What is a Supercollector?

[mouschi]

Here is a link to my podcast episode on the subject if you prefer to listen to this instead of read along.

Part of the text below has been taken from my book, but most of it is new content.

ANATOMY OF A SUPERCOLLECTOR

I find tremendous enjoyment and satisfaction in having a small collection of cards that I can display, but for others, being a supercollector might be where true joy for you is in this hobby - going through the process of putting together a massive collection of any given player, doing a run of complete sets, going hard after a single team, or even a specific type of memorabilia. There is something powerful about building something meaningful, and it is incredibly fun for other collectors to watch - and even help.

Before I go any further, I thought I’d give it a shot to describe what a Supercollector looks like. Generally speaking, a Supercollector is simply someone who obsessively collects a certain niche (be it a player, team, etc.) with laser focus, and goes way beyond casual collecting. Supercollectors typically share many of these characteristics: (please read this with a semi tongue-in-cheek perspective)

- There is an extremely clear and apparent intentionality about their collection.
- Their most vivid dreams are about landing a rare item.
- Their collection is heads and tails better than most in their collecting niche.
- Their spouse despises the object of their desire. (Mainly because the Supercollector typically goes overboard!)
- They have significantly more cards in their collection than cards on their want list, including the incredibly difficult to obtain pieces.
- They are considered by the vast majority of the collecting community to be a Supercollector.
- Their favorite memories in life have to do with capturing a super rare card.
- They may have a pet or child named after their favorite player.
- Vacations are planned around new card releases.
- When anyone asks a Supercollector what’s new in life, their first thought is to respond by sharing what new cards they recently picked up.
- They have a room that looks like a shrine dedicated to the object of their affection.
- Non-collectors may typically think that Supercollectors genuinely have a problem. (That may not be far from the truth!)

To other collectors, a Supercollector’s name is what may first come to mind when they think of the player they collect. For example, when I hear anything about Andre Dawson, I don’t just think of his stellar career; I think about Dustin and his amazing Dawson collection, boasting over 150,000 cards of the Hawk alone. Whenever I hear anything about Mark Teixeira, I don’t just think about how great of a player he was; I think of Robert and his jaw-dropping collection of over 1,000 1/1 cards of Tex. Anthony and his amazing Gary Carter collection, and Richard with his incredible Wade Boggs tavern. Being synonymous with a specific collecting niche is the dream of any Supercollector.

CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER SUPERCOLLECTOR

Ever since my sell off in 2018, I've purchased multiple large Jose Canseco collections, and at times have accumulated much more than I had ever anticipated, all while trying to assure everyone I wasn't a supercollector. A few times, this was met with "Face it, Tanner - you are a supercollector". #@Here is a picture of my accumulation of 2005 Prime Patches - I had dozens - and this was *after* my big sell off in 2018.



I had boxes and boxes of cards like this, and other patch cards. How many of the cards do I have left in the above picture? Exactly zero. After taking a step back, I had to re-evaluate. Am I a supercollector, or am I not? Surely I'm a big fan of "collect what you like" but at what point does a card type lose its specialness? I found for me, I had a lot of lingering supercollector tendencies. Over the past couple years, I've learned to keep only what I love, and buy only what gets me excited.

Don't get me wrong - having several of the same patch card makes for a fun photo op, but the ability to really hold one and admire it for what it is gets much more difficult when it is surrounded by several others that look similar.



In the above picture, I have only kept one, and that is the 2nd one shown above.

Same here ... I've only kept the middle one



And here? NONE!



Even now, looking back at the pictures, at times, I miss having these beauties, but in the end, they are cards that end up in a box, not to be looked at. But that's when I realized that it is these very cards that were keeping me from doing something spectacular.
DO SOMETHING SPECTACULAR
Did you know that every card in your collection that you don't absolutely love is keeping you from doing something spectacular? It's true! Think about it - if you are like most collectors, you could potentially have hundreds - or even thousands of dollars in cards that could be used to get something amazing!

Think about how much money you have wrapped up into cards that you rarely look at, and then think about what you would do with that money now. Would you get a Babe Ruth? A Ty Cobb? Much of this is doable for many, and that is exactly what I did. I came to the realization that these boxes of Jose Canseco relics that I had multiples of and were sitting on my floor could be turned into something jaw dropping. Like this Honus Wagner ...



