Is it impossible to be a player collector?

[mikesilvia]

I went to eBay to check out some Matt Stafford cards. I haven't started collecting a new player in a while and thought about picking up some of his cards. I did a search for his autos and got 47 results! With only a few products released already it just shows me that it may be impossible to be a player collector anymore unless you are happy to just own a few cards of a specific player. It is impossible to collect a copy of each card of your favorite player!

What is your technique to collecting new players for 2009? I think I will just pick up specific sets and look to collect each card from that set. Or just collect the base set cards and keep away from all the parallels.

How are you player collecting in 2009?

[Redman5006]

I went to eBay to check out some Matt Stafford cards. I haven't started collecting a new player in a while and thought about picking up some of his cards. I did a search for his autos and got 47 results! With only a few products released already it just shows me that it may be impossible to be a player collector anymore unless you are happy to just own a few cards of a specific player. It is impossible to collect a copy of each card of your favorite player!

What is your technique to collecting new players for 2009? I think I will just pick up specific sets and look to collect each card from that set. Or just collect the base set cards and keep away from all the parallels.

How are you player collecting in 2009?

There are way to many cards on the market. Even if manufacturers only produced half as many it would still be to many. I was trying to collect every card I could of both players and it got to be too much. I decided a few months back to cut back on my two player collections and just collect the memorabilia and autograph cards. It is fewer cards but still too many to collect all. I have a much smaller pc now but it is more about quality instead of quantity. I enjoy my pc alot more now.

[FlyersFan]

Yea I agree it is almost impossible unless you have unlimited funds. I was going to start a Jay Bruce collection and just decided to give up and stick to Reds auto cards instead.

[dherm360]

Its real tough, I am down to just a few aside from the remaining printing plates and 1/1s left for my Player collection. Then if someone else collects the person, or in your case many people, its going to drive the prices up. Or if someone pulls something and knows you collect said player, they want an arm, leg and any apendige they can get for it. I think player collectors, are a dying breed

[stewart20rulz]

I've always known I'll never in a zillion years get a copy every Arod card produced, but that's not my goal. My goal is to get a copy of every Arod card I can trade for or can afford within reason. I'm not going to give an arm and leg just to get a card I don't have. It really doesn't bother that I don't have every one of one or auto/gu card. In fact my collection is about as low end Arod as you can get with the exception of a few autos and nice rookies I have of him. Still I've managed to collect almost 4000 different Arod cards and countless duplicates since I started collecting him in early 1996. I'm not investing, I'm collecting and only looking for an equal return on what I give away and sometimes I give a little more to help other members with their collections. It's still a lot of fun to me and exciting when a fellow SCF member PMs me or lets me know that they have a $2 BV Arod I don't have and will trade it....it's even better getting it in the mail and including it in my many boxes of Arods.

[windmortal]

When I was younger, I collected Bo Jackson. I gobbled up as many cards of his as I could and put together a sweet collection. Then, I had pretty much every card of him that was produced by a reputable company.

Then I stopped collecting to go to college and then real life began.

Just a couple months ago, I felt the need to get back into collecting. Actually, my new love of MMA got me into collecting again.

Now, I find myself going back to Bo Jackson cards, and was floored to see how many 'new' cards of Bo exist. It will be hard to collect all the GU/AUTOS/Parallels, but I'm gonna try to get what I can.

I've kind of went the way of the above posters. In addition to Bos and MMA cards, I'm also collecting autos and GU of my favorite sports team, NYG.

[WilyWestbrook0]

It's pretty much impossible now, and undoubtedly at least 1/1 has been accidentally thrown out over the years by a collector who didn't know what it meant. As a player collector, I just try to get as much as I can without worrying about reaching perfection.

[scodellaro16]

i tried doing that with steve nash but later sold my 1/1's to a guy who has a more legitimate shot at getting them all. with all the different 1/1's and paralells it's really impossible but i've seen some people come very close(mostly rich people though lol) i still collect nash but i'm happy with whatever i can get rather than obsessing over getting everything new that comes out.

[BravesFan4Life]

Almost impossible. I just try to go after the 1/1s at reasonable prices and nab the pieces I want when I have the cash. I know I will never get everything but I have long ago accepted that.

[mikesilvia]

I guess you could collect defensive players and get all there cards. :)