Memorabilia and Collectibles: What’s Your Spending Limit?

While I don't necessarily deem myself an official collector of anything in particular, I do have quite a few things in my general 'collection' that i'm pretty proud to own, and totally spent way too much on.

Can anyone relate?

I got to thinking about this today when a Facebook memory popped up in honor of my favorite hockey player, Brian Leetch, who has a birthday today, March 3rd.  I grew up a HUGE New York Rangers fan, and he was my #1 from day 1 (how's this for a flashback, my email and screen name back in the day - Leetch2Val - true story).

Anyway, many many years ago, like freshman or sophomore year in high school, I decided it would be a good idea to dip into my piggy bank and buy myself an official Brian Leetch USA Hockey jersey, for a couple hundred dollars.  For a teenager this was a pretty hefty purchase, and I did it without clearance from my parents...not a good idea.  I can still hear my mom, screaming at the top of her lungs, that I better find a good place to hide the jersey, and myself, when my dad got home from work and found out how much I spent on this thing.  I can also still remember the smirk that my sister gave while watching this go down as I was trying to figure out how to survive this, and without my dad having a heart attack.

Into a garment bag my beautiful jersey went, and in the closet it stayed, until I bought my own house a few years ago and was allowed to remove it from my childhood home - also a true story.

When I think back, it was definitely a lot of money to spend on a jersey, or a collectors item as it turned out to be, but this didn't stop me on spending hundreds, probably even thousands now, on autographs and sports collectibles, concert merchandise, and other assorted memorabilia that now hangs on the walls of my house, or in the case of the jersey, hangs in my closet.

Here's a pic for reference, but I dare not include my face in case my dad learns how to use a computer anytime soon and thinks I put this thing on (hey, Dad, that is TOTALLY not me in the picture!)

Is there anything you're particularly proud to have in your collection, and what was the price tag? Is there a limit you will not go over when it comes to spending on collectibles?