Or even this Shoeless Joe Jackson ...



I would have never dreamed of getting these previously, and to be sure, I did have to buy and sell quite a bit to work up to these types of cards, but it all started with letting go of what I wasn't in love with.

Every now and then, a rare Canseco card will pop up on eBay that I've never seen before, and before clicking "buy it now", I have to step back and ask myself "is this something I'd buy as a supercollector, or as someone who truly loves this card?" Many times, I find out that it simply wouldn't make sense for me to buy, so I hold off!

By the way, that also freed me up to focus on Jose Canseco baseball cards I absolutely loved. As it stands, I have a mere 165 Jose Canseco baseball cards, and truth be told, I could probably get rid of at least 15 more. Psychologically, this has allowed me to appreciate what I have much more than when I had a lot. It is no longer about quantity, but quality. It also allows me to display my favorites! They stand out, uninhibited by being surrounded by 10 other cards with different color foil.

Here are some of my favorite Canseco cards which are on display, and I literally look at every single day.



My vintage collection is also on the small side - I have less than 50 total cards. But again, many of them are displayed, and I look at them every day.



With all of the buying and selling I've done over the years, a lesson I've learned (for me, anyway) is that it is more satisfying to have a small group of cards that#@I never get tired of looking at instead of constantly trying to get everything just because I don't have it. Seriously - the cards I have displayed put a smile on my face every single day! That can be you, too - you just have to figure out what your collecting voice is.

Everyone is different. It is just a matter of finding out what you love, and how to collect in a way that makes the most sense for you - that might be going after a few select cards, or maybe it is diving into the crazy world of supercollecting. In any event, I wish you the best in finding what brings you most joy. Happy collecting!

https://tanmanbaseballfan.com/2021/0...collector.html

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Have you ever met Jose in-person? Was he cool?

[kyle1707]

Good stuff as always

It’s taken me decades to collect. As odd as that sounds

Would never want to talk about what I used to have and what I have sold. Ugh

I just ripped and flipped forever

But now that I am in my 40s I finally collect. I have 4-5 areas I collect

And I really enjoy everything so much more

[mouschi]

Originally Posted by MiamiMarlinsFan

Have you ever met Jose in-person? Was he cool?

I have! My family hung out at his house for the afternoon - I wrote an article about it here: https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=876233

Yes, he was great Who he is away from the masses seems a lot different from public perception.

Originally Posted by kyle1707

Good stuff as always

It’s taken me decades to collect. As odd as that sounds

Would never want to talk about what I used to have and what I have sold. Ugh

I just ripped and flipped forever

But now that I am in my 40s I finally collect. I have 4-5 areas I collect

And I really enjoy everything so much more

That's cool! I came back into the hobby for the love of it, then became a pseudo dealer, not really caring much about keeping anything, but loving the hunt. Then I dove into Canseco stuff, and later got into vintage. Now I'm hopelessly in love with the hobby again.

[rcgdodge]

I'm with you on the doing something spectacular!

I sold off maybe 75-100 cards to be able to fund the purchase of a Jordan rookie!

[hexthem4n]

Nice podcast, Tanner. I'm definitely feeling more and more like a Supercollector, still many miles away from the big names but closing in.

[corockies]

One of my favorite parts about being a supercollector is when you see other people try to jump in on your players train, then grumble because there's not a lot of the high end stuff they want out there of that player - mainly because it's in my player collection.

[MoreToppsPlease]

“There is an extremely clear and apparent intentionality about their collection.“

Yes, hoarding and collecting are two different things. Hoarding isn’t fun, and quantity isn’t better than quality if it serves no purpose. It’s about focus.

[Dbacksbaseball]

Super collection is part love and hate for me.

Im a little jealous Tanner that you were able to get out on your terms.

There isn't an argument, that I am not a super collector.

These pictures really suck, and are just the tip of my Adam Eaton iceberg, but man it was certainly fun to build this up.

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1371601

However the past 3 years, while I have added an odd or end 1/1, I'm really down to 2 cards I want.

