Who's "THE man"?: A discussion of the top player collectors in the world!

[Prime B]

Mods, maybe we can get a sticky for this one as I figure it'll be a great debate and topic.

I want to know who reigns supreme in their quest to be the top collector in the world of any one player or team?

You know, the statement you see in posts and signatures saying The biggest collector/fan out there of (insert players name).

Many make the bold statement I have the "best" or I am the "biggest", but when the tape measure comes out only one is left standing tall. (insert bad jokes here)

There may be a person who lays claim to being the number one collector of a player through sheer quantity. And while the total column might support this theory, another with a similar claim might be able to make his counter to that case valid by having the best swatches, highest end cards and more 1/1's.

So it really can be a objective and subjective determination depending how you weigh the "facts".

So right here, right now, lay it out there for ALL to see. Back up your claim to the "throne" with why you are the top player collector around.

I think this should be fun and I hope to see some civilized and well-thought out banter.

Oh, and don't be afraid to challenge me. I'll just make my claims for now, I'll load the cannons if need be.

Hockey: I shall place the crown upon thy noggin and anoint myself "The King of Kings" in the team category. Seriously, you better come correct here or check your ego at the door because mine is filling this room baby!

My LA Kings PC is so vast and deep I could actually pull individual players from within it and have them vie for individual status for player PC's and likely place a good half dozen in the top 5 there.

As far as individual players in hockey, no one is touching me when it comes to collecting Rob Blake, Peter Forsberg or my son's Anze Kopitar collections. I believe I shall retain these belts for a good long time.

Baseball: I am the straw that stirs the drink when it comes to old school masher Darryl Strawberry, so move, get out the way here. And for current players, I'll approach with caution and say while my David Wright PC is impressive, I don't believe it to be the best out there, but still undoubtedly a top 10, potential top 5 PC.

So there is my opening blast, come get me.

And remember, while some smack and trash talk is good, keep it clean and FUN, because that is what this hobby is all about.

Let the debate rage on!

[30ranfordfan]

Great topic.

I'm not 100% sure...... but I'm about 95% sure that I'd win any contest in seeing who's got the best Bill Ranford collection around. Anyone who's read the Super Collector thread detailing my collection.... or looked @ my Photo Bucket knows that I've got just under 98% of all non 1-of-1s ever produced. If anyone hasn't seen my collection, and is interested, take a look here:
http://s416.photobucket.com/albums/p...rdfan/Ranford/

Now.... with 530 total cards, Ranford is a little easier to collect than someone like Blake (I've got no idea how many he's got) so stacking my collection vs some of the other player collectors out there... I might not seem quite as impressive :) But for players that have over 400 cards? Mine is probably as near complete as anyone's out there, collecting any player.

As for competition.... There are 4 other Ranford collectors out there, that I know of. Two are members on here. I've got a more complete collection than both of the guys here (though one may beat me in shear numbers of GU stuff, and the other has what is, IMO, the BEST Ranford card ever made - a 1/1 Shield from ITG). There was a guy featured in Beckett a few years ago regarding his Ranford collection. I know he's sold off a lot of singles. He might have been more complete than me at one time, but not anymore.

That brings me to the 4th one I know of.... and I've never really exchanged messages with him, so I don't know how big his collection is. I do know that he's got most of the Ranford 1/1s though (I don't think a Ranford 1/1 card has ever sold for less than $100 on eBay. He simply had deeper pockets than me when most came up for sale, and I couldn't do anything about it). I very much doubt that he's got more unique cards than I do..... but he's got a lot, and he does have a a very high percentage of 1/1s that were made.

[Prime B]

Great post and just looking at a few years of your Bucket I love the Sweet Shot Auto pad card and Stanley Cup Sigs from The Cup.

My guys have some pretty big numbers.

I know Blake is probably over 1400 cards by now because I did my lists awhile back and I had about 1100 or so of him at the time and was still a few hundred short.

