On collecting slowly

The most useful thing I've learned: a watch you've wanted for 18 months is almost always a better watch than one you've wanted for 18 days.

The rule is not original — every collector worth listening to repeats some version of it — but I needed to learn it the expensive way before it took.

What "slowly" actually looks like

1. Add to a private list. No purchase intent.
2. Re-read the list every quarter. Cross out what no longer interests you.
3. The pieces that survive three quarters are the ones to consider.
4. Even then, consider. The list isn't a queue.

This wishlist app exists because step 1 was the bottleneck. Notes on paper, photos on the phone, references in a Google Doc — it never aggregated.

The interesting accidental discovery: the act of writing down why I want a piece is what kills most of the cravings. Half my old "must-haves" died inside three sentences.