General Forum

If you are looking for investments, then avoid junk wax eras.

Over all I think this thread highlights two types of "collectors".

1) Those looking to make a profit.  The "gamblers" in this subset are the ones who will rip pack after pack looking for hits they can flip for big cash.  Others are the ones you see with lock boxed (I've even seen some who had them handcuffed to their wrists) and are purchasing very high end cards in hopes that their values will continue to go up.  They are the ones who will think of nothing about dropping $500+ on a single card if in a few years they can turn it around for $1000.

2) Those who collect.  This second group will spend $500 to complete a set worth $20.  They want every card in a set or of a team or of a player.  The collectors in this second group are the ones you'll see sifting through the discount boxes at card shows or who sift through that box of random junk era cards at a flea market in hopes of finding those two or three commons they need to finish off that 87 Fleer set.
An interesting subset of collectors in this second group are the ones who also have the small collection of random card they came across that they collected because they were interesting.  Some will look for cards written on in humorous ways or some like to find those damaged or off center cards that look interesting but are otherwise worthless.  Or the cards that are just odd, like a small card set of Al Roker or a card of a Turkey Bowler (real card FYI) or something like that.  Even if you sell any of these cards for more than you paid, you'll never see a profit of more than a couple cents or a buck here and there at most but it's about the fun of of the cards themselves.

I am here just to complete some of the sets I started in the nineties, cheap wax era, and other cards that strike my interest. Some I have in binders and some in boxes. But it is all in the hunt for me.

If you set collect, you will inevitably wind up with a few cards you would normally keep (favorite players/teams or cards that have some perceived value) and a lot of cards you either don't want, have no value, or both.  Then you have to find a place to store all those cards that you wouldn't normally keep if not for trying to complete the set.  And that place you pick to store them cannot just be anywhere, as a bad climate can (and will) degrade the cards over time.

Now, if the design of the set is something that appeals to you then that's something different.  You're not just completing a set for completing a set's sake.  You are completing a set because you like the entire set.

Years ago, a card dealer at a show said to me in regard to the boxes of unopened packs he was selling "They might as well be bricks inside those boxes. I buy them, I sell them, and I never know what was inside them." He seemed glad that I was going to open the box and all the packs and see what is actually in there.

I am only on TCDB for set collecting.  I don't even bother listing inserts and especially game-used, autos or decent rookie cards.  I don't think this is the right site for investors. 
I never buy complete sets unless I think I can flip them but s/h makes it hard to flip complete sets. 
I like buying the 2000ct or 4000ct boxes and going through them.  Hoping the seller left a few cards I can resell in the box and also hoping there are cards I need for sets or new sets to collect.  
The fun of set collecting is in the chase and knocking cards off the list.
Storage is the big question.  I have a lot of sets in binders, but I rarely look at them.  I am starting to keep some sets in card boxes.  Saves on space and cost.

Ok, it's fun for a lot of people to build their sets.  But, is there an ultimate endpoint or goal or destination after having completed the set?

Do you plan to pass them on to your children, or just die with them in your garage?  And if you pass them on, do you want to pass on junk worthless sets to your children?  Or maybe, think about passing on something really valuable?

Bye.

I love collecting pro set so I would do all mentioned by buying sets even if it was to get just one card I needed, lots if postage is ok, singles (trading or buying) as even just one common is just as great as a rare card and buying boxes as I love trying to find the rare error/variation cards, inserts or redemptions

i also buy boxes so I can have the empty box and wrappers in my collection

binder wise this is a must have and I still need a few to house my collection

other things I look for are Wheatley’s boxes and sell sheets and if I had the money old beckettswith pro set articles in them

I enjoy the efforts of trading with the goal of accomplishing my card collecting goals, and using my extras, turning them into cards I need.

GoldenEagless555,

It's no problem, take care.