Collecting Focus

I response to a previous thread prompted me to this. I started to seriously collect pre-WWII cards about 10 years ago. Other than deciding to go after the T202 set I just picked up cards I thought were cool or nice. On a small budget I was able to complete the T202 set in 4 years. I since have slowly been trying to get one of each of the backs in the set.

Along the way I picked up a diversity of cards and got fairly close to the T206 set minus the big 5, which I completed a complete of years later. While putting the T206s together I decided to get one of each of the backs up to DRUM, which I accomplished, I started focusing on the Cycle 460 subset, I since have been able to obtain 82 of the 109 possible. And hope to get the last 27.

Since I have put the T206 set together I have started selling off the Piedmont and Sweet Cap backs and trying to replace them with other backs.

Along the way I have picked up many different cards from many different sets. The ones in my set I am most proud to have are the T206 Cycle 460s, my T202 set and different backs, and the Piedmont Art Stamps which have 26 of. These are all collecting that I put a big focus on and to me the crowning jewels of my collection.

I recommend to any all to put a focus on your collecting and found the rewards to be much greater.

Lee

Having a niche collection can certainly be rewarding. While T206s and similar cards are seemingly universally admired, it is the being able to pull out, show, and enjoy the unique or truly scarce that would seem the most rewarding, at least in my book. Your Piedmont Stamp set and the Cycle 460 subset fit nicely into that category. Zach's Voskamps might be another one that rises to that level (though I am probably insulting the remainder of his collection by isolating those).

You guys both have exceptional focus. Currently, I am working on a n172-n173-n175 HOF type set which i hope to own for a very long time. I want the n175 to be Large and preferably Kelly so it could be a while before it happens!

When I collected in the 80s I had no focus. but I also had a large sum of money to spend so there wasn't a real need to be selective. I sold everything in 1992 and got back into the hobby in 2002. This time with much less money and much more focus. I originally started working a player set. One card of every major leaguer from 1903-45. Then it got narrowed to those that appeared on a card as a major leaguer. I then chucked it to focus on the Delong and t205 sets, which is where I am at today. I still have a few random cards that don't fit that criteria like my Thorpe, Nadja Oakes and red Colgan Speaker. I'll acquiring one more card outside that focus and then it's back to a laser like focus on those two sets.

I have three collections; Baseball, Football, & NASCAR. My baseball collection is very focused on strip cards w512, w513, & w514 sets. The 512's & 513's are finished, and now I'm working on 514's. No, I'm not going numerically... but I like quality, cheap HOF's, and strip cards offer the best option without going broke.
The football collection was done when I was very young, I haven't added to it in ten years.
The NASCAR collection is my fault, I admit I have no focus only love for the sport. Cards were not really made until the 1991 Proset, it's all memorabilia. My garage is overwhelmed with Fireball Roberts doors (off his '61 Pontiac), Dale Earnhardt signed tires, toolboxes, Yakima Raceway signage.... it's ridiculous! Can't get my car in the garage anymore. It's time to cut the fat.