Collecting: The Journey or the Destination

[argpdt]

Recently I have been thinking a lot about my very large card collection and what my focus is or should be. I started collecting when I was 7 or 8 years old, which is about 40 years ago now. Like many people, I stopped collecting during my college and early career years, only to start up again about 20 years ago. I have many complete sets from baseball (oldest 1965 Topps), football (oldest 1950 Bowman) and basketball (oldest 1969 Topps). My collection ranges from a few 1887 Old Judges, 60+ T206 and many other pre war raw and graded baseball cards through football rookies, autographs and jersey cards from as recently as this year.

What this post is really about is what is more appealing, the collecting of cards or the owning of them.

I find that as soon as I complete a project/goal, I am already in progress on another goal. I also find that I don't look through cards that I already own nearly as much as I search to buy cards that I don't have yet. I love my collection and am not looking to sell, so I don't finish a project with the intention of selling to fund the next project. I would much rather build a set than buy a set and I do like owning the set once completed.

Years ago I completed a run of regular issued LA Rams cards from 1948 Bowman through all 1992 issued sets (and most of the oddball items from those years too). Late last year I completed my goal of owning at least one card of every MLB Hall of Famer, who has at least one card issued post 1900. I have also completed many baseball and football player regular issue checklists over the years. Not being wealthy, I have to stay within a monthly collecting budget, so for now $500 cards are out of reach (i.e. T206 Cobb, 1933 Goudey Ruth/Gehrig, 1935 National Chicle Nagurski, etc.). I focus on acquiring what I find interesting in a condition that I can afford.

Current Projects:
T206 Brooklyn team set (need 12)
T206 Card of Each Hall of Famer (minus Wagner and Plank)
Hank Greenberg master set
Nap Rucker master set
1952 Bowman Large Football (need 7 short prints)
1952 Bowman Small Football (need 22)
1955 Topps Dodgers (need Roebuck and Snider)
Acquisition of any pre war Hall of Fame baseball cards that I don't have

I apologize for the long thread here, and this may have been covered before I joined Net54, but I am curious to hear fellow collectors thoughts about the hunt versus ownership.

[bbcard1]

As a general rule, the hunt is more fun than the kill.

[midmo]

I'm 50/50. I like travelling and going to shows, antique shops, auctions, etc. I also like flipping through the cards I own and looking at my displays. I'm finding that I don't have the desire to own as much as I once did so I'm trying to focus my collection more towards quality over quantity. I much prefer displays where I can enjoy them all the time rather than boxes of stuff in the closet.

[ullmandds]

a little of each for me...but once a card is obtained...I like looking at a scan of the image on my screen more than the card itself usually!

[orly57]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

a little of each for me...but once a card is obtained...I like looking at a scan of the image on my screen more than the card itself usually!

Pete, you have just made me feel a little less crazy. I feel the same way. It is easier than opening the safe, getting out the cards, etc.. And you can zoom-in too!

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

a little of each for me...but once a card is obtained...I like looking at a scan of the image on my screen more than the card itself usually!

Originally Posted by orly57

Pete, you have just made me feel a little less crazy. I feel the same way. It is easier than opening the safe, getting out the cards, etc.. And you can zoom-in too!

Same here, guys. People always ask me how I can enjoy my cards when I keep them in a safe deposit box at the bank. Then I take out my iPad, show them my killer scans, and zoom in on the dot-matrix faces. Man, it's nice to slide through a gallery of pre-war cards on my train ride to work!

As far as the initial question, the hunt is great -- moreso than ownership usually, but sometimes the ownership is identity-driving. Some pieces complete me!

[doug.goodman]

It's all about the hunt.

[Stampsfan]

Originally Posted by argpdt

I find that as soon as I complete a project/goal, I am already in progress on another goal. I also find that I don't look through cards that I already own nearly as much as I search to buy cards that I don't have yet.

Originally Posted by midmo

I'm finding that I don't have the desire to own as much as I once did so I'm trying to focus my collection more towards quality over quantity. I much prefer displays where I can enjoy them all the time rather than boxes of stuff in the closet.

This is a great post, thank you. I thought it was only me that found it weird to spend more time looking than enjoying. I've found when I've completed a set, I then look to upgrade certain aspects. I also think I purposely don't complete a set. For example, I am one card away from completing my Ex-Mt 1958 football set. I need a common, and I keep putting it off.

In addition, I find if I pick up a great card that I've been searching for awhile, I immediately then want to get to the next big one on my list. It's friggin' weird.

I narrowed down my collector focus too (as I get older). I dropped some memorabilia chases and focused more on cards, which still brings me back to my youth.

