Significant other's response to collecting?

[biomieg]

My girlfriend supports my collecting habit - she loves buying and reading books as much as I do. She also understands the fun in collecting special editions, various versions of the same title et cetera. But she would never spend as much on a single book as I would. She also does not know exactly how much I spent on my collection (actually - I don't, either). But as long as I pay for the books myself and I still have enough left to pay my part in our household, there is no problem (although she would probably like me to save more - she has about six times as much $$ in her savings account as I have!)

[Mr. Rabbit Trick]

I bough my wife a Kindle and downloaded 2,600 books for her. That should keep her quiet for a bit!

[Erin]

Mr. Rabbit Trick, you win the best husband ever award. How awesome!

[Ari_Racing]

My girlfriend doesn't really know how much do I spend on books, but she knew from the very first moment of our relationship that she'll always have to deal with:

My soccer team.
My book collection
My computer

And even when these three things, she agrees that I'm a pretty simply guy to deal with.

[jemaher]

My wife tolerates it with a shoulder shrug and an eye roll. She does not even try to fathom why i have over 100 sl of the dark tower series.

[AKC]

None of those happen to be # 32, # 306, or # 67 do they?


AKC

[The Library Policeman]

She shakes her head a lot. Then goes and buys clothes.

[Roseannebarr]

My wife doesnt know how much the S\L books are worth. She is getting suspicious everytime a box comes from David at Betts Books. I keep telling her that David is a family man and i am trying to support his business by buying a few books each month, and he only sells me the books when they are on sale! i dont think any sane person would believe that anyone would by a $6.95 book for $800. I told her that once and she just laughed and said nobody is that crazy to pay that much for a book. I had to change my middle name to "crazy".

[jemaher]

None of those happen to be # 32, # 306, or # 67 do they?


AKC

I dont think so but i can look

[Patrick]

My wife tolerates it with a shoulder shrug and an eye roll. She does not even try to fathom why i have over 100 sl of the dark tower series.

Holy moly! That is a staggering figure.

So now I have to ask, but please don't feel any pressure to answer if you don't want to...

How many S/L's do you have of each of the seven Dark Tower books?

Again, no worries if you'd rather not say.

[Cook]

I caught a little grief today because of today's S & S S/L, but add that to everything we've spent this year..... Shit!
I'd told her I would take it easy next year..... Ha Ha fat chance. DT 4.5 comes out in february? My only saving grace is the 1st Ed. Stand she had signed at the Va. Mason event this year. Secretly, I think she really enjoys my hobby.

[Patrick]

I caught a little grief today because of today's S & S S/L, but add that to everything we've spent this year..... Shit!
...

For the sake of harmony in your relationship, please send me the book and I'll be happy to reimburse you fully for your expenses.

[Jimimck]

To allow myself a little breathing space, I have indulged my wife with her Barbie Doll collection, and got her a very limited edition doll for Christmas. I think $300 for a doll allows me a nice book or two huh? She should love the surprice next month...

[Cook]

I caught a little grief today because of today's S & S S/L, but add that to everything we've spent this year..... Shit!
...

For the sake of harmony in your relationship, please send me the book and I'll be happy to reimburse you fully for your expenses.

[ChristineB]

My husband makes the money for the household, so I always defer to him when it comes to spending. I have always been acutely aware of my spending habits (while I was in the military I could tell you on a daily basis how much money I had in my checking account, including outstanding checks), so it has been a rocky tranistion to defer to someone else on money matters.

He fully trusts me when it comes to spending, mostly cause I am a major tight ass about it. Our house is still not fully furnished (8 years later) cause I hate how much money it costs to do so (and the quality of the goods is so bad these days). I think I have spent maybe 50$ on clothes/shoes this year... wait that would be 90$ due to the 40$ pair of scuba shoes I got for when we went to Discovery Cove in September. So when I ask him for the money to buy a 1/1 I really want, that isn't the latest one, he's says "sure". He loves books just as much as I do, and since I don't get into the idea of having 1 of ever edition of every book out there, that is not an issue either.

There is one thing he has learned, that is to not buy me the books, since there are so many fakes (sigs) and conditions (1/1 vs. 1/13) that goes into getting the book I really want he has learned to just let me find the books I want. He does know I drool over a The Stand S/L, but we are both in a agreement that it is so much money for just one book that that book is one that will be a way future purchase... like when we win the lottery.

I don't think he likes how much time I spend sometimes doing the research and being on this forum, but he tolerates it fine, as long as the house gets cleaned, the dog gets taken care of and the food gets made.

[Robert Fulman]

I mentioned to my wife that the 11/22/63 S/L was going to be available on Tuesday, and that it might make for a nice Christmas present for a certain someone. Between dealing with a crying baby, a sick kid, and a broken website, I don't think she'll ever forgive me for wasting her entire morning.

[Brice]

If you got your book you don't need forgiveness.

J/k



... Maybe

[Robert Fulman]

She was upset because after wasting two hours of her life I was able to order the book in about two seconds by using the link provided here.

[Brice]

Understandably so.

I was just playing around.

[Patrick]

Yeah, but now she has the opportunity to spend two minutes at any convenient time entering a lottery to win the purchasing rights for a copy! Hmmmm, not sure you'll score points telling her that.

[wizardsrainbow]

My wife doesnt know how much the S\L books are worth. She is getting suspicious everytime a box comes from David at Betts Books. I keep telling her that David is a family man and i am trying to support his business by buying a few books each month, and he only sells me the books when they are on sale! i dont think any sane person would believe that anyone would by a $6.95 book for $800. I told her that once and she just laughed and said nobody is that crazy to pay that much for a book. I had to change my middle name to "crazy".

Glad I can be of service :-)

[wizardsrainbow]

I gotta run to bed as I start my other job in just a couple hours....I have a long story to tell here, but suffice it to say that I "barely" crossed a dangerous bridge some years ago with my wife....see I started a collection...at my office in NYC....I made good $$ then and the $$ went unnoticed. Then I dipped into my IRA (so stupid I was) to buy a complete DT set...slowly my collection built to over $20,000, then $30,000 and still my wife had no clue I was collecting King. I knew I was in trouble all along (SHAME on me!) but I was scared....finally I confessed...we had a real calling out that day. Today, she is supportive of Betts (well it does help to pay some bills) but the whole collecting mentality escapes her.

[Shannon]

"... finally I confessed ..."

Whew! I can only imagine that conversation, lol.

I try to be honest with my girlfriend about my obsession/hobby (hobby just seems so wrong a word when it's an everyday thing, lol), and every little Stephen King thing I do, she's with me 100% of the way, so ... even if I wanted to, I couldn't hide anything, lol.

[wizardsrainbow]

I have a real appreciation for people with drinking, gambling etc. problems! This collecting stuff is really truly like an addiction to many people...you get so caught up in it at times. I cannot tell you how much work time I "wasted (not the right term)" over the last 20 years surfing/researching for that next book in my collection. Good thing I was the "boss" for most of those years. Also, somehow by now owning Betts, I have legitimized my collection both to myself and to my wife. She "gets" that connection and that my personal collection stands as a possible "inventory reserve" for Betts should I ever need it. And when I finally do "liquidate" my personal collection [shudders at the thought, but recognized at present his 3 children do not share his passion] I have the PERFECT medium for selling...with no consignment fees!!! LOL

[Patrick]

Thanks for sharing that, Wiz. I get your meaning as well. Hope you never have to sell. Thinking of you, Brother!