For set collectors: Set scarcity

[Archive]

Posted By: nbrazil

trevor...thank you for your thorough response.

I ask these questions because I am interested in understanding what the motivation is for collecting sets that are so scarce (or perceived to be scarce...and hence, the real obstacle is not merely finding the card...but more likely paying for it...think of the magie card [not financially back breaking, but more expensive than its relative scarcity]) that it is likely not to be completed. What keeps a collector of such a set going? What do they feel about the set knowing that likely in the end it wont be completed? What are realistic goals for pursuing such sets? I've always felt that pure set collectors are of a different breed compared to type or player collectors. It's the journey that counts...but the icing on the cake...the cherry on top...is that feeling that the set is finally complete. Is there an empty feeling in one's gut knowing that the set will never be completed?

I guess it also depends on personality and personal finances. A person who is VERY focused would find it difficult to push a set aside for a long time because cards were harder to come by. A person who is financially well off could keep the set on the side and pursue other collecting interests.

I am currently pursuing only two pre war sets...T206s and 1915 CJs. Neither are scarce relative to their T and E brothers. I went after d304s and d303s awhile ago...but couldnt financially sustain the pursuit. I hope to complete T206s all the way up to magie...maybe plank (so, definitely no wagner, doyle, cobb with cobb back). I plan to complete the '15 CJs...with a beater jackson.