Just how narrow is your collecting focus?

doog71 · February 28, 2014 11:16AM

I've always collected baseball PSA HOF RCs and star Yankees, both vintage and modern.

Recently I've found myself usually drawn to just Mantle and Jeter cards. I'm considering making them my sole focus as I enjoy the challenge of the chase for tougher items.

Also, having such a wide collecting focus gets pretty expensive!

How narrow is your collecting focus, and more importantly (to me, anyway) have you been happy if you've kept it laser focused?

DanBessette · February 28, 2014 11:23AM

Mine has been extremely broad but, like you, it is rapidly narrowing recently. Really only interested lately in Yaz cards, both graded and raw, as well as raw '59 Fleer Ted Williams

doog71 · February 28, 2014 11:25AM

<< Mine has been extremely broad but, like you, it is rapidly narrowing recently. Really only interested lately in Yaz cards, both graded and raw, as well as raw '59 Fleer Ted Williams >>

That's cool. I'm a Yankees fan but have always liked Yaz. That's a good collecting focus because even though he's a popular HOFer his card prices aren't through the roof (at least not yet).

I recently picked up a nice centered PSA 6 Yaz rookie. One of my favorite cards.

pdub1819 · February 28, 2014 11:43AM

My focus has change over time. I'm not focused on completing my Post WWII baseball rookies set. What I like about the set is that there are a lot of cards and a lot of demand and every card is the key card of THAT player.
Looking forward to getting a Mantle and Mays rookie one day.

MrNearMint · February 28, 2014 11:52AM

My collecting focus is very narrow, and I'm perfectly happy with it.

Right now I only collect Jordan cards and vintage rookies and stars.

DanBessette · February 28, 2014 11:53AM

<< I recently picked up a nice centered PSA 6 Yaz rookie. One of my favorite cards. >>

Jealous. So far my only Yaz rookie is a PSA 2, I'm hoping to bump to a 3. I'll post pics one day for opinions. I'd never get rid of that card though, even if a PSA 10 fell into my lap tomorrow, because my current copy was a Christmas gift from my wife and sons.

doog71 · February 28, 2014 11:56AM

<< 

<< I recently picked up a nice centered PSA 6 Yaz rookie. One of my favorite cards. >>

Jealous. So far my only Yaz rookie is a PSA 2, I'm hoping to bump to a 3. I'll post pics one day for opinions. I'd never get rid of that card though, even if a PSA 10 fell into my lap tomorrow, because my current copy was a Christmas gift from my wife and sons. >>

Yes! Those are always my favorite cards. When I was 10 I went to card show with my dad in Ocean City, NJ. On the way he told me how he'd cash in Coke bottles at a corner store for baseball card packs but never got his favorite player, Nellie Fox. I bought him a Fox card at that show, and he's still got it framed 32 years later.

hyperchipper09 · February 28, 2014 11:58AM

A lot better focused than it was from 84-2000 I know that

. That near decade break in collect helped narrow my focus. Player collect mostly. A few guys. Scott Stevens, Chris Chelios, Pavel Bure. Chris Doleman I started collecting because I couldn't find a really, really nice 1978 Fred Dean PSA 9 or 10 at the time I had money. Wanted a HOF DE, so, Doleman was it. LOL. I liek Dwight Evans, always have, even though I've been a Yankee fan since 86. Cortez Kennedy, Clyde Drexler , a few other guys. I don't collect unopened. Packs, boxes, nothing. I leave that for everyone else Been there, bought most of whatever people buy now the first time it was released. No need for me to rehash that after thinking on it. I'll collect PSA/BGS/BVG/SGC/KSA. But in the end, prefer raw. So much more can be bought with a good eye.

doog71 · February 28, 2014 12:12PM

If I was purely collecting out of ONLY enjoyment, I'd probably only buy Mattingly cards.

BUT, I do need to feel I'm putting $ into something I can liquidate in the future if I had to, and I'm not sure how Mattingly values play out in the long run w/o the HOF.

DanBessette · February 28, 2014 12:24PM

It's funny how many Yankee fans like Dwight Evans. Dewey was my favorite as a 7, 8, 9 year old sox fan. But I hear from yanks fans constantly that he was a guy they liked and respected. For me the Yankee equivalent was Paul o'neill.

steel75 · February 28, 2014 12:28PM

I used to collect EVERYTHING, but slowly sold all of it and now strictly collect Psa 70's Steelers

cpamike · February 28, 2014 1:01PM

I collect only unopened baseball from the 70's and early 80's.

Btw, Yaz is a Long Island boy so he is a.o.k. in my book.

thunderdan · February 28, 2014 1:03PM

Hi mike. Aicpa still open?

DanBessette · February 28, 2014 1:07PM

<< I collect only unopened baseball from the 70's and early 80's.

Btw, Yaz is a Long Island boy so he is a.o.k. in my book.

>>

Mike, I thought you collected Seaver and other Mets cards too. No?

Interesting tidbit: sox scout was actually there to see Carl's dad, didn't know anything about the younger Yastrzemski Til that day

thunderdan · February 28, 2014 1:13PM

That 60 yaz is the shizzle

PhilG · February 28, 2014 1:41PM

I dabble in 93 Finest refractors. I have 3406 of them or 7.1% of the production run.
Phil

jordangretzkyfan · February 28, 2014 7:14PM

It took me a few years to figure out that I am happiest when I have top quality vs. large quantity. This naturally leads you to a more narrow focus regardless of your budget. For me, that exclusively means high grade rookies of elite HOFers and unopened wax from their rookie years. Every time I have started to buy items that don't fit this description, I always end up selling them down the line. I vote to stay narrow and buy the best quality you can afford. My experience is you will be more proud of your collection.

cpamike · February 28, 2014 10:32PM

<< Mike, I thought you collected Seaver and other Mets cards too. No? >>

I actually collected Mets cards back in the day, but I haven't purchased any new ones in years as I'm only missing the Seaver RC in order to have every regular card printed between 1962 and 1990. I almost got that card a couple of times but it wasn't meant to be and I'm much happier adding to my unopened collection.

