The End of a Player Collecting Era

[bamlinden]

I am still focusing on player collecting, however,, with each new release it becomes more frustrating. One of my PC guys has 27 different cards in Artifacts alone (with all but 3 being numbered to less than /100).

My question is: Without player collecting what is there?

We really can't go back to set building because almost every set is loaded with SPs, SSPs, and serial #'d RCs. You get, maybe 100, base cards then 50 - 60 RCs and then the SPs, and SSPs. Other than OPC, Score, Pinnacle and maybe UD I & II, set collecting has become almost as difficult as player collecting.

So you add 27 new cards to the wantlist. And?????? So it takes 2 years, 5 years, 10 years to get those cards off your wantlist. Who cares?

I think people get hung up with wantlists and the "need" to get everything right away. What's the rush? It's not a race.

Without player collecting what is there?

How much time do you have.

There are some great sets you can build. They might not be you stereotypical set (like the way things were in the 80's), but can be equally exciting to build.

How about the autos from this year's Forever Rivals? How about the autos from the multi-product Private Signings? Do a jersey set, do an insert set.

Or come up with your own idea for a set. I've got a project where I am trying to get one of every card numbered out of 1 to 100. HHOF autos. How about vintage. Defunct teams. There are literally thousands of directions you can take your collecting. It just might take some time (and creative thinking) to come up with something that can whet the appetite.

To just shrug your shoulders and say "I dunno" is doing nothing but putting the power of the hobby in the hands of someone else.

[RGM81]

Yes, wider!!!!

Aside from the impending financial ruin, consider THIS............two or three times a week when I get my Canada Post "fix" at 10 AM, I have absolutely no idea who's in that puffy envelope. It's something I bought so of course it's not a total surprise, but it could be a 04/05 SP Authentic card, or a Sakic jersey, or a vintage Beliveau, or a Bobby Orr PC filler or just a cheap-o $2.00 Kesler insert or........who knows??

There are SO MANY pretty pretty things out there buried in all of the endless product, to limit yourself to one or two players, to see the same goalie helmet and the same jersey in one of three or four different poses, FEH!!! to that!

Forever Rivals yes!! ALL the Habs!!!


Just be smarter than me and don't go broke :)

Well one of the many good things about Carey is that there's no shortage of masks. I think he's worn 12-13 throughout his young career already.

[Drewk86a]

So you add 27 new cards to the wantlist. And?????? So it takes 2 years, 5 years, 10 years to get those cards off your wantlist. Who cares?

Actually, I do advocate player collecting. My point was the frustration of having so many cards per set. The 27 new cards are from one set. An averge top tier player can have 200 - 300 cards issued per year. Sure, I can take 5 years to collect those 27 12/13 Artifacts cards. Then I only need the other 1,463 cards that were released during those 5 years.

There are some great sets you can build. How about the autos from this year's Forever Rivals? How about the autos from the multi-product Private Signings? Do a jersey set, do an insert set.

If you've got enough $$$ you can build an auto or jersey set, but for me that is out of reach. Besides if I had $$ to spend on a Gump Worsley autograph, I'd prefer to spend it on PC.

[MatsSundin13Rocks]

Actually, I do advocate player collecting. My point was the frustration of having so many cards per set. The 27 new cards are from one set. An averge top tier player can have 200 - 300 cards issued per year. Sure, I can take 5 years to collect those 27 12/13 Artifacts cards. Then I only need the other 1,463 cards that were released during those 5 years.





If you've got enough $$$ you can build an auto or jersey set, but for me that is out of reach. Besides if I had $$ to spend on a Gump Worsley autograph, I'd prefer to spend it on PC.

The point is why do you need every single card of your PC player right away or at all? Get as many as you can but don't feel the need to get them all. Get the ones you really like and not every single flipping parallel card!

[centrehice]

I almost died 6 years ago trying to consider even the thought of selling, or trading away one of my 3,000 Steve Yzerman cards (2,100 of them uniquely different) was a horror I'd never dream of.

Now I have less than 1,000 unique Yzerman items left, and the extra money in my pocket and the stress of not having to hunt Yzerman cards daily has been removed.

Best decision I've ever made in terms of collecting anything. You cannot die and take it with you, it's also not making you any money sitting there, thousands upon thousands of dollars invested, just for some kid 10 years from now to say....

Steve Who?

[ncm7772]

My main PC guy, Tom Barrassom, doesn't have a ton of cards. You'd think that was a good thing, and I suppose it is to an extent. However, I really do enjoy seeing his name when I check out a new checklist. Also, since there aren't many cards made of his anymore, and the fact that a lot of people collect him, his cards go for very big $. I've spent way too much (over $1000 US this year alone on Barrasso) on cards lately, and have seriously cut back. That amount may not seem like a lot to people, but I had to say to myself "Dude, you gotta stop!!"

So in response to the OP, I can totally understand where you're coming from. 2k+ cards already of a young player like Price, sheesh, that's gonna probably triple eventually. I mean, he's gonna be included in every set, many times in every set, LOL.

[andrewconnors9]

Im definitely no different, I got bored of collecting one player, and also I just wanna clear some debt and worry about other things. BUT with saying that, the release of Forever Rivals got me hooked and I will be collecting all the base and inserts primarily, and slowly pick away at the autos. Other than that the collecting is going to very low end, basically just leafs base, inserts and parallels to fill in binder holes

[bamlinden]

Actually, I do advocate player collecting. My point was the frustration of having so many cards per set. The 27 new cards are from one set. An averge top tier player can have 200 - 300 cards issued per year. Sure, I can take 5 years to collect those 27 12/13 Artifacts cards. Then I only need the other 1,463 cards that were released during those 5 years.

Is it frustrating seeing a lot of new cards added to the checklist? Sure. But it can also be the start of another quest. If it matters how long your wantlist is - then that's letting the hobby control your collection. Modify it. Only go after autos. Only go after jerseys. Only go after base.

I think a big key to collecting is having a realistic set of collecting boundaries. How much am I spending? And how many cards are potentially going to be on my wantlist. If 1000 cards on that list makes you feel uncomfortable, then find a project where there is a finite amount of cards. With all the variety out there, surely there is a road that works for you.

If you've got enough $$$ you can build an auto or jersey set, but for me that is out of reach. Besides if I had $$ to spend on a Gump Worsley autograph, I'd prefer to spend it on PC.

If that's out of reach, then find a set that is within reach. Build an auto set from a couple years ago. Singles might be going real cheap. Again, it's about searching it out. Don't wait for a card company to produce the "perfect set" in your eyes. It might never (and probably will never) happen. If you'd rather spend the money on your pc, then make sure you are happy with your pc.

I know for me, my pc changed drastically a couple years ago. My guy was rarely in products and the high-end cards didn't command a ton of cash. Nowadays, there are a lot of limited numbered items, tons of 1/1's and a bunch of high-end with his mug on it. And I've considered changing my collecting parameters, but I felt the completionist in me would regret that move. Instead, I've embraced my wantlist. There's going to be more cards on it......with each and every release to come. And I have zero problem with that.

After all, what would I do if I didn't have a wantlist?

[odjickfan]

One thing that cooled me on player collecting is the multiplication of parallels coming back year after year with virtually no change. How many Artifacts cards with various foil colors do we need?

[RGM81]

Always at least one more.