General Forum

So I'm just curious about this. It's occurred to me as I read the posts and occasionally browse people's collections, that there are some folks who still buy packs or boxes of current  cards and slowly build the set, which I'm sure they find fun. 

Me, I'm working slowly backwards trying to complete sets, but each year I just buy the complete factory set of the cards I want, or buy a hand-collated version. I guess I like having the cards and going through them more than the process of hunting them down. This is one reason why I just buy a complete Gypsy Queen short set, for example, and don't let myself get drawn into trying to get all the shortprints. And I hate purposeful  shortprints. But I digress.  

So I'm wondering - not in a bad way, and I know everyone collects differently, and there's no right way to collect - if the set-builders have slight disdain for those of us who just buy the whole set. 

Or, put more nicely, are you more into the hunting and gathering of your cards, or the simple owning of your cards? Is your favorite part of the hobby having the collection you want, or trying to get it? (Acknowledging, of course, that no one has the collection they truly want.)

I'll stop now. 

V3

Not a bad question at all - I look forward to seeing others' replies.

We get the hobby jumbo boxes of the regular Topps baseball series (I have a connection - get them at cost) because we do like opening packs and we can usually get the whole base set out of one of those. Plus, we get inserts, which we either collect (if they are players we collect), or we trade or sell them. I don't mind having an inventory of stuff to trade or sell.

Other sets that we like to get (Heritage, Archives, Chrome), we will usually get as a set because you can get it MUCH cheaper than opening boxes (those usually take more than 1 of any size box they make). So, basically, we do both, but we have fun with the regular set opening the packs. Sad part is, this means we wind up opening a grand total of 30 packs per year. (We usually buy a few other things along the way.)

I'm a hobby box buyer only, unless once in a blue moon I buy the rookie update factory set. Of all the sets that I own only maybe 5% are complete but they are on back burner until I get my Ranford list completed. Once he is all entered in (correctly) then I will begin the onslaught of adding my sets, then my Oiler RC PC and wants. As for teh sets its all about building by the box for this kid, until its a waste of time or I get the box dirt cheap.

I'm not much of a set collector, but I do have several sets from a few sports and most were hand-collated. I really only go after a set if I obtained most of the set through pack/box breaks and I really like the set (OR am just that close). That was one thing that really got me into NASCAR cards in the mid-2000's. You could usually pull a complete set from one hobby box (minus SP's). Sometimes, the fun is in trying to get the last few and other times it's all about just getting it done or abondoning the idea. There are 2 sets that I'm still adamant about completing b/c of the pure challenge of it. Both are from 2011 Press Pass Fanfare racing and the SP cards are part of the set. There are no "A" and "B" cards. You can't complete the set without getting the SP's. The first is the 100-card holofoil die-cut parallel set and it has 10 SP cards. I have none of those and am still missing one common parallel. The second is the Championship Caliber insert set. It's a 30-card set with 5 SP's. I am missing 3 cards and they are all SP's.

I don't have any problem with someone buying the factory sets b/c they want them. I don't buy factory sets but have acquired one. I have still not opened it b/c I want it to stay sealed just like that. It still bugs me that I know it has a memorabilia card in it and I don't know what it is, but I know the set is worth more sealed. I didn't get it b/c I wanted the set. I know what the cards look like already and the MEM card won't have enough value for me to justify opening it. For those that are confused, the factory set was a freebie from dacardworld.com for the amount of products I bought at once a couple of years ago. It's the 2009 Press Pass Racing set.

As you can tell, I am a pack/box buster. I just love the thrill of opening something and not really knowing what you'll get. Even the re-packs found at Target and Walmart appeal to me. I like the fun of going through the unknown. I have bought many small card collections from people just for the fun of going through it and cataloging what was in it. I've even done blind-trades online where all I knew was that I was getting x-amount of cards of my team for a specific sport. However you want to collect, it has to be fun to you! Otherwise, it's not really worth doing it.

Good topic. I've done all three- buying the cards in hobby box form, buying a factory set, and buying a hand collated set.

I prefer to open packs/boxes myself, because you never know what you will get...I rarely even buy single cards because I have a hard time choosing what to buy. (Usually I just go for whatever I can get my hands on cheaply- but I'll get back to that). Also, with opening cards fresh from packs you know that they have not been mishandled by a previous owner, ranging from smoking to touching the cards with greasy hands. I've gotten cards in trade that were so slimy I couldn't even clean them- I just put them in a penny sleeve and taped it shut. It's almost like they were touching butter and then touched the card without washing their hands. Eww. Also, you get the thrill of pulling something really specal. For my birthday this past year my mom got me a box of Hoops, and I pulled an autograph that I would not have been able to afford to buy as a single. The thrill of not knowing what's coming is a big part of it for me.

For buying a factory set, it's a good way to get the majority of the base cards. But there's no thrill of the hunt, and you can't trust the card companies- I've gotten factory sets that were missing cards (despite being factory sealed)- and that includes from Topps. You also generally do not get any inserts or parallels in the factory set, which, for someone like me who collects everything, that's kind of a let down. I purchased a factory set of 2004 Upper Deck History of the USA for example...got all 300 base cards but not a single insert or parallel. Not even a chance to get them...and now it's made the prospect of buying a box pointless because all the base cards would be duplicates. Some things, which are ONLY available in a factory set, I will ONLY buy as a factory set- I won't buy singles if I can help it.

