I have to say that I find the approaches of Val and other members fascinating and admirable. But, for me, the either/or concept of collecting stars versus common players is irrelevant. When first collecting cards as a small kid, I was strangely intrigued by guys with unusual names - given, surnames or nicknames. As a result, my collection was full of "Shlabotniks" - as well, due to the difficulty of finding big names in waxpacks on a small budget. A Braves fan, I never saw a Spahn or Matthews card, but had a lot of fun with Sibby Sisti, Earl Torgeson and Ebba St. Clair.
In fact, it was the dearth of stars and HOF'ers in my youthful collection that led me to building sets when starcards became attainable many years later. I think it was the satisfaction of finally adding the big names to complete sets populated by the vast horde of unheralded players that I remembered so fondly.
|