No disrespect to the OP, but this thread makes no sense to me.
First of all, the definition of a "true collector" is something that can be debated for weeks. How can you put cards first and money second? I think everyone puts both of them first! Anyone who says that he loves his cards so much and doesn't care if they lose 90% value is full of crap!
Secondly, how do we come up with numbers here?
For example, United States = 50,000 and the world = 250,000. There are people who own stuff, but are taking a break from the hobby. There are people who attend card shows and only purchase $5 cards. There are investors who come in and out, etc. How do we even come up with these numbers? That's like me trying to figure out how many men in the USA like blonde-haired women and how many men in the world like blonde-haired women. Maybe all of them? Dunno!