2014 Topps Chrome Non Auto Super - Which appeared on eBay in 2016 at 3AM EST and was instantly binned for $100

2014 Finest Base auto Super- Which sold for $250 after I offered $300 and was told it wasn't enough (This is when $300 was big money for a card) comparatively it would be like spending $2500 today on a Robby Grossman Secondary Super auto.

At this point I have zero interest in buying 7th year 1/1's of a player that unfortunately had a great contact tool, but never made a ASG, wont be in the hall of fame, and was just DFA'd yesterday for the first time.

I did however...... have the chance to get out clean this spring. I listed my 4 best cards.

His Bowman Super Auto, I received a $2500 offer on. His Topps Chrome Super auto $1800. I sat on them for a day......and straight declined both. Foolish.....yes...... but reality is, I can't let them go.

That's the conundrum where I go.....ok you are a super collector and its simply a sunk cost. It is no longer about the money or investment for me....which if you would have asked me years ago....it likely would have been a different answer.

[rogueriver]

Nice Canseco Collection, My problem is the players I collect are rather expensive. Michael Jordan, Griffey and Montana. It is hard to be a super collector for these players. Even though I can afford most of the cards spending 350,000 on a rare Jordan to me is a bad investment I can build another 10,000 sq ft warehouse that will net me income every year. Or another duplex. Maybe I am just not Oprah rich I guess. I would also imagine if I told my wife I just spend $350,000 on a card she would divorce me....But then again if I were single I could buy more cards without anyone looking over my shoulder and giving me dirty looks while I wait for the mailman...

[mouschi]

Originally Posted by rcgdodge

I'm with you on the doing something spectacular!

I sold off maybe 75-100 cards to be able to fund the purchase of a Jordan rookie!

Sweet! Congratulations I sold off a TON of stuff to get a 19th Century Roger Connor that went up for auction ... I lost. Booo! Oh well, I guess you can't win them all.

Originally Posted by hexthem4n

Nice podcast, Tanner. I'm definitely feeling more and more like a Supercollector, still many miles away from the big names but closing in.

Thanks, and good luck!

Originally Posted by corockies

One of my favorite parts about being a supercollector is when you see other people try to jump in on your players train, then grumble because there's not a lot of the high end stuff they want out there of that player - mainly because it's in my player collection.

"Welcome to my gallery" <pauses> "bwahaahahahhaha!"

Originally Posted by MoreToppsPlease

“There is an extremely clear and apparent intentionality about their collection.“

Yes, hoarding and collecting are two different things. Hoarding isn’t fun, and quantity isn’t better than quality if it serves no purpose. It’s about focus.

It really is interesting - I have zero interest in a 5,000 count box full of 1988 Donruss Jose Canseco cards (though, I thought I thought it would be fun once upon a time to fill some factory set boxes of nothing but him) but seeing someone else do it is entertaining. Dustin, the Andre Dawson supercollector I referenced for example - he has LOADS of common stuff as well as rare stuff. It is fascinating to me.

Originally Posted by Dbacksbaseball

Super collection is part love and hate for me.

Im a little jealous Tanner that you were able to get out on your terms.

There isn't an argument, that I am not a super collector.

These pictures really suck, and are just the tip of my Adam Eaton iceberg, but man it was certainly fun to build this up.

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1371601

However the past 3 years, while I have added an odd or end 1/1, I'm really down to 2 cards I want.

2014 Topps Chrome Non Auto Super - Which appeared on eBay in 2016 at 3AM EST and was instantly binned for $100

2014 Finest Base auto Super- Which sold for $250 after I offered $300 and was told it wasn't enough (This is when $300 was big money for a card) comparatively it would be like spending $2500 today on a Robby Grossman Secondary Super auto.

At this point I have zero interest in buying 7th year 1/1's of a player that unfortunately had a great contact tool, but never made a ASG, wont be in the hall of fame, and was just DFA'd yesterday for the first time.

I did however...... have the chance to get out clean this spring. I listed my 4 best cards.

His Bowman Super Auto, I received a $2500 offer on. His Topps Chrome Super auto $1800. I sat on them for a day......and straight declined both. Foolish.....yes...... but reality is, I can't let them go.

That's the conundrum where I go.....ok you are a super collector and its simply a sunk cost. It is no longer about the money or investment for me....which if you would have asked me years ago....it likely would have been a different answer.

