What defines your collection? Why is baseball different?

[bk400]

Forgive me, as this might be considered an excessively lengthy and philosophical post. But based on what I've read from my short time as a member here, this forum largely comprises a thoughtful, educated and introspective group. So here it goes:

1) What drives your collecting habits? I am guessing that most here are not the equivalent of sports card day traders, although I'm sure many are not averse to buying cards purely for the purpose of selling for a profit at a later date. But fundamentally, what drives your purchase and sales decisions? Are most of your purchases PC buys, but then the parameters of your PC change, so you become a seller? Or are you a dispassionate buyer who may hate Mel Ott, but if there's a good deal, you buy because you know you can sell to someone else at a profit?

For me, I have found that my collection needs a narrative. A narrative that is more important than the absolute dollar value of the cards themselves.

If I get hit by the proverbial bus tomorrow, my children who look through my collection will be able to understand why I accumulated what I accumulated. They will find cards of players who were "good" men and women and who had a positive legacy (to the extent the public personas are representative of reality) off the field. A lot of team captains and tough defenders, especially outside of baseball. I'm embarrassed, but not ashamed, to say that I've probably overpaid collecting cards of athletes like Hank Aaron, Larry Fitzgerald, Roberto Clemente, Ernie Banks, Ozzie Smith, Joe Montana, Charles Oakley, and Mia Hamm.

Yes, I collect Lawrence Taylor. But right next to his rookie cards will be an entire collection of Harry Carson, the emblematic team captain (as an aside, even on the field, I always thought that the job of meeting the opposition's halfback head-on, coming full steam through the D-line took a lot more courage and pain tolerance than that of running around the end trying to hit a QB's blindside while he's trying to throw the ball).

I have a lot of Dwight Gooden and Keith Hernandez, but their cards are stacked next to an equal number of Gary Carter, Mariano Rivera and Cal Ripkens.

What principles define your collection?

2) What is it about baseball that makes it easier for us to care about players that we've never seen play?

I love collecting Hank Aaron. But I've never seen him play. His career ended before I had any real consciousness about sports. And I am certain that the collectors here on this forum have never seen any of the T206 guys play. Or Ruth. Or even Mays, Mantle or Clemente in most cases -- yet their cards remain some of the most coveted in the hobby. Conversely, in basketball, Michael Jordan resonates with me because I watched him play growing up. So does Charles Oakley. But Willis Reed and Wilt don't mean anything, and I wouldn't even think of buying their paper. I'll buy Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and football players of those vintages. But I couldn't care less about Joe Namath or Bart Starr or Terry Bradshaw.

Am I an outlier, or is this the case with others?