it could actually be successful. I am still married to my wonderful wife. I did not spend one day in hospital or in jail. So, all in all not a bad year.

2016 promises to be fabulous. I committed to taking my hobby and turning it into my full time job. In November I started a business plan, a detailed map on what I wanted my job, my career, my business, and really, my life to look like. I have finished writing it and in January I will complete the last section which encompasses a local survey.  

Plans include a February launch. The biggest piece of this new puzzle is an online 24/7 full e-commerce website that will allow me to sell all my collectables. The intent is to take advantage of my film and TV background along with my love of all things old and specialize in movie posters, lobby cards, scripts, 8x10’s, crew gifts and photos as well as press books and anything film or movie related. Along with these specialty items I will still search out the weird and wonderful, the one of a kind, the rare, the truly hard to find and the historical. These are the items I truly love.

What do I expect? A lot of work, success, fun, stress, smiles, sweat, great finds, disappointments, a huge learning curve, new friends, new customers and joy. The great part about guiding your own ship is even if I’m a little off course, I’m still at sea! When I get back from a pick and I have 50 or 60 items to research, I’m like a kid at Christmas. I genuinely love it. Every item that I research means that I get just a little better at what I do. I will spend hours taking pics, researching, documenting, listing, writing copy and posting. Time seems to stand still. That’s when you know you’re doing what you love.

Oh, and by the way, thank you. Thank you all for taking the time to help me in the renaming exercise. After going through almost a hundred name alternatives, weighing pros and cons, I have come up with this little gem. The new business will be known as...drum roll...The Collector Dude! Apparently this name works with all of you and it certainly works for me. My tag line will be “Just Nostalgia” This gives a broad idea of what I do but doesn't limit me to the collectables that I can sell.

My re-branding continues with a new logo, which will be ready for February. If you love collecting and have a passion for anything I haven’t covered, please let me know. I would love to include your favourite collectable and share it with my other readers. So, please leave me your feedback. I read each and every one.

In closing, 2015 draws to a close and a new opportunity awaits you all. I sincerely hope you have the most spectacular 2016 possible. You all are an important part of my life and I wish you nothing but joy and happiness in the New Year

...still up in the air. Thank you all for the great feedback and suggestions. I think I've made my decision but it all hinges on availability and logo. I'll let you know when it's official.

I'm not sure why some items seem to increase in price in ridiculous jumps and others tend to slowly climb. If you had a 1959 Barbie, you could easily realize over $5000 for it. And yet here is an example of a first issue magazine that is in incredible condition but sells in the $40 range. Yes, I know that Barbie was a cultural icon and that every little girl (and some boys) wanted her now matter what, but this magazine is also a first off. Here is the history of British Columbia in pictures. This magazine is still going strong.

Along with this example, I have had about 10 -12 first issue magazines. Mother Earth, Beckett, some small specialty magazines as well. Examples of major cultural magazines can still hold a lot of value. Playboy 1 with Marilyn Monroe on the cover can sell in the 10k  range depending on condition. Time, Life and Sports Illustrated usually sell in the
$100-$200 range while issue 1 of  1953's TV Guide with Superman on it sells for only $300 or so. very affordable collectables for a snapshot of our culture. You could easily spend $300 on a 10 year old Superman comic book.

If you are looking to start a collection that is inexpensive, displays easily and holds some historical significance, I don't think there's a better choice out there.

You all know I'm just a little player in a big field. Like many people who want to take their hobby and turn it into a business there are a myriad of issues to consider. As a small hobby guy, I have some advantages and some disadvantages. Advantage, I can make changes quickly without any consulting and at very little cost. Disadvantage, it's seldom noticed, but I feel like I'm going backwards instead of forwards.

I have decided to make a major change to The Collector Dude. I am in the process of turning my hobby into a full fledged business. I am in the process of writing up a business plan so that I have an actual vision of where I am heading. Advantage: I can start over with a fresh look, a fresh vision and a roadmap to where I want to go. Disadvantage: have I spent the last few years blogging and trying to create a rapport with my readers for nothing?

Please stay tuned. I will be asking for support, possibly in a survey form and would greatly appreciate your input. Thanks all, welcome to my ride.