What a great collection! It is funny - I had my brother in law over and showed him some cards. I talked to him about the 1919 W514 Babe Ruth and showed him it - his jaw dropped, and he fell in love with the story.

Then I showed my Canseco cards. A beautiful bat knob, barrel, etc. He didn't blink an eye - didn't care on bit! I laughed and expected it, but sometimes I think we can look at our players and forget that most of the collecting world doesn't care. We are so focused on our "competition" at times.

Another thing to note - this *may* help in your selling down the road, or maybe not, but nevertheless it reminded me: A lot of collectors say they can't sell because of all the time and effort they have put into their collection. I would argue that it isn't lost time & effort, but rather payment that has been given to us in the way of satisfaction and enjoyment. Once we think of it that way, I think selling off can feel less like we are losing out. That may not apply to you personally, but maybe someone here can glean some inspiration from it.

Originally Posted by rogueriver

Nice Canseco Collection, My problem is the players I collect are rather expensive. Michael Jordan, Griffey and Montana. It is hard to be a super collector for these players. Even though I can afford most of the cards spending 350,000 on a rare Jordan to me is a bad investment I can build another 10,000 sq ft warehouse that will net me income every year. Or another duplex. Maybe I am just not Oprah rich I guess. I would also imagine if I told my wife I just spend $350,000 on a card she would divorce me....But then again if I were single I could buy more cards without anyone looking over my shoulder and giving me dirty looks while I wait for the mailman...

I can't even begin to think on that level - that's crazy money! One fun part of collecting is being able to limit ourselves - for Griffey, maybe it is only playing career Mariners cards (or Reds or ... White Sox) and perhaps only licensed, or non-licensed. Setting a financial limit of only spending what you get from selling other cards makes it fun too. Without these limits, no matter what player you collect, most anyone can drain all their money into any star player, no matter who it is, given the sheer amount of material that is available for each player.

[creasecollector]

Great article, Tanner. I also listened to you podcast again after a bit of a break yesterday as well. I have some catching up to do!

[mouschi]

Originally Posted by creasecollector

Great article, Tanner. I also listened to you podcast again after a bit of a break yesterday as well. I have some catching up to do!

Thank you good sir!

[pewe]

Originally Posted by rogueriver

Nice Canseco Collection, My problem is the players I collect are rather expensive. Michael Jordan, Griffey and Montana. It is hard to be a super collector for these players. Even though I can afford most of the cards spending 350,000 on a rare Jordan to me is a bad investment I can build another 10,000 sq ft warehouse that will net me income every year. Or another duplex. Maybe I am just not Oprah rich I guess. I would also imagine if I told my wife I just spend $350,000 on a card she would divorce me....But then again if I were single I could buy more cards without anyone looking over my shoulder and giving me dirty looks while I wait for the mailman...

What if you only buy raw or lower graded versions of those cards???

I find this can lower the cost of your collection 80%+ (or if you are talking Griffey and Jordan, maybe lowers it 98%), and make it much more accessible / beautiful to look at… while also probably having nearly as nice (nicer sometimes) cards than if you’d just collected psa 9 / 10 cards that are wastes of $$$


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MoreToppsPlease]

Originally Posted by pewe

What if you only buy raw or lower graded versions of those cards???

I find this can lower the cost of your collection 80%+ (or if you are talking Griffey and Jordan, maybe lowers it 98%), and make it much more accessible / beautiful to look at… while also probably having nearly as nice (nicer sometimes) cards than if you’d just collected psa 9 / 10 cards that are wastes of $$$

Exactly. Amount spent doesn’t determine whether someone’s a super collector. So why pay so much extra for the plastic that entombs a card??

[rngrdanny22]

SuperCollector = someone who bought loads of a particular prospect, it didn't pan out, but you gotta complete those rainbows, right?

[asujbl]

A nerd

Kidding… ish

[dalsubfan]

Tanner, am I allowed to comment on this? Or is that just rehashing (and bragging)?



dalsubfan

[mouschi]

Originally Posted by dalsubfan

Tanner, am I allowed to comment on this? Or is that just rehashing (and bragging)?



dalsubfan

You are now obligated to sir!