I'm Addicted to Sid Dickens Memory Blocks

Those of you who know me are well aware that I am highly addicted to Sid Dickens Memory Blocks. I got my first one for Christmas from my sister in 2004. I then searched high and low for the coolest block Sid has ever made. After a few months of picking up tiles at retailers I found the Message Board (RIP) on Sid Dickens' website, and through it I started picking up retired tiles from other collectors.

I was so hooked on the tiles and the collectors I had met through the Message Board that I went to North Carolina in 2007 for the first ever Collector's Reunion. From that high point the experience kind of soured. The Message Board enveloped in a flame war, and Sid Inc was forced to close it down. Since then I've been maintaining a wildly unimpressive Facebook Group and chatting with a few collectors by email. With the exception of the collection Sid unveiled at the 2007 Collector's Reunion, I have been entirely unimpressed by the new tiles that he releases twice a year for at least five years. The lack of contact with collectors and my lack of interest in Sid's current direction caused my addiction to wane.
Until this most recent summer of 2010 that is. Sid Inc has joined Facebook and have re-embraced the collecting community. They announced a new bisque finish and gradually unveiled the Fall collection (which I hate) through Facebook. Soon after they put on a photo contest that got the creative juices flowing. Somewhere in here I got re-addicted to collecting, or at least, I found a renewed interest to get the last few tiles on my wishlist.

I've been coveting the following retired tiles for quite some time, and thanks to the recession, prices have dropped a bit on these:

1. T30 German Script
2. T64 Roulette
3. T82 A (Aristocrat)
4. T89 Trademark
5. PQ7 50's Stamp
6. PQ9 Stripe
7. PQ10 Stripe with Script and Seal
8. PQ11 Medieval Script

 I've also decided to pick up the following current tiles before they get retired or bisqued (i.e. made whiter than white):

1. T45 Piano Keys
2. T123 French Crest
3. T191 Tree of Life Evolution
4. T199 Imperial Column
5. T205 Destiny (Black)

I think these 13 tiles will make wonderful additions to my current collection, but I suspect it will be another few years before I save up enough pennies to get the retired ones.