My thoughts on the initial topic of this thread:
I definitely have had to change my collecting focus a few times over the last few years. Luckily I got back in to vintage a couple years before the "covid boom" and was able to pick up some cards my 10 year old self would never have imagined I would have (my first Ruth, Mantle, Mays, Jackie, etc.). It would take me a lot longer to save up for those cards now.
I completed a set in my favorite grade (a 1952 Bowman in an average EX range).
But as prices rose I started shifting. I started looking for more non mainstream sets from the 1930's. But as prices started rising on those, I shifted down on my condition requirements (now I'm fine with "collector grade"...i.e. cards that probably took a few turns through some bicycle spokes).
And recently I've been poking around sets from the 70's. Picking up lots of cards from 1975 Topps has been a lot of fun. It's from the year I was born and contains the rookie card of my favorite player (George Brett). And I should EASILY be able to complete a decent set for about $500. I could probably save money and just buy a complete set, but that's not NEAR as fun as buying lots, sorting, and maybe posting my duplicates for trade on the BST in the coming months.
I still have a small fund that I add to every month for another bigger card (I still want to own a Cobb, and Gehrig, and Aaron some day. And I will.) But I can also have fun putting together cheap sets too.
There always was and always will be cards I would like to own but understand I never will. But I'm blessed to be able to have enough income to be able to spend some of it on old cardboard with pictures of baseball players.
Life is good and collecting cards is fun. Reading and posting about cards on this forum is fun too.
Onward.
John
|