Any seasoned collector will tell you that one of the main keys to success is specialization. Why?
The answer is really pretty simple. Specialization allows you to tilt the odds for collecting success in your favor by allowing you to gain knowledge and expertise that exceeds what is generally known on a topic.
And just like everything else in life, knowledge and expertise = power and success.
For example, specialization will allow you to know about specific issues that are rarer or more common than generally believed, you’ll meet and know the other sophisticated players in your specialty, and you’ll be able to identify mis-priced opportunities both at auction and in dealer inventories. Also, once you are known in the collecting community for a specific specialty, you will be the first to be offered opportunities and deals that pertain to your area of expertise.
These are just a tiny fraction of the advantages of specialization that immediately come to mind.
Some areas that you might consider specializing in when it comes to Vintage Concert posters are as follows:
Specialize in posters by a particular poster artist, specialize in the posters of a particular band, specialize in the posters of a specific venue, specialize in the posters of a particular band, or posters from a specific year.
These are just a few ideas, the area you decide to specialize in should be personal to you and your individual tastes and interests. Another HUGE advantage of adhering to this strategy is that it specialization guarantees that you will end up with a collection that will be focused, highly interesting and significant. Instead of owning a random hodge podge of posters, you can display your collection with pride as “a complete collection of concert posters from the Straight Theater”, for example.
If you’ve read this far, I hope you’ll take a moment to reflect on this advice and seriously consider it. It is some of the best advice I can give you from 43 years as a collector. It has served me well and I’m sure it will be valuable for you, too.
