Player Collectors vs. Set Collectors

[Mires]

Maybe I'm a bad guy, but I get a little joy out of knowing some sets can never or will never be completed because a player collector has a card he won't let go of. I can't say it takes more or less dedication to be either or either is more passionate than the other, but I do feel player collectors hold onto cards longer than set collectors. Many sets get broken up anyway, because a lot of set collectors are about the hunt so after a set is completed there isn't a reason to keep it anymore. Maybe I'm wrong? I don't know, but I'd like to hear others take on the subject.

[tjforce]

I'm kind of the other way around.... The cards of players i PC all have a price on them; by that I mean if the market gets way out of whack and I can sell for a ridiculous more than I think the card is actually worth, I would sell.

Meanwhile, I have some impossible to find cards towards my sets that I wouldn't give up for 4x or 5x their values.

[gatorboymike]

That's why I mostly only collect complete sets made before 2000. Although on the handful of occasions when some set collector has asked me to sell them a 1/1 of my PC players that I owned, the little devil on my shoulder laughed at them. The angel on my other shoulder laughed at them too.

[BruceS]

I just can speak for myself, as a set and former player collector. After I finished my 96-97 Flair Showcase Legacy Collection set I fell in a little hole motivation wise.
The set was completed and the question was if and how to continue collecting, which set to choose and so on.
As a player collector one thing is sure at the start, that you´ll never get all the Cards of your player and this is a big difference to a set collector.
For me it was much easier to let go of my best Iverson card, of course only for the right Price, than only thinking once of wanting to break up my set.
I think both ways off collecting can be amazing and at one point frustrating......it took my 5 years for my set, with the last Card taking about 1 year.
Today I wouldn´t start this set anymore but I would choose a set from the 90`s.
There´s not one set Panini does that is worth collecting, that´s my personal opinion.
The beauty of the past sets is just missing.........they went over to useless mass production and destruction of the hobby.

[drobfan8]

You're right, you are a bad guy OP, preferring a Player Collector to get the card is just wrong. Ha ha, I'm joking man. You make an interesting point.
I think there are crazy collectors on both sides.

Player collectors have sold some of their biggest cards due to crazy prices before, and vice versa.
Some set collectors go to their graves with their cards and same with Player Collectors.
One thing is for sure, player collectors rarely complete their chase.

I would call myself a set collector, but my cards will never go to my grave, I'm in this Hobby for fun and when it stops being that I'll sell up someday.

There's nothing like seeing an awesome set completion. The above Flair Legacy set is still one of the best I've seen, ever.

[8collector34]

I am a player collector, but I collect it as a set. Meaning I picked 200 cards to collect from my two PC players, so I pretty much have a checklist. Of course it is not written in stone.