How do you decide what to collect?

[Section103]

It can be a real struggle. Im extremely deliberate in what I collect. If a card isnt part of a set / goal Im collecting; I generally dont acquire it. On top of that, Ive been working on one particular collection for the past 12-15 years and Im down to the very end - I may not add more than one or two cards a year going forward.

Not sure where I'll go next because there are so many things to consider. I cant over-extend myself on my next collection in case one of the tougher finds comes up in my first collection. I also want to start a collection that I can actually finish.

In the end, this is a long winded way of saying Im looking into a new collection centered around either a) some of my favorite historical players or b) all of the players from my favorite team within some of my favorite sets.

But Im looking long and hard before I start on any of them.

[drcy]

I've always liked variety, so would follow the auctions and pick up neat things at fair prices. In cards and memorabilia, there are many quality items that are affordable. High price often doesn't mean something is higher quality, just in higher demand. Further, I was never enamored with high grade, which saved me a lot of useless money.

[kmac32]

I collect E121-80 and E121-120 Giants and Yankees as my great great uncle Elmer Miller is in this group and they surround the 1921 World Series in which he played.

I also collect T205 and T207 Cubs with emphasis on different reverses as I am a die hard Cub fan. Banner year for me as my Cubs finally won another World Series.

My point is collect what you enjoy for whatever reason. You do not have to collect everything. Only what you want.

Kmac

[VoodooChild]

I'd recommend finding something "cheap" to collect when your funds are dry or when cards from your wantlist are not readily available.

For example, my primary focus is pittsburgh pre-war types. However, one of my side projects is where I collect the "Topps All-Star Rookie" cards from 1960-present. You know, the ones with the little trophy icon on them. While some can be expensive, I can pick most of them up for a couple bucks.

[swarmee]

I collect things that are related to things I love:
1909 T51 Murad College Series because I love college sports
Cards and autographs of every Georgia Tech athlete who played in the pro sports leagues (BB, BKB, FB, PGA, WNBA) or luminaries: astronauts, generals, CEOs, etc.
Knights of Columbus cards/postcards/ephemera: they are in the T56 Emblem Series, plus some silk issues
T121 Sweet Caporal WWI war scenes because of the military and US Air Force history

[Enfuego]

I am big on major contributors to the game and being born and raised in NY, I go with the Yankees, since my family are diehard fans.

[Bored5000]

I have posted this on here before, but I love the rare and the esoteric. With baseball cards, that usually means expensive. One of my favorite subjects to collect is auto racing cards. I like collecting racing because there are only a few cards that individually sell for more than $500. Even an extreme rarity like the card shown in my avatar is "only" an $1,100 card. Some of the racing cards on my bucket list are only $200-400 cards, yet finding one is nearly impossible.

[Exhibitman]

It is all about enjoying what you are doing. If they money is an issue, don't do it.

Look at the other forums here. It doesn't have to be prewar baseball HOFers. If you like other sports, lots of great stuff is out there. Ditto for nonsports. While a few marquee cards can get expensive in any field, most cards are a fraction of the cost of equivalent baseball cards.

One alternative for prewar HOFers are the sets issued in the 1950s-1970s. Callahan HOF, Golden Press, Fleer, even 1976 Topps All Time All Stars. Beautiful issues that can represent HOFers in your collection for a very modest price.

If you follow the current game, they still make cards. I had a great time with Topps Now in 2016 and ended up with every Clayton Kershaw card they made last year.

I regularly pick up the cards formerly known as 'shiny crap' when they catch my eye. Hell, I spent a really enjoyable afternoon at the National last year going through large dollar boxes of 1970s cards looking for chase cards that I recall seeing 20 years ago for a lot more.

I like cards from when I was a kid. One of the things I actively search out are 1970s issues. Especially at a show, there is great stuff available in slightly lower condition for a pittance. One dealer at the show last year basically gave me a free stack of 1960s-1970s HOFers when I bought a single graded card from him. Postwar Topps and Bowman, for example, are very reasonably priced if you don't have to have high end slabbed cards.

Buy stuff you like and try to get decent deals so you can sell it if you change your mind. Also you can never go wrong with iconic HOF'ers even in low grade.