A Question for Team Collectors...

[Leon]

The last part about not feeling forced to buy something you don't care for is a difficult one if you are collecting a set or subset. I remember many a type cards I didn't care for but had to have to fill a hole....and some were quite costly. As for team collectors, growing up in Houston with the Astros I don't have to worry about pre-war. And I only collected until my early teens before coming back in my early 30s....Now I truly collect what I like but that can also be kind of spastic with the way I wander....

Originally Posted by dabigyankeeman

Yankees collector here. On real old pre-war cards I make a decision on the set based on how much I like them and what they cost. On most I try to complete the team set, such as T205/206/07, Goudey, Play Balls, etc. On some I only get one or two as examples such as Ramly's or blankets.

Once I reach 1948 Bowman I get complete team sets of all of the Bowmans, and on Topps I collect complete team sets from 1951 thru 1980. After 1980 with multiple companies each year and so many cards produced, I collect most Topps base set cards and then I add individual Yankees cards that I really like from other sets.

Note that collecting Yankees, there are a ton of real expensive HOF players over the years, and on them I am fine with obtaining cards in low condition, for instance most of my Ruth cards are either "1" or "A" and to me its better to have them in that condition then not to have them at all because I cant afford them in nice shape.

In the end its totally up to you, its your collection, and you make the rules. Collect what you like, and dont feel forced to buy stuff you dont like. For instance, to add to my Yankees, I also have small collections of old other teams from New York in all sports. Plus an album of Jewish athletes in all sports. Again, its my collection and I collect what I like. But I do stick strongly to the New York and Jewish cards, even if I see a card I really like if it does not fit in those categories I do NOT put it in my collection.