What makes a great collector?

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Posted By: Peter Thomas

I think that there needs to be some area or areas of focus. An individual set, a team, a relative, a player, lefties ect. That said I don't see any correlation with the quality of the cards making something that otherwise would not be a collection a collection. A box of PSA 8's and 9's is not a collection. It may contain individual cards that we might covet, but it it not a collection. It is closer to a form of currency than a collection and as such has some vulnerbilities - remember tulip bulbs. That said I do like an 8 or 9 when I can get one and it fits my collection. Generally within a set group I like to have the set at about the same grade level. Although I have many cards I only have 4 complete sets.

T204 Ramly which ranges from 5 to 8 with (1) 9. It took completing 4 sets and some trading with Scott B to get my set to this level and I would never get into something like that again.

E93's Is now an Ex set with (1) 4 and (1) 6. At one time I had a compete set with cards that ranged from 9 to 3. Jim B (who already had the nicest set around contacted me and with worked out a trade of my high grade cards for his corresponding cards and some money, I filled in a few 3's and 4's with 5's and am very happy with the set as I think is Jim with his, also made a friend along the way.

E103's I accquired about 70 raw cards over 10 years and put together the best set that I could which ranges from 2 to 5 it is a vge set with a Wagner 5. About a year ago after trying to upgrade with 2 for 1 trades had no sucess, I offered the dup cards cards to the board and sold them all. I think Alan got some upgrades and Brian almost completed his set. If I ran into a Tenny I would get it for him.

49 Leaf's - First cards I collected as a 7 year old kid still have about 60 of the cards that I got as a kid. Competed set as unfinished childhood task and as a child it was one hell of a task. Ask Ted.

Now I am still working on Ramly set, but would not pull a $6,000 trigger to upgrade a 7 to an 8 in last Mastro auction. I still have 12 5's to upgrade but 6 of the cards do not have any graded higher so I will not get much further. Looking for E103 upgrades, but only got 1 in the last year. Have 1 E93 to upgrade to a 5 from a 4, but am waiting to discuss crossing over this "floating" set to SGC before buying more cards.

This is what I think collecting is, if I was hung up on 8's I could not collect a Ramly set and would have 20 8's and 1 9. I would not be able to have any E103's. I probably could not complete an E93 set even if I had unlimited funds. I could complete a 49 Leaf set if I was willing to sell my home. Now I am messing with PCL, because it is someting that I can mess with. What will come of it? I don't know - have just started the journey.