Can anyone honestly say....

[eliotdeutsch]

I think in general, the sum of the parts is usually greater than the whole, simply because there are certain buyers who will “pay up” for specific cards.

By buying specific cards, you are competing with the entire market for a single card. The market for an entire set is much smaller, and at the higher dollar prices, buyers want a better deal.

It’s the reason auto shops buy cars for parts and Wall Street mortgage traders slice up cash flows. You want to give each buyer exactly what he wants most and will payup the most for.