Hand collated sets...ugh. Never again. I've purchased more than a dozen hand collated sets and I've only ever gotten TWO that were complete and perfect. Most are missing usually one card, some more than one- several of the missing cards from hand-collated set purchases are in my Top 25 Most Wanted list on here. In fact one just arrived today that completes a set I bought thinking it was complete in the 1990s, but instead of having one of the base cards, it had a parallel. (It's amazing how many people have absolutely no clue when they come across a parallel. That includes some Database members who have posted parallels repeatedly- even when the card is clearly marked!) I have not purchased a hand-collated set since 2000, and I don't plan to ever again, unless I can see each card, such as in pages where I can check and make sure they are actually all there.

For me I prefer to open a box of something, and then chase singles to complete the set. Just ordered the last two cards I needed to complete the aforementioned 2015-16 Hoops on Ebay (using the Database link, too!). For buying regular singles, I generally go to Ebay and sort by lowest price+shipping and then just pick up whatever is there that I want. The low-hanging fruit, if you will. It makes me happy, it grows my collection, and sometimes you can find a really rare card at a great price- last year, for instance, I picked up a gold parallel serially numbered to 10 for less than what it was SN to. Can't complain about that!

I am definitely a set builder.  Pick up a few packs every time I run to WalMart or Target.  Wifee can't figure out why I have to run to the store so often when the new Topps Baseball cards are released so hope she doen's read this.  Like Billy said, when I open up a pack, I might find a nice surprise and it is usually something I would never go out and purchase but will definitely keep.  Also with the way inserts/parallels are being placed in packs these days, you almost always get one or two with each purchase and they are great to add to your collection or use in trades.  I have been going back and purchasing hobby and retail packs on e-bay usually once a month for the years that I had stopped collecting, and I found a card shop on there that has reasoanble prices and have been picking up unopened boxes there too.  It is called The Baseball Card Exchange and is in Indiana.  Prices are usually alot better than the ONE card shop in the entire Houston area.  And this is by far the best site to complete those sets by trading with the incredible members here.  Thanks Admin for keeping this site so easy to manipulate and working with us to make it fun-the reason I do it in the first place.

Jeff

I like to build sets of sports cards, but it's rare for the past 10 years or so. I prefer to just collect favorite players, but there are a few exceptions. I'm more likely to try to build sets in non-sports. It really depends on how much I like a set, and what comes along.

The whole pack busting thing is too addictive, and expensive no mater the type. That's not to say I won't buy a box, or two every now and then. Did buy a whole case a few years ago, that was a blast.

Nice (long) responses so far. I guess I get my thrill of the unknown by buying old lots on eBay. I buy 50-100 cards from a set I have less than 50% of, hope the description is accurate and see what's new to me. Sell or trade the rest. And I enjoy that a lot, such that I don't go to my shop as much anymore -- it's a good one, House of Cards in Maryland -- because then I know exactly what I'm buying. 

I was just never into autographs or uniform bits or things manufactured to be "special," so all the inserts just don't do it for me. 

Billy, I, too, have struggled with hand-collated sets, but I'm at around 50% success (including just yesterday, which prompted my post), and have been able to fix the sets pretty easily so far. 

Not finding a 2011 Gypsy Queen short set so far, I might be in the modern card set-building business soon enough....

I only collect one set every year, the current Topps baseball set. I buy a hobby box of each series and then go to Sportlots and pick up the remaining cards necessary to complete the set. I've been doing that since the mid 90's. Like others have pointed out, I enjoy the mystery of opening a pack and wondering if I'll get that auto or jersey card.  This way I also get a handful of the insert sets. At one point I tried to get all the different insert sets, but that only lasted a couple of years.  Now I try and pick 2 from each series and stop there. My son makes fun of me because the 2 insert sets I pick always lead to 3 and then 4...  Of course an insert set I got in Series 1 has to be continued in Series 2!  I've thought about just getting a factory set and buying a handful of packs but haven't tried that yet.  (It would certainly be cheaper.) I buy a pack or two of several other (baseball) products just to have a few cards and to get a wrapper. I like to keep a wrapper fom the different products.

I'd prefer to complete my sets in the simplest manner possible.  The 1974 Topps set was the oldest one I was able to purchase already completed.  The 1973 Topps set was purchased nearly complete. The 1972 Topps and older sets were put together individually or through small lots because of the expense.

I do like to purchase unopened material when it comes really cheap--like wax boxes or vending packs for $5, or factory sets for under $10.  If I'm not upgrading my sets and throwing my extras into pick lots on ebay, I'll give some of that unopen material to my nephew.  Either way, I feel like I'm doing my part to reduce the availability of unopened material from some of my favorite Topps sets (1987-1991).   

I collect to enjoy my collections through personalized set organization methods--as an education tool for the various seasons in baseball.  I don't buy packs like lottery tickets (gambler's mentality), and although I enjoy the hunt when necessary, it's not about the hunt for me.  Why spend more doing it the hard way?