The Long & The Short of It ???
 

Here's a simple question that might spark some interesting conversation into our collecting habits:

What is the Longest amount of time you have spent trying to collect a portion of your collection? (could be a set, a subset, a team set, player collection, etc)

Conversely, what is the Shortest amount of time you have spent on collecting a portion of your collection? And was it because you gave up, lost interest, or completed it really fast?

My Longest is the Lee and Gene Handley player collections, because the cards are hard to track down. (more than 20 years)

My Shortest was the Walter Payton Basic Topps Player Collection (completed in less than 3 months)

T206 1979-2004
I suppose I am still collecting them since I upgraded a handful at the National and picked up a brown Lenox back earlier this year. But I was done with the basic set in 2004.
JimB

The Long, the Short, and the Middle
 

Longest would be complete sets of Topps from 1972 to 2009. Starting the old fashion way of 10 to a pack, with a stale piece of gum for a dime. Wish I had saved all of the dupes from the first four years. Recently decided to part with these because I just don't look at the old ones, and I just don't care about the newer ones. Am trying to find an auction house to help me get rid of all at once.

Shortest would be the recollecting Howe McCormick's T206 cards. Three years and four months in to it. But have no idea when I will stop, as I have no idea how many still exist.

The middle was trying to collect T206s in general. That lasted just under 20 years, when I realized I'd never be able to afford all I wanted, but couldn't see getting rid of all of them. Kept two and started over (see shortest above...)

Well, my main collection - every Red Sox card from 1903 to 1990 started in 1980 and still going with lots left to get.

Shortest would be most OPC hockey sets from the 1980s, each of which I completed in the year of issue by purchasing packs...a lot of powdery gum got chewed :D.

Cheers,
Blair

I don't have any really clear answers mostly because I collect by opportunity. If I'm looking for t206s and come across a great deal on 33 Goudeys then Goudeys it is for that day. being on a fairly tight budget makes it challenging as well.

Longest time? I suppose looking for a decent OJ cabinet that I can afford. Still haven't found one, and I first saw one in around 1981 or so. Just missed a poorly listed one on Ebay a couple years ago, so maybe someday.
(There's also long stretches of time when I'm not looking very hard, if at all)

Shortest? Less than a week to get the Mcdonalds patriots set in 86. Of course it;s probably cheating that I knew someone that worked there who saved me a whole garbage bag full that he gave to me after the coupons expired. Plus he included the counter sheets showing which ones gave which prizes.

Steve B

l and s
 

longest: T206 tamed after 24 years.
shortest: T200---first 13 three years; last 3 probably will beat the T206.
unless i give up on looking for a bargain.

best,
barry

My Marshall University collection is ongoing, though I have knocked out most of the toughies with the exception of a Michael Payton/Eric Kresser phone card that was issued in 1996 or so. I could nothing but collect Randy Moss and stay busy for the foreseeable future. Completing the Ashland Oil set was the toughest. Still would like to upgrade about four cards.

The T205 project is the newest thing I have been doing in earnest. Have been putzing around with t206s for years but only decided to go after a set recently.