Ok, I feel like I have to say at least something. Not much that hasn't already been said, though. Just pointing out more of the differences in collectors.
I most certainly don't think there's any such thing as "cheating" in collecting. If there is, I'm done for, because for years now, I've just bought the Topps factory set each year. I don't care about inserts or specials or whatevers. In fact, I sell or trade the inserts that come in the factory sets. My fun is in having all the cards and sorting through the box, putting them into teams, putting them in order of my favorite players. I take hours on every set I buy. In the meantime, I'm working on completing older sets. So my "pack-ripping" is when I get a 100-card lot of old cards without actually knowing what's in the lot. Surprises and disappointments at every turn. I buy individual cards, lots, hand-collated sets. It all "counts." And it's all fun to me. I take less joy in the hunt than in the having. Others are different.
As for trading here, or selling or trading anywhere, for that matter, just be honest about the condition of your cards. If you're not in it to make tons of money, your best bet is to understate the condition a bit. Post good pictures and/or describe any defects in the cards. I don't sell and trade a lot, but I've never had a complaint. I attribute that greatly to my full, honest, decriptions of every card and the pictures.
You'll have to really think about what to collect, even if you limit yourself to Topps. There are literally hundreds of sets out there every year. Topps has dozens of different sets, all with a slightly different twist to them. You can get overwhelmed. Personally, I stick to base sets. But then I added Topps Gypsy Queen. And I keep thinking about Allen and Ginter. And I've started to pick up some non-Topps cards. Oh, it could never end. Literally. Which is part of the fun. You'll never have them all. So collect what you like in a way that's fun and affordable for you. You really can't go wrong.
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