collectors opinion please!!!

[alexpatry]

Hello everyone,
I need some advise and comments on your ways of collecting.
I been collecting hockey cards since and 4years old and just got back into it 2.5 years ago.
I’ve now concentrated my collection on Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Carey Price, Patrick Roy and Jaroslav Halak.
I also started the 07-08 UD Game Jersey set and everything artifacts 08-09 (except rookies and inserts).
These are quite large project but I mainly concentrate on the players I stated above.
Now, I’m a bit confuse and wanted your advice and suggestions.
I like opening boxes (under 115$) don’t really buy high end stuff but I’m a bit confuse...I want to try other sets (boxes) from 07-08,08-09 that I didn’t opened or bought. Is it worth it or should I just buy individualy the cards I need from these sets (didn’t do any Ice, Spx, SPA, Sweet Shot, Trilogy from these years)
But at the same time, I want to improve my star player collection but I also like busting boxes and trading. So instead of buying a box of Ice or Spx, I know I could buy a nice card of toews kane or price.

So my main question is....
What are your limits and boxes/sets you want to do?? Do you buy a boxes of each product and trade the rest?
Under 115$ in your opinion what the boxes/sets that are the best value(must have) in fun and hits/tradebaits from the years 07-08 to 08-09?
I need your opinionJ
Thanks!

[RGM81]

For me, having scaled back on who and what I collect, busting wax is a means to an end: it's good for getting me some trading material and little else as my odds of pulling a Price/Gorges are pretty slim. You need to weight the costs and benefits of box-breaking, as you can very easily crack an $80 tin of Sweet Shot and get nothing in terms of value in return. That $80 will get you a pretty nice card of any of the guys you listed. On the flipside, you could hit a home run out of, say, Ice and get an /99 RC.
I personally would rather just go to eBay and put down the money on a card I guarantee that I know I want for my PC than take a chance on a set like SPX, Sweet Shot, or Trilogy. When you consider how much you pay for a pack of Trilogy and how low the values are on the RCs--even the big names--I'm still baffled as to why people go to the effort.

[30ranfordfan]

Buying singles / sets / lots of stuff on eBay, SCF, at a show, anywhere..... is always going to be a much more effective way of spending your money. Way bigger bang for your buck..... unless you get lucky (but that can certainly happen).

Myself, I stick to only buying boxes of sets that I collect (which isn't many). Other than that, I primarily buy singles. The odd pack or even blaster of something..... but I depend on the purchase of singles to expand my collection.

[flemingc04]

I only bust wax for two reasons: to kickoff building a set and to fill the itch of wanting to open some packs. I only buy a few boxes a year (all UD Series 1 for my set) and I don't expect to pull any PC players I collect. To me it's basically a great way to start the set before I have to find the rest of the YGs, base, etc.

[alexpatry]

thanks for the opinions guys...keep on coming.
I share the same view....
I like these none expensive sets like Ultra,MVP,UD and even Artifacts that is quite respectible...except for the guzylions parrallels. They are fun to collected and you get your money worth it...at least you get to open 24 pack and not only 4 or 2

[alexpatry]

need more advice