General Forum

Accumulating vs. Collecting

I don't think we want to enter that realm, do we. Dixxy's signature is perfect: "The difference between Hoarding and Collecting is Structure." However, I don't see how buying factory sets isn't collecting. Collecting factory sets. Sure, it's not busting packs, but it's collecting of some variety. Some might collect cases of cards (some people did in the late 80s! Or maybe they were speculating, I digress). But if that's how you collect, it's still collecting.

PS: Another pet peeve of mine within the hobby: We're all "real" collectors. If you collect, it's real. I may not be as into it as you, or you as me, but that doesn't make either one of us "less" of a collector, or more "real".

I would argue that there are pack buyers that are accumulators as well as set buyers that are collectors.  It's a matter of large-scale opposed to small-scale collecting.  

Pack buying is inefficient.  Having more money to spend shouldn't lead to a person becoming more inefficient.  That's a poor man's mentality like the difference between someone who has worked for their wealth and someone who just won the lottery.  I bought packs in the '80s because that was all I could afford.  If you need to buy packs in 2017 just so you'll even look at your cards, you'll probably end up boxing them away once you've completed the set and then move on to the next set anyways.  This sounds like more a problem knowing what to do with your sets and will also result in being an accumulator also, but an inefficient one at that.  

I've got extras to trade, but I'm doing it on a larger scale.  I won't have the current year to trade because they are selling at a premium right now.  I'll get the 2017 Topps factory set and then the Update set in the fall.  Beside piecing vintage sets together, I'll often find sets from recent years that are greatly discounted and use those for upgrading and trading/selling.  My sets are looked at just as much as a person buying packs, but my inventory is tidy and efficient.  After a couple years, I can get many of the inserts, variations, bonuses, and short prints at a good price.  

This only applies to set builders and the methods used to do so.  Some people aren't interested in completing sets, and that's okay.  Forgive me.  I started collecting during the era of mass-production (1987-1991) and am scarred from being burned in the fire of baseball card worthlessness.  I still love those sets, but it has led to my looking for efficiencies, plus vintage isn't cheap.

This is all just in the fun of collecting.  My 2 cents is only spur up thought and discussion.  I mean no harm, and will respect however you decide to enjoy the hobby.