Do you collect players you don't like?

[JollyElm]

There are different levels of hatred. Since I can't see myself paying the ridiculous prices required to pick up certain 1966 and 1967 high numbers in nice shape, it makes me greatly abhor those players, even if they were fine, upstanding citizens. Sort of 'vicious circle logic.'

The beauty of being a set collector is you can grab a hated player's card you need and then just tuck him away in the proper pocket inside of your binder and POOF!! never think about him again.

[ASF123]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

There are different levels of hatred. Since I can't see myself paying the ridiculous prices required to pick up certain 1966 and 1967 high numbers in nice shape, it makes me greatly abhor those players, even if they were fine, upstanding citizens. Sort of 'vicious circle logic.'

The beauty of being a set collector is you can grab a hated player's card you need and then just tuck him away in the proper pocket inside of your binder and POOF!! never think about him again.

Yesterday I finally lucked into a 67T Brooks Robinson at a decent price/condition point! It's OC, but I'm not going to quibble.

[Exhibitman]

Kind of the opposite: if the card was significant in my youth the fact that the player turned out to be horrible doesn't deter me. My OJ Simpson run of cards that were treasured possessions as a kid (not these exact ones, but the same run):







The opposite holds true as an adult. If I loathe the person off-field I don't want his cards. To wit:



Anyone wanna buy this jackhole's card?

[Cliff Bowman]

As long as they are a Cub player in something that I collect.

[G1911]

Yes and no.

As a set collector, I want the full set. Thus, I have OJ Simpson 1970-1972 for my sets, but bought them in terrible shape as low as I could and don't really like them. I like it better than a gap in my set, but it leaves a poor taste, if the personal issues with the athlete are extreme. I don't care if an athlete was not a stellar moralist, fails to be on the 'right side' of wherever today's line is drawn on popular social issues, or if they do not share my political views. It takes an OJ level of extreme wrongdoing to make me care.

On the other hand, it does not bother me at all if the figure is of historical import and in a history focused set. I don't mind a Hitler card for a set of WWII cards. Perhaps a little inconsistent, but that's how it works for me. History is nasty and brutal, sports are not inherently so and a break from the serious, perhaps that's why OJ bothers me.

[egri]

I wouldn't go out of my way to collect them, but if a card came along at a good price, and I had a few extra dollars burning a hole in my pocket, I'd consider it.

[packs]

I realized that I hate the Red Sox so much that subconsciously I've managed not to have a single Red Sox card in my collection. Not even a Williams.