Another one of my favorite local toy and hobby shops is closing its doors. While I certainly enjoy the opportunity to buy anything for 50% off, it’s not going to be very good in the long run since I have one less resource to purchase collectibles. Of course we all buy online and eBay is a great place to find anything, but I enjoy going to stores and handling the goods and being able to see what is out there.
One of my collections is first edition books. Used book stores are dropping like flies as many dealers are taking their business online. The loss of these stores is taking away the thrill of the hunt to a large degree because if you are looking for something specific, you can almost always find it with a few clicks of the mouse.
The whole landscape of collecting is changing. Is the next generation going to collect anything? Digital music, movies, and games are great, but when everything is downloaded and there is no need for packaging, what are you left with? Are my hundreds of books going to just continue to take up space or will others still enjoy reading ink on paper over digital words on the Kindle or iPod? Are comic books going to survive the digital age? Are people going to want “antique” video games if there are no computers around with the capability of running them?
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