Grokking the Porsche Collector’s Gestalt

Buy what you like and you can’t do that well unless you buy what makes you happy. It’s a blend of emotion and rational thought

by Jim Schrager

Not everyone can make it as a successful Porsche collector. It takes a blend of emotion, knowledge, and temperament to put together the right cars at the right time to end up with something special. Like most things in life that really matter—a great marriage, a meaningful and productive career, and warm relationships with friends—a great car collection takes time and patience to develop. Sure, you can buy a Porsche or three pretty quickly, but it won’t be a collection until you live with them, understand how to keep them operating, and decide which are important to you and why. Here are ten tips on how to have fun while you are at it.

1) Timing is everything, so buy when people are selling. This requires what is often in short supply in the vintage Porsche hobby—patience. While obvious, this advice can be tough to follow. I’ve made some good buys...