> The man combined his hobby with his profession and is now retiring a millionaire.

Worth noting that the £1.5 million valuation is in the ball park of what the building is worth on it's own.

I think the parent's point is that while the collecting itself can be very rewarding it's far from guaranteed anyone else will find value in the collection. It does feel a shame to dispose of such a piece of work, but the real value is likely more in the collector than the collection.