Why I collect

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by smallpaul2002

I collect hockey cards (1965 Topps), and although I have been collecting this set for less than 3 years there is a certain satisfaction one attains when "you get 1 card closer to completing the set". After 3 years I'm now only 15 cards away from completing my 128 card set.

To me it does not matter what you collect. as long as your happy with what you own. There is more to this hobby than" just collecting". It is the negotiations, the people you meet, and the thrill of getting that last card..

After this set, I'm sure will start another set to keep me in the game. Without a doubt card collecting can bring a smile to your face, no matter who you are or what your budget is..in the end beauty cannot be judged objectively, for what one person finds beautiful or admirable may not appeal to another.

Well said! I tell my kids often that they will run across those who have more than us and those who have less but that isn't the measure of a person. I also stress the need to be content with what we have. I must admit that when it comes to cardboard, I struggle at times. At the end of the day, however, this is a ton of fun! Once I found what I liked AND could afford, it all seemed to come together.

[PineTar5]

I like the whole process of developing a theme, hunting, finding, organizing, cataloging and learning. I especially like flipping through boxes and finding stacks to "consume". I have been interested in the all time top 100 or so players and around 2000 started a Pre-War collection of reprints & new issues of Pre-War legends. This started with Dover reprints, TCMA, Conlon, various mini-box sets, etc. and then the major brands started releases of new cards with old players. At the time this was a decent way to look for players w/o thousands of different cards (especially when I excluded the pre-War printings) but now I can't keep up with all the Ty Cobb, etc. new cards.

I have enjoyed:
* compiling various lists of top 100 or 150 all time players and selecting which Pre-War players deserve to be on my list of greatest players by position. This means they need to relatively compete with modern players so it's not top 100 pre-war.
* Learning about new players.
* Getting familiar with Pre-war cards via reprints
* inventorying the collection on PC/web
And mostly I enjoy going to shows and flipping though the <$1 boxes looking for new additions. This weekend I came home with a handful of dime box cards I like such as Pie Traynor and Paul "Big Poison" Waner (my authentic Goudey Big Poison and Little Poison cards from a trip to Pittsburgh years ago are some of my favs).

I must be far more selective in my authentic and vintage pre-war collecting due to cost which means the work/time to card purchased ratio is much different.

[ZenPop]

I collect because:

1. I LOVE baseball... and the history and stories associated with it.

2. I'm an artist and designer and I think many baseball cards look like little, painted masterpieces that should be hung in museums.