Collecting habit glitches I’ve noticed about myself - what are yours?

[Cmvorce]

I’m coming to the end of my latest collecting project - the 1952 Topps low number complete set. I need 8 more cards from series 5 and the Maxwell from series 3 and I’m done. All relatively easy cards to obtain. But as I near the end of this project I started thinking about my prior quests and noticed and trend that is now bothering me.

Previous projects:

What I identified as my top tier T206s that I could realistically get: Tris Speaker plus one each of Cobb, Young, Johnson, Mathewson, and Lajoie. I have them all except for Cy Young.

Before that my project was every hall of fame rookie card from Topps 1952-1959. I have everything except the 59 Gibson.

Before that it was the same thing for the 60s. Every hall of fame rookie card. I have them all except Niekro.

Another project was a run of Topps complete sets from 1970 to present. I have them all except for 1972.

You get the picture. Every project I’ve embarked on, I’ve moved on from with only 1 card or set needed - and usually not the most expensive or hardest to find. What is that about myself? I’ve loved all of these collecting journeys. Maybe subconsciously I don’t want to see them end? I always plan out my next project while completing the current one. Maybe I get too excited for the next one and jump the gun too soon?

Anyway, I’m left here thinking about which of the 9 1952 Topps low numbers is inevitably going to get left behind in the coming weeks.

Also, if any of you want to make a deal on a T206 Young,59 Gibson, Niekro rookie, or 72 set, it would probably be very therapeutic for me

Do any of you do something similar? What are your “glitches?”

[steve B]

In the past, I went for quantity over quality, with the occasional detour. So while I have about half a T206 set, I have few HOFers.
I was also a generalist who bought opportunistically. Nothing was out of bounds, as long as it seemed like a good deal.

And I regularly become inactive or active based mostly on price. Some stuff even on the low end seems to have occasional jumps from one price level to another, and it takes me a long time to adjust.

A few years ago I started trying to be more focused in other hobbies, and it mostly worked. I put together some pretty good collections.
But there are always those things that are out of reach and prevent "completion" Like a variety on a stamp that's already fairly expensive.
Not to mention the ones that are permanently out of reach. Like one item that last sold for 60K, and is in a major collection of a collector I happen to like. He'd basically have to die just as I hit the lottery for me to add tha one. And I don't play the lottery...

One of my other hobbies I basically stopped a few years ago. I think the last thing I bought was 3-4 years ago? None of the stuff on the want list is even remotely affordable anymore. A case of getting into it when it was ignored and prices were low.

[Vintagecatcher]

You are not alone.

I have numerous sets that I need 1 or 2 examples to complete the run of catchers in the set.

What makes it especially difficult is I try to get examples without creases.

Here are some of the sets where I'm almost there:

T207: Need Irving Lewis and Peaches Graham (Traded away my T207 Graham example to complete a trade.)

1912 Zeenut: Need Claude Berry (My white whale)

1912 HRK: Need Ralph Kreitz (Have seen 2 examples that were not for sale)

1911 PE2: Need Red Dooin (Have never seen an example!)

Patrick

[Leon]

I am always a type collector at heart but have dabbled in a few sets. The T205s I put together were fun. But I always come back to rare stuff, even if not close to the most valuable. Collecting can be fun so many different ways.

1927 Babe Comes Home card, on cardboard, 5 x 7