I've shared with several collector friends that I'm glad I bought the bulk of my collection when I did, before the current trend. I'm not afraid to say I doubt I could afford to replicate even half of my collection at today's prices if I just started collecting. I guess being that I collected years ago, I still find it hard to justify today's prices. This has curbed my collecting quite a bit, plus the fact that I have limited room left for additional items. While I still love petroliana and always will, after collecting as long as I have, I lost the "gotta have it all" attitude that I once had. I know another will come along, at a price I'm willing to pay.....at least this way there's always something to look for and eventually acquire.
I personally feel it will be some time though before the prices really come down. When we did the "how old are you" poll, seeing that about half of respondents are age 40-60 if I remember correctly, it will be another 30-40 years IMO before we see a huge decline in overall interest. What we collect appeals to several genres of collecting, so it will always hold some appeal. And remember, QUALITY over QUANTITY will always be the smarter road to take.
Darin