Forsberg I was at around 2300 or so the same time and he was closing in on like 2800 I think?

Not sure about Kopitar, but I know we have acquired at least 250-300 or so for my son.

[Prime B]

If you guys like to look, I have posted this identical thread in the baseball. basketball and football sections. Impressive feedback and it is already rolling along nice in the other sports so c'mon you passionate hockey fans WAKE UP and get on this!

[hossa18sens]

Forsberg I was at around 2300 or so the same time and he was closing in on like 2800 I think?

Only 2800

Wow very nice.

This is a great topic because there a several layers to go through and no right answer.

A person who collects a player with 500 cards and has 98% of them or a player with 2500 cards and has 90%. Which is better???? depends on who is looking.

I don't win any of them lol

[ComancheKeen]

I have a collection of guitars that makes my card collection look like peanuts (well it is really). My collection has been shoved aside the last little while because I've been saving to try to attend as many Flames games as I can this year. On top of just paying my inflated tuition, its going to take miracles for me to get to 10+ games (last year was 10 + 3 playoff). For me my real hockey passion comes from going to the rink and taking in games and it doesn't get any better than that!

[HammerHawks]

I have the world's best Hjalmarsson PC. I mean, I know he's not a star or anything, but I have his Artifacts 1/1, 2 of the Artifacts /5, his BAP Player's Club Parallel /10, etc. NOBODY comes close.

As for Bogosian, I have MOST LIKELY the most COMPLETE PC. Now there are people who only collect his higher end stuff. Someone has like 8 of the SPA Limited AU Patches /100 and one or two of the SPx Spectrum AU JSY/Patches /25 as well as something else. I do not have ANY of those, but I have a TON of his other KEY cards:

BAP RC /99
BAP PC /10
BD Gold /10
OPCP Triple Patch /10 with Schenn and Doughty
SPGU RC /99
SPGU Platinum /25
The Cup AU Patch RC (Incoming)
UD Black AU RC /99 (Incoming)
UC DT AU Patch /10 (Incoming)
UD Ice RC /99 BGS 9.5
UD Ice FT Patches /25 (Incoming)
MVP SS /25 (Incoming)
Victory Black SP

That's 13 KEY cards of him that I have. The other guys only have 2 or 3. PLUS on top of those, I have probably 20 other decent cards.

My Bryan Little collection is OFFICIALLY the world's SECOND best. The person that is better literally has EVERY card. I have Almost ALL of his key cards minus The Cup:

BAP RC /99
BAP PC /10
HP Red Hot AU Patch /25
H&P MCMT Gold JSY /10
SPGU RC /99
UC DT AU Patch /10
Ultra Ice Medallion /100
UD RH SP Insert
UD Ice RC /99

I know it could be better, I'm focusing on Bogosian now, so I haven't picked up anything of Little in months.

[G0SHARKSG0]

Ill go ahead and guess that I have the best Jamie McGinn PC.....I have his OPCP 1/1 and the only the cup printing plate I have seen to date....also hoping I win the yg printing plate ending tonight on the bay. I am missing some of his more limited cards but most are from 06-07 and I only started collecting him a couple moths ago.....I think my PC is pretty impressive based on the amount of time I have been collecting him for. Here is a link for people who haven't seen it yet

http://s600.photobucket.com/albums/t...20McGinn%20PC/

I have only met one other McGinn collector on this forum but I haven't seen or talked about if he has many cards of his but I am pretty sure he doesn't have as many as me

[Inferno]

I'm not a huge collector by any means, but I know a few who are pretty well-known for their player collections. Lee with his Ovechkin collection, Kendall with his Fleury collection, Quincy with his Sakic's, Vegaspuck with his Richards collection, Curt with his Gaborik collection, etc etc. Definitely some major players in the hobby out there!

[Rookiesorbust]

I agree on Vegaspuck. It's the kind of collection that I look at and wonder why I keep collecting Richards... Then I watch him play and remember.