How Do You Collect??

Just curious, but I was wondering if the majority of you buy cards to build a collection or do you obtain your cards to use as "trade bait" to get the next best card?? I, for instance, collect my cards so that I can have a room where I can display my collection. I too, probably like most of you, have a safe where I keep some cards. But I also like to show them off too. What about you?? How do you collect??

I collect about the same way. My "better" cards are in my safes. I finally got around to seperating my cards recently and plan on doing some displays with my Oberlin T206's and Hindu Southern Leaguers.

My collecting tastes change about every year, but I am content with my collection goals at the moment (collecting T206's by backs).

I buy strictly to add to my collection. The only way I end up with trade bait is when I buy a group of cards and there happens to be a player or players in there that I already have.

Jay

Missed answering part of your post. I've always been a collector that believes in showing and displaying my collection. I figure, what's the point in owning something if it's going to be locked away where no one can see it. I got a nice fire and water proof safe from my mom for Christmas so I can keep my more valuable cards in there and still have ready access to them if I want to show them off.

Jay

I collect according to the following criteria:

1. Rarity
2. Aesthetic appeal
3. Player

I always purchase cards with the intention of keeping them for good. But sometimes I'll trade if it brings in a card I like more, or if it brings another collector closer to their goals without disrupting my own. And sometimes I'll sell if I must, either to fund another purchase, or because I need the $ for boring stuff like rent and bills

I am assembling a group of cards selected to represent the history (primarilly baseball history) which has occurred since the formation of the National League. These consist mostly of cards without much value, but a bit of bulk. This bulk is displayed typically in raw card binder pages organized chronologically and located in binders.

A lot has happened since the formation of the National League. Persons including Buffalo Bill, Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Annie Oakley; complimented by Presidents, inventors, entertainers, and other personages have been represented on cards during the period in which they were active. I seek to correlate baseball and non-baseball history in annual presentation of cards which are contemporary. Subjects including WWII require a comparitive great level of effort, because much material is available, and a lot of it is interesting, important, or both.