Set Collectors: how do you pick which set to collect?

[molly1984]

Just curious what makes you decide to pick a set? Cost? Design? # of cards? scarcity?


I generally collect around one set or more per year, usually I decide based on the looks of the set and cost. I at least like to have at least one set from that year with a large number of cards/a good sampling of players.

Sometimes if I have bought many packs of a set I wind up just decided to collect it, kind of a "might as well" mentality.

[JimmySmithHOF]

I would say a combination of everything you listed for me. Just started collecting the 2006 playoff contenders football set, just the base set, but it has 140 rookie autos in it. I chose it because I like the look of the cards, 06 is a year that is kind of down in value now and I think it will go up, it will be tough to get all the autos but not impossible, and some are pretty expensive but nothing way over the top.

[kobe080]

I tend to collect insert sets that I can fit the whole set in a couple pocket pages.

Base sets are just too overwhleming for me...

And late 90s insert sets do look pretty and "different" from regular bases.

They were definitely worth collecting... Im working on a couple nice insert sets from 98-99 right now.

But they are really tough to come by as they are pretty rare these days...

[beex215]

for me the set have these criteria.

must not have to many cards in the set.
must have a nice design.
must have some decent value.

[gatorboymike]

Feasibility is the most important consideration for me, but attractiveness is the first. I'll find a set I like the look of, then consider what chances I'd have of completing the set. Usually I don't attempt to get a sizeable portion of the set unless I actually could complete it.

[s13driver]

The design of the card is a big deal to me. I've been strictly a set collector since I started collecting and only recently started leaning toward Ray Allen collecting. But I'm still a majority set collector.

What I usually do is I buy 4-5 different packs and I determine which design I like the best. I also try to find out if they have a large number of insert sets so that I could get a good number of rare cards. Price is obviously a factor for anyone who isn't a millionaire. So I try to collect only sets of cards that I know I'm going to be able to afford.

If I can't finish a set then it drives me crazy. LOL. I've been known in the past to buy an entire box of cards just to try and get 1 base card. I kind of have a minor case of OCD when it comes to set collecting. I gotta get the entire set before I move on to another.

[s13driver]

Double Post

[molly1984]

haha, wouldn't it be easier just to seek out that 1 base card online? :) one frustrating thing for me is when you buy a box where the odds are good that you'll get the whole base set, but then you don't.