At what point do you decide to collect a set? I know certain collectors complete the same sets year after year, whether that is the Topps base set, Allen & Ginter or others, but I'm not talking about those types of collectors. I'm talking about when you buy a box of cards or get a stack of cards from a certain set and decide to collect the set for no other reason than you have have a certain percentage of the set.
What is that percentage for you? 33%? 50%? 75%?
Like most of you out there I went several months without even seeing any baseball cards in the retail environment. So when I finally found some I splurged and bought a box of 2020 Archives at Target. It contained 16 packs and 131 cards. I got 9 inserts, so that leaves 122 base cards.
The Lizard is numbered 05/25 and I have it up on eBay right now hoping to recoup the cost of the box.
Trading is not always a fruitful proposition. I'm confident I can pick up the base cards from a dime box and maybe even a 15/$1 box, so when I trade cards and spend $4 on shipping, I could have bought between 40 - 60 cards. So if you are looking to trade, it needs to be worth it for me. Sorry if that comes across rough, but my collecting funds are tight right now. I also realize that most of the cards I have to trade aren't worth a whole lot, so it goes both ways.
2020 Topps Archives Needs
3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 18, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32, 33, 35, 36, 39, 40, 43, 44, 46, 48, 49, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 67, 68, 77. 78, 80, 82, 85, 88, 91, 92, 93, 95, 101, 103, 104, 108, 115, 119, 121, 124, 126, 132, 133, 136, 137, 140, 142, 145, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 162, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169,172, 174, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 185, 186, 187, 191, 193, 194, 196, 197, 198, 199, 201, 209, 210, 212, 213, 214, 215, 217, 221, 223, 224, 227, 230, 232, 233, 235, 238, 241, 242, 243, 244, 247, 249, 250, 252, 255, 258, 260, 262, 263, 264, 266, 267, 269, 272, 275, 277, 279, 280, 282, 283, 284, 285, 288, 289, 290, 292, 293, 295, 297, 298, 299, 300
Good question. I have a bunch of these on trading card database. Let me take a look and I can send you a small PWE to help chip into your needs.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't seen any Archives in my area, and fear I may be shut out from opening any packs this year. Good luck completing the set!
ReplyDeleteThat purple Bellinger is pretty. ... I have zero 2020 Archives outside of the Dodgers I ordered because none have been on store shelves. I think a lot of us are in the same situation.
ReplyDeleteI rarely use the percentage rule on completing sets. If I like the set enough, then I will try to complete it. I have not done that with a current set since 2015.
If I've got a big chunk of a set, I'll go through a few checklist items:
ReplyDeleteSet chock full of rookies (throughout or at the end) - Not doing it
A lot of hard to get short prints - Not doing it. Or may just settle for the short set.
Otherwise, I'd probably go for it. I might wait til I finish a couple sets of the same product (different yesrs) before officially declaring that one active.
As a budget collector, I'm in the category of people who just goes out and buys a completed one on eBay. However... I have been in your situation where I've opened up a blaster or two and then decided to build the set. I'd say at 50%, I'd start considering it. If it wasn't 2020, I'd probably buy another blaster and hope to push that percentage about the 70% mark. At that point... I'd then be motivate to complete it through trades or buying another blaster. Good luck with the set build.
ReplyDeleteI don't go for many entire sets. Some insert sets mostly.
ReplyDelete