Maybe this is stupid ....
... but I collect what I love and love what I collect, even when the collecting is going slowly because nothing that "fits" is showing up for sale/bid. That's when its frustrating, waiting for one of two or three cards that you need/want. I sometimes find myself saying, "hey, that '56 Topps set might be nice to start." But then I realize that there is a difference between collecting for the sake of collecting (hoarding? amassing?), and collecting for the sake of the intrinsic enjoyment building a collection brings, and, as well, its value. The pleasure comes from the latter; the former is rarely fulfilling, even if it is successful. When I pull myself back from embarking on starting a new set for the sake of having a new set to work on (and thus something to do between acquisition of the "needed" cards), and go back to the sets I love, every step in finishing a set I'm doing out of desire rather than routine is enjoyable.
My conclusion -- if you aren't first and foremost collecting what you love, you are simply doing it wrong.
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