Set Collectors - Is "except for" ever good enough?

[Nick55]

Originally Posted by CobbSpikedMe

I collect a lot of different sets from prewar to 1981. I honestly don't care if I end up with every card in any of the sets. I just like collecting them. Condition means nothing to me either. So I just plug along and add cards when I can and since I'm working on so many sets I don't run out of options very easily. I have completed several sets. And I love getting that last card to kill the set. Some folks collect all the variations and some people collect miscuts and some people collect for a set registry. There's no wrong way to collect and that's why this hobby is so great.

This best expresses my view and style as well.

I buy mint cards, ex cards, and poor cards; whatever comes my way. They are all cool to me. I build complete sets and partial sets. I collect singles. For example, I'm working on a low grade '57 set and I am about 2/3rds of the way through and intend to "complete" it "with the exception of" the checklist cards. Will it truly be complete without the checklist cards? I don't know and don't much care. I don't want to pay big $$$ for marked up checklists, and that's ok. As another example, I'm "collecting" 1969 and 1972 Topps baseball in mid to high grade. I don't intend to complete either of those, because I don't care to. I don't like hatless headshots on some of the 1969's, or the trophy cards and boyhood photos of the 1972's. It's all good. They won't be "complete" sets and I won't call them that. I won't call them anything but my "1969 and 1972 baseball card collection." I really like the designs, with the mentioned exceptions, and will just collect a few hundred of each of the ones I really like. That's plenty to look through and enjoy from time to time.

So, I 100 percent agree with the statement, "There's no wrong way to collect and that's why this hobby is so great." Amen to that!