I'm a Red Sox team set collector, which has really made the hobby enjoyable for me. I started off going for a team set for every year Topps has made one, and I'm also going for error and variation cards. On the bright side, there aren't really any cards that would be out of my league (52T Mantle, for instance), particularly since Teddy doesn't have any epic cards during Topps' run.
I'm not far away from completing the run (less than 100), but I plan on going back through and upgrading the cards that need it. Extra cards aren't a worry, as I have two boys, two nephews and a niece that I give cards to for their birthdays in the hopes of sparking their interest.
In recent years, my focus has broadened and my big project is now a T206 Red Sox team set, all with different backs. I'm looking for some pretty scarce cards, it's been a good challenge and I have learned tons about pre-war cards. And on my mental list, I'll take a swing at the Red Sox CJs, Goudeys, etc.
Since I got back into collecting years ago, I also will buy a card now and then that is a "cool" card, even if it falls outside my collecting focus. But there were so many cards that I was in awe of as a kid, but never got close to owning. Now, I can splurge every so often to get one, which I typically hold for a while and then sell it. If I make a little money, great, if not, I get the satisfaction of owning an example. The first card I bought in this way was a Gretzky Topps rookie, which I really enjoyed having, enjoyed selling and still get a kick out of the fact that I did have one at some point.
I like team sets as it does limit the amount of cards in my collection. I'd rather not have 10s of thousands of cards to store/display/keep track of. Team sets are pretty manageable, and depending on the team, it can really help in learning some of the team's history. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with collecting Red Sox team sets (along with some other essential Sox cards - just got my 39 Play Ball Teddy last month!).
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