[darkhorse9]

I'm a lifelong set collector and therefore quite a completist. It seems to be in the nature. But there are some sets that have a card or two that would simply make collecting a complete set financially or physically impossible.

I'm not talking about master set collectors or errors and variations. They're a different breed. I'm taking about base set collectors. I've got several sets that I know will never have every card and there are other sets that would fit.

1952 Topps (complete without high numbers)
1952 Topps(complete at 406 without Mantle)
1951 Current All Stars (complete without Roberts / Konstanty/ Stanky)
1959 Fleer (complete without #68)
1954 Bowman (complete without Ted Williams)
1933 Goudey (complete without Lajoie

there are many other examples.

Personally I hate "except for". If I knew how to set up a poll I'd do that, but the choices seems to be

1 - Fine with calling a set complete with missing cards
2 - Nope. It's not complete until it's complete
3 - I don't even start a set if I can't complete it
4 - I'll start a set, and maybe someday finish it. But it will bother me.