General Forum

Am I the only collector who's sick to death of clicking on the inserts button in sets (especially baseball), and seeing like 40 ka-jillion parallels, inserts, parallel inserts, parallel game-used, parallel autos, etc? It's gotta be damn near impossible or a life's worth of searching to get anything completed nowadays. It really takes away my desire to collect things I like because they're either way too rare, or there's so many of them.

Any grievances like mine?

Absolutely. So much so that I don't even click on the inserts button. It's completely absurd. So I'd recommend adjusting your definition of "completed." I collect base sets. That's it. Not parallels. Not inserts. Not variations. If there are 20 versions of card number 100, I get one of them. Then when I have all the numbers in a set, I move on. Sometimes, I'm even more extreme than that. I recently expanded into collecting Gypsy Queen cards, because I like them. But only the base set, AND, not the short prints. I find it offensive that the companies have purposely made some cards harder to get. So I don't collect them. You can look at my collection here and it will say that I have 300/350 cards of those sets. That's not accurate. In my mind, I have 300/300 of those sets. If Topps keeps making the most fun cards short print only, I'll stop buying them and collect something else.

The hobby is supposed to be fun. Collect what you like. Have a complete set when you think it's complete. And leave the parallels and inserts, and all the other stuff to those who like them. Heck, this year, the 5 rookie inserts I got in my Topps set got me $30.00 on eBay to spend on other cards I care about.

Happy collecting.

v3

My main focus in collecting is not completing sets.  I really enjoy the handful of parallels and inserts I get in each purchase.  I think it is what makes opening packs of cards so fun.  Otherwise, I would just buy a factory set.  

I also love serial numbered cards, and I don't feel a need to collect all of them.  I just like to enjoy the few I get from each release.  

many feel the same way.. which leads to some people collecting isolated items vice compete master sets. its pathetic. but one that bugs me the most is the redemption. If a player doesn't sign and the card is unable to get signed, then issue without a signature. on an investor's perspective, if you get a Hot Rookie and the card is worth a lot- by the time you get the redemption back, he could have flopped and the value tank. On a collectors side, if you wait and wait and wait to finally get the redemption card to send in, the possibly of you never getting the card or a "suitable" substitue is there, not to mention the value you may have to pay if bought or just never being able to get one because of the player. It's boon-doggle for sure. If i had the money, i file a class action suit on the redemption- sign the dam card (real auto, not laser printed) or don't put the player in the set or the "No Auto" label

I was going to rant about this subject but decided just to say Yes there are too many parallels and variants. Most of them only subtle variants, (a splash of a different color or slight color change of border) and too many gimmick varients like "Pie in the face" an extra "openning day" or "First Day" (depending on sport). The sad thing is this stuff will go on because too many "collectors" are falling for the "got to get everything I can" mentality and the fact that any complaints about the overproduction of parallels (and under production of some of the more popular stars it seems) are totally ignored or unseen.

The inserts and parallels are getting ridiculous, not to  mention the sheer number of prestige sets where the box only contains about 5-10 cards. Where is the fun in that? 

Put V3 an d sahals replys togethor and that is me to a tee!! Its pathetic how they dangle the carrot and we needlessly follow. I hate SP in basesets as they are NOT part of a base set then. They are an insert, if an OPC retro card is 1:2 and a Marquee Rookie is 1:2 then PLEASE tell me why one is an insert (sorry parallel) and one is not? Does that mean Retro MRs are 1:4 ?!?!?! Never really cared. But also whatever I capture for inserts and such, I do appreciate, the $400 Gretzky Auto, the $350 Senators Patch and the $300 McDavid rookie are all in my clutches!! =D

And this is why I collect mostly 80s and older. At least, even though there may be a high cost for certain cards, there is also a foreseeable end to completing the set.

Having said that, if I pick up a large lot of cards and it has variants of the base sets of today, I don't throw them out. I just don't go out and buy only a "variant"

Random answer:     Three bay leafs.  

My self-proclaimed collection is 1969 to 1989 Topps Football. One of the reasons for this self-imposed restriction is the relative "cleanliness" of those sets. Except for a few achievable inserts (4-in-1's, posters, and 1,000 yard club), the sets are pretty straight forward. The craziness in Topps Football begins in 1990. I have fell victim to the desire to chase parallel sets though. For instance, I have three binders that house my 1990 Topps football collection; one for disclaimer backs, one for regular backs, and one for '90 traded. Throw in "single asterisk" and "double asterisk" variations and the collection becomes a nightmare to manage. To make matters worse, not everyone pays attention to the variation details and sometimes a trade may include the wrong card because someone missed a variation. Things get worse starting in '95 with multiple insert sets and short-print runs. But the 2000s are the most frustrating with auto/relic - inserts and SP rookie cards. I share the consternation. Base sets should be achieveable.