What does a Team Collector do?

[TMLxCrosby87]

Ok, so I'm having second thoughts on my whole collecting perspective recently. It's pretty obvious that I'm a Toronto collector, and to a certain degree, collect any current Leafs player, some more than others.
With so many players being moved (Frattin, Scrivens, Grabo, Macarthur, Hamilton) and possibly more to come, it really is making me think if I'm wasting my time with some of these PCs. I know I brought up the Frattin/Scrivens trade before, and since then have sold off some Scrivens for much less than I thought I'd get for them. To clarify, out of these 5, only the Frattin PC I am marginally attached to. The other 4 I feel like there is no point in keeping them at all.
Also, now with guys like Clarkson and bolland coming in, I'm thinking that if I collect them, I'm going for Leaf pictured only cards. Personally, since I've started really putting work into this PC (at the end of 10-11) I haven't had this problem because I didn't really have too much of guys like Schenn and Gustavsson, and when JVR came in, it was only 1 new guy to start collecting.

Really the question I'm trying to ask here is for Team Collectors. What do you do when so many players are being swapped on your team?

Maybe I should just limit myself to a couple PC players I'll always keep (Gardiner, etc) and then maybe start something completely new like maybe a Young Gun set of the new double crop? Or find an auto set I really like that would be possible to complete?

I know a lot of what I'm asking is obviously based on my opinion of who/what I want to collect and why, but I'd love to hear some opinions.

[RGM81]

Players being traded is a fundamental reality of the NHL. If you're only collecting the name on the back because of the logo on the front, that can often be a recipe for disaster. It's a lesson I learned when having side projects of such luminaries as Guillaume Latendresse and Scott Gomez. Yeah it's nice to have a well-rounded "current roster" PC but the truth is that if it's a marginal guy, a prospect, or someone that doesn't fit into the core of the team, you will end up holding the bag on those cards if the player is ever moved.

That's why I've largely restricted my current Habs roster PC to a handful of guys, two of whom I will collect regardless of where they are playing. The rest are core guys like Pacioretty, Subban, and the two young Gallys. I do pick up the occasional card of Plekanec, Eller, Emelin, etc., but I'm very aware of spending too much on them because you just never know when they'll end up as trade bait.

[CJ1510]

As a Flyers Team collector I collect anything that has the player pictured in a Flyers uniform. An example of what I see a lot and don't want is Ilya Bryzgalov in his PHX uniform but with a Flyers logo in the corner and stuff like that. If there's a card with say Read and Vitale? im torn b/c it has Read but there's also a Penguin so I kinda don't want it in the PC lol. If the player gets moved then oh well I keep it b/c he's in a Flyers uniform and its not like he didn't play here. In terms of memorabilia I don't get rid of any of it. If I get an auto of a player on the Flyers then he leaves then I still keep it b/c again it's not like he was never there.

For you, id say keep all of it and just collect the team but maybe focus on 1 player, 2 max. As a Flyer fan last few years I went for more Read, Couturier, and Manning (not as much) so I kinda have a minor PC of each of them but overall it's part of the bigger picture my Philadelphia Flyers PC. This year im going for more Tye McGinn b/c the dude's an animal and based off last year his style of play is fun to watch. Hopefully I answered your questions if not shoot me a PM or ask me on this thread. I hate seeing people move cards they like b/c a guy got traded.

[87sluggo]

I feel your pain there man.........$180 for a Cory Schneider Cup ARP eight months ago, and $90 on a Panini Father's Day auto and two different 12/13 SPA autos that I won THREE DAYS before the trade with Jersey, and ALLLLLL of the stuff in between. I tossed my Dan Cloutier collection, practically gave away all my Bertuzzis..............I have 7 useless Max Lapierre cards as well!

Luckily, massive debt has forced me to decide to sell all the Canucks off except for Kesler, Lagongo and my 70's and 80's stuff. And other than those two guys, quit collecting current players altogether and focus on retired players. Goodbye to my tiny little PC's of Stamkos & Semin & Kane & Lucic & Green etc........

Darryl Sittler & Borje Salming & Ted Kennedy & Johnny Bower, those guys will never let you down :)

[TMLxCrosby87]

Thanks for all the input guys! I really appreciate it!

I think I'm going to slim down on what I pick up for sure, mainly limit this Leafs PC to players in Leaf uni only (except for rookies). I'm just torn on what to do with the stuff of these traded guys, all 3 of you have a different view on it.. I just need to find which one I agree with.

[RGM81]

The beauty of it is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. With younger guys once they're gone I do all I can to set up a deal with a collector of their new team, unless there's some special significant attachment to them on my part. That's pretty rare. Guys like Koivu or Kovalev, though, who were an important part of the Canadiens for many years I will keep their cards and even occasionally still add to the collection. Anybody need any Benoit Pouliot stuff?

[TMLxCrosby87]

The beauty of it is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. With younger guys once they're gone I do all I can to set up a deal with a collector of their new team, unless there's some special significant attachment to them on my part. That's pretty rare. Guys like Koivu or Kovalev, though, who were an important part of the Canadiens for many years I will keep their cards and even occasionally still add to the collection. Anybody need any Benoit Pouliot stuff?

That's very true.

[adamslogik]

I started out team collecting a few years back (habs) and we had a similar "changing of the guard". I was stuck holding high end cards of Latendresse, Lapierre, Kovalev, Komisarek, Higgins, Ryder, etc... and I just couldn't unload them since once they are traded, most people only collect second and third line players like those guys if they are pictured in their new uniform.

I had to change the way I collected to try and protect myself from similar situations in the future so here is what I did:

I chose 3 guys...

A Hall of famer who at one time played for my team (Patrick Roy, whom I collect in ANY uniform)

The Top Star on my team (Carey Price)

and a rising star on my team (PK Subban)

Other than that, the other safe bet is to pick up cards of RETIRED superstars who played on your team, that way you know you are safe and they won't be traded, lol.


That's my advice (not that I don't occasionally pick up a card or too outside those parameters. I definitely picked up some Emelin Rc's and a Galchenyuk Artifacts redemption) It hasn't steered me wrong yet. If I didn't follow those rules I would have boxes full of Aaron Palushaj and Matt D'Agostini Rookies, lol.

[RGM81]

I started out team collecting a few years back (habs) and we had a similar "changing of the guard". I was stuck holding high end cards of Latendresse, Lapierre, Kovalev, Komisarek, Higgins, Ryder, etc... and I just couldn't unload them since once they are traded, most people only collect second and third line players like those guys if they are pictured in their new uniform.
...

If I didn't follow those rules I would have boxes full of Aaron Palushaj and Matt D'Agostini Rookies, lol.

So many bullets to dodge in a short time period eh? I will admit to picking up more Gomez cards than I should have (i.e. 0) but I do like to have an RC, auto, and GU of most guys. Anything more than that can be problematic if the time comes to remove those cards from my collection.

[30ranfordfan]

Don't go crazy on any specific players..... Unless you really like the guy. collectie leafs, go after some auto's, rcs, patches, what ever you like, but unless it's your favorite player, dont go heavy. MPS just dealt from the Oilers... Ive got a couple of nice cards ill keep... And nothing im looking to move.