Question for Set Collectors

[JohnnyDrama]

I was going through my litany of projects (I have about 48 or 49 "active" projects) and it dawned on me. The reason I have so many projects is because most of them inevitably dry up, leaving me looking for one or two to finish the set. I have several projects going on 3 years now with others not far behind.

My question is this: what do you disciplined set collectors chasing 1 or 2 sets do when the river runs dry?

 

[quincy]

It took me the better part of 10 years each to finish the 96-7 Select mirrors and the Pristine Golds. You grit your teeth and you stump high and low for them. And when they come up you say "Alright, budget priority is THIS CARD" and pay more than you intended to cross the ******* off.

 

[Luongo Collector]

You overpay when it pops up. The biggest regrets are the ones where you know the card was there, but we decide to be cheap and wait for the next copy.

Never again!!!!! Hahahahha

 

[SkyFire47]

It took me the better part of 10 years each to finish the 96-7 Select mirrors and the Pristine Golds. You grit your teeth and you stump high and low for them. And when they come up you say "Alright, budget priority is THIS CARD" and pay more than you intended to cross the ******* off.

I tried that for the 97-98 Totally Certified Mirror Platinums /25 and /30 lol. Think people caught on