How Orderly is your Card Collecting? What is your Scatter Factor?

[ALR-bishop]

As a set collector of all Topps ( including variations, and test and insert issues), Bowman, Fleer sets, and some others as well, my collection is more splattered than scattered per your definition, even if divided by the two 52 Mantle variations. I know there are a lot of other set collectors here and would guess they would also have high "scatter" numbers. But I do not think personally that set collecting is an indication of an unfocused collection

[Gorditadogg]

Going for every Topps card is a pretty wide focus I would say. A clear focus no doubt but still an ambitious one.

I think set collectors will have have higher factors in general because you need to have a lot of lower priced cards. But let's say someone has a nice 52 Topps set, it might be worth $200k overall, with the Mantle $50k of it. So if that is all they had it would be a really focused collection with a Scatter Factor of 4.

[skelly423]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

I know there are a lot of other set collectors here and would guess they would also have high "scatter" numbers. But I do not think personally that set collecting is an indication of an unfocused collection

When you look at collection concentration, I would be inclined to consider a complete set as a single item. There's a clear focus on a pre-defined list of cards, and they are often organized/stored together. Not a lot of scatter, at least in my opinion.

[Jcfowler6]

Originally Posted by skelly423

When you look at collection concentration, I would be inclined to consider a complete set as a single item. There's a clear focus on a pre-defined list of cards, and they are often organized/stored together. Not a lot of scatter, at least in my opinion.

I was thinking the same thing. Then I wondered about the sets I’m currently building. About 8 different sets. It’s been a few years like that with slow adds.

I think the same way that a set is one item. But what about 2/3 complete in a binder that’s in progress?


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[toppcat]

I've gotten quite organized and far less scattershot in my collecting (and around the house even) since the pandemic began. 18 months of working from home gave me back about 15 hours a week of commuting time and I took advantage. I'm now down to two remote days of work per week before I retire and that's helped even more. I look at what I had at the beginning of 2020 vs. now and am amazed I could even find anything in my collection out side of large sets!