Acquisition Disorder: Any Known Cures?

It's all pretty harmless, as long as you're not using your kids' shoe money to buy crusty old razors off ebay. There's no possible way that'll sit well with the gaffer.

I had, er ... let's call it a moment of clarity when I was spending longer deciding what to shave with than actually shaving, sold all my gear and went back to where I was before I found shaving forums.
 
Mine has got the better of me lately. The pigeons came home to roost when I bumped off the overdraft limit, followed swiftly by the credit card limit. So will be having to sell some items on to pay next month's rent. The great thing about buying vintage though is that things don't depreciate the moment you buy them, unlike some other hobbies (I'm looking at you, CD collection).
 
PhilD said:
Mine has got the better of me lately. The pigeons came home to roost when I bumped off the overdraft limit, followed swiftly by the credit card limit. So will be having to sell some items on to pay next month's rent. The great thing about buying vintage though is that things don't depreciate the moment you buy them, unlike some other hobbies (I'm looking at you, CD collection).
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Ah yes. I used to buy vinyl like it was going out of fashion!

Er...
 
I've only bought things I believed were under priced, except a Fatboy and a Slim because I really wanted to try them. I have spent quite a bit in a short time, but to get an Eclipse, Pre war Merkur and a Kirby Beard for less than £100 is ok.
 
Keep spending until the itch is scratched. It will slow down until another AD pops up. Razors, blades, soaps, creams, aftershaves, edts, brushes. Enjoy the ride!
 
My razor ad has long gone. Merkur Mergress sorted that out.

Brushes though, it's on hold at the moment but I've got a list of ones to get once my commitment has been met.

It's a funny one, some cure, some don't!
 
I've not been at this long but since joining this forum I've had and sold the following:

34c
DE89
R41
Slim
Flair tip rocket x 2
40's Superspeed x 2
'Old'
'New'
Tech x 2
Ikon S3S
ATT M1

I've mostly tried to keep it at an acceptable level by off loading one or two as new ones arrived. I'm now left with a Feather AS D2 and a tech for travel use. I plan on sticking with the Feather now long term as it's the best I've tried and so far gives me a great shave each time.

In saying that I've also acquired at least 4 years worth of various soaps and probably the same in blades. I've got 4 brushes of which only one is a badger so the outlay for them hasn't been a massive amount either.

I think if you can settle on a razor then the other bits like soap and blades aren't too balance busting (unless you go mad buying brushes!)
 
My suggestion is to broaden the scope of what you want so that you include more cheaper options. For example, follow Paul and start buying every single example of SE razors that you can find - they are very cheap. Except for the Le Grelot that I have and that Paul desires - that one is very expensive, just like most desirable french unattainables.
 
Ah, but I have that attachment disorder ... acquiring is one thing ... letting go is another.

For example, I picked up a cracking bakelite boxed Valet, all in, all perfect, strop too ... and the razor polished up to beautiful. I bought it cheap knowing I could get it up to pristine and pass it on for a little profit, but can I part with it? Not likely!

But yeah, pick a theme and have some fun ...

I started out with Gillette ball ends. I picked up a small number and then the theme grew until I had one from each decade they were available ... then I filled in the options, different stamped heads, markets, variants ... and then the curveball hit ... some razor I did not mean to collect, but sparked another interest. Both DEs and SEs are fun to collect. They are relatively cheap compared to other hobbies, something between £5 and £10 a razor, £10-£25 for a boxed version, more for those desirable models if they float your boat ...

It's a cheap enough hobby.

... but as Vinny said, if you spend longer picking your gear than actually doing to do ... maybe you have a problem. Me? Nah! I just grab what speaks to me and get on with it. My shaves take about 10 minutes including collecting up my razor, blade, soap, brush and aftershave. Photography takes longer.

It might be prompted by a blade I have in action or just a desire to run through long combs or DDs or novel injectors, or something. With such a variety of scrapers, in all honesty, I can get a great shave out of pretty much anything, so it's entirely down to aesthetics for me for which I have a kind of synesthesia - the combinations just come to me. That, or you're seeing method in my madness ... randomness.
 
Mine started out reasonably enough last year with a user-grade Fatboy that I stuck with. But in the last couple of months, the bug bit:
Gillette 'New' #77 (vgc)
WS Sticky (rough)
Merkur Progress short handle
Vintage shaving mirror
Alu-handled Ever Ready 1912
Gillette #58 Coronation Alu set (vgc)
Medium-weight Gillette Rocket (mint)
and this week a Gillette 'Old' travel set
Plus various bits and bobs like handles, boxes and base plates.

It's going to be tough letting them go.
 
It's this or crack cocaine as far as I can tell.
The main thing to do is break it down... Blades is separate to razors which in no way are related to brushes. There you have three very affordable hobbies, and you haven't even started on soaps and other unguents.
Don't get me started on straight shaving.
;)
 
Tall_Paul said:
Have calmed down!
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Well let's see.......how to put this? I know how you Limeys are sooo polite. First, is that how you view yourself now, or is this in the future? Ok so far buddy?

Calmed down eh? Really? Nothing gets those fikkin minkies jabbering anymore? I have my doubts, (along with some recent Paypal receipts from you).

Paul, you are confusing being 'calmed down' for being dormant. Yep, just kinda taking a little siesta till things start building up again. Just takes a few good shakes or rattles and bingo, we got the Limey version of Mount St Helens.

Minky magma.....oh momma.

Mart





Fikkin Minkies!!!
 
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