DanBessette · March 1, 2014 12:32AM

<< It took me a few years to figure out that I am happiest when I have top quality vs. large quantity. This naturally leads you to a more narrow focus regardless of your budget. For me, that exclusively means high grade rookies of elite HOFers and unopened wax from their rookie years. Every time I have started to buy items that don't fit this description, I always end up selling them down the line. I vote to stay narrow and buy the best quality you can afford. My experience is you will be more proud of your collection. >>

That's very interesting advice.

frankhardy · March 1, 2014 12:36AM

My collecting focus is fairly narrow. I have three main areas of my collection in order of priority.

1. Cardinals team sets (20 albums full)

2. Topps base and traded sets (2013 down to 1968 are completed)

3. Signed Cardinals cards (Topps base and traded only; no reprints or manufactured out of the pack)

4. I have a small collection of Albert Pujols and Michael Jordan cards.

itzagoner · March 1, 2014 1:01AM

'bout as narrow as the distance between Brooklyn and Los Angeles.

cpamike · March 1, 2014 1:26AM

<< Hi mike. Aicpa still open? >>

Yes, although they told me to tell you they were closed.

ChiefsFan1st · March 1, 2014 1:45AM

I cant seem to keep focused

I switch between 80's football set registry stuff to unopened alot!! Right now, im into the unopened phase.
But I only allow myself $25/week for cards so its save for months, buy a box. Kinda boring, but it keeps the wife at bay

divecchia · March 1, 2014 1:47AM

Narrow focus.

Nolan Ryan Master set

Donato

ReggieCleveland · March 1, 2014 3:57AM

I feel like the collecting process is a natural evolution, always changing and morphing. I have periods where I branch out (usually when I learn or discover new items or avenues I didn't know existed) and then I trim all of those down to a core focus. Which lasts a while, and then I expand again, followed by another round of trimming it down. Through the process, the core groups tend to add one or two after each trimming session. I guess I'm interested in a ton of different groups, but some are temporary while others become more permanent.

BostonAmericans · March 1, 2014 4:00AM

Considering all the different brands and flavors and inserts nowadays, I think my base set collection is pretty narrow

NickM · March 1, 2014 6:26AM

Sports cards
Sports memorabilia
Autographs
Selected nonsports cards

As narrow as I want it.

Nick

Audy · March 1, 2014 8:33AM

I collect Brooks Robinson cards/items. I also dabble into O's memorabilia. As a player collector, mainly, you find that you would think it's a very narrow focus, but the more you look the more you find, so there's a lot of "stuff" out there. I really don't pick up much of the shiny cards, but now and then, when I hit a dry spell, I'll start picking up a few here and there.

If I collected everything I liked, I'd go broke "quick".

zep33 · March 1, 2014 8:35AM

I've pretty much narrowed my focus down to things that can be bought if I have the money

cpamike · March 1, 2014 8:40AM

<< I've pretty much narrowed my focus down to things that can be bought if I have the money >>

I wasn't quite sure what I would see here.

Mintacular · March 1, 2014 9:02AM

Mine is pretty much narrowed down to completing my raw 57, 71, 75 BB in mostly raw NM condition. Also collect EXMT-ish Clementes, Mantles base cards (graded). Plus a handful of iconic rookies 50-70s, mostly baseball. Of course a few exceptions to all of this.

doog71 · March 1, 2014 11:53AM

<< It took me a few years to figure out that I am happiest when I have top quality vs. large quantity. This naturally leads you to a more narrow focus regardless of your budget. For me, that exclusively means high grade rookies of elite HOFers and unopened wax from their rookie years. Every time I have started to buy items that don't fit this description, I always end up selling them down the line. I vote to stay narrow and buy the best quality you can afford. My experience is you will be more proud of your collection. >>

This is exactly the transition I am in. I just added a PSA 9 1993 SP Jeter to my collection, but had to sell a few more abundant items to get it. I'm happier with the SP rookie by far than the items I sold to be able to obtain it.

If I had real courage I'd go get a PSA 10 1984 Topps Tiffany Mattingly rookie, but I'm just not sold on its long term value compared to nice centered Mantles and rare Jeter RCs.

DanBessette · March 1, 2014 12:26PM

<< 

<< It took me a few years to figure out that I am happiest when I have top quality vs. large quantity. This naturally leads you to a more narrow focus regardless of your budget. For me, that exclusively means high grade rookies of elite HOFers and unopened wax from their rookie years. Every time I have started to buy items that don't fit this description, I always end up selling them down the line. I vote to stay narrow and buy the best quality you can afford. My experience is you will be more proud of your collection. >>

This is exactly the transition I am in. I just added a PSA 9 1993 SP Jeter to my collection, but had to sell a few more abundant items to get it. I'm happier with the SP rookie by far than the items I sold to be able to obtain it.

If I had real courage I'd go get a PSA 10 1984 Topps Tiffany Mattingly rookie, but I'm just not sold on its long term value compared to nice centered Mantles and rare Jeter RCs. >>

I'm in that transition too. I used to buy a bunch of vintage "bargains" for a couple of bucks each. Now I'm buying 1 or 2 graded cards a month and a lot more enthralled with my new additions.

It also has helped to have this board to make a few trades. LarkinCollector and I made a nice swap of large lots of raw cards and it was fantastic

Just how narrow is your collecting focus?

Comments