[midmo]

Originally Posted by Stampsfan

I narrowed down my collector focus too (as I get older). I dropped some memorabilia chases and focused more on cards, which still brings me back to my youth.

It's funny you say that. I'm actually a little the opposite. I've been getting more into pins lately. I think they make cool displays.

[midmo]

Btw, Andrew I dig your Nap Rucker master set project. Here are some Ruckers of mine...

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by argpdt

Recently I have been thinking a lot about my very large card collection and what my focus is or should be.

What this post is really about is what is more appealing, the collecting of cards or the owning of them.

I apologize for the long thread here, and this may have been covered before I joined Net54, but I am curious to hear fellow collectors thoughts about the hunt versus ownership.

What's appealing to me is owning an item. I'm not sure with me personally that the hunt is that fun. I just have the feeling if I don't look I may miss something I've never seen before. My collection, at this point, is pretty focused and now I'm working on displaying items rather than just storing them. I do know I don't look at items as much once I have it in my collection; maybe I should do that more often. I think the older I get collecting is just a hobby and I don't need everything.

[1963Topps Set]

I find that as my collection is nearing less and less of what i need, I am enjoying going through the collection more and more. Each set not only represents that cards themselves but the stories behind how I got them.

[KMayUSA6060]

Both for me, and I say that on a case-by-case experience.

I am early on in my T206 set journey. I started it because I want to finish it. However, I am really enjoying the journey thus far, putting me in both categories - the journey and the destination.

My Jim Thome PC will never be completed thanks to modern over-production (Thome has around 9000 total different cards), but I'm enjoying the journey.

My HoF PC is a fun journey, but I'm truly looking forward to the completion the most.

[Jewish-collector]

For cards, it's “The older you get, the less you want/need”.

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by Jewish-collector

For cards, it's “The older you get, the less you want/need”.

this seems to be true for me!

[Den*nis O*Brien]

Originally Posted by Jewish-collector

For cards, it's “The older you get, the less you want/need”.

....to feel this inclination. The "End" could be down the line!

[Beansballcardblog]

I'm curious at what age this starts. I'm 38 now and it's starting to turn that way for me.

Originally Posted by Jewish-collector

For cards, it's “The older you get, the less you want/need”.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by KMayUSA6060

(Thome has around 9000 total different cards)

WTF? I'm so glad that I don't collect modern.

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by Sean

WTF? I'm so glad that I don't collect modern.

i thought the same thing!!!!! I remember collecting HOF'ers as a kid and mainly it was just topps...sometimes bowman!!!!

[Sean]

When I was collecting the '65 Topps set it was about the journey. That's why I sold them about 4 years after I finished.

With the T206 it's both. I love finding cards that I want and owning them.

[dabigyankeeman]

While pride of ownership is fantastic, particularly once you build up a really good collection (or even own 1 or 2 cards you totally love), the most fun is the thrill of the hunt, the looking for new things to acquire.

For me, being older and having a wife with bad cancer, i worried about the future financially and stopped buying for about 6 - 8 months, and wow, even with my great collection i was missing on so much enjoyment it was killing me. I had to just a month ago find cards to collect that could be less expensive to get but be fun to search thru Ebay and other places to find the ones i really wanted (and at a low price) and since i have been doing that collecting is fun again!!!!

Nothing like the thrill of the hunt, particularly if its a little effort to find what you want!!!!!!

[Beansballcardblog]

Nothing but the best wishes for your wife and yourself, Arnie

Originally Posted by dabigyankeeman

While pride of ownership is fantastic, particularly once you build up a really good collection (or even own 1 or 2 cards you totally love), the most fun is the thrill of the hunt, the looking for new things to acquire.

For me, being older and having a wife with bad cancer, i worried about the future financially and stopped buying for about 6 - 8 months, and wow, even with my great collection i was missing on so much enjoyment it was killing me. I had to just a month ago find cards to collect that could be less expensive to get but be fun to search thru Ebay and other places to find the ones i really wanted (and at a low price) and since i have been doing that collecting is fun again!!!!

Nothing like the thrill of the hunt, particularly if its a little effort to find what you want!!!!!!

[dougscats]

I found out awhile back, after completing my T206 518, that I enjoyed the chase much more than its completion.
It's the reason I widened my parameters on 518 [now going for uncommon backs, stamped-backs, sub-sets and oddities] and now have over 600 in my collection.

The chase has you always on the quest, looking forward; when it's over, that's gone.

It seems that we have a few collections in common, Scott, Brooklyn Dodgers among them. I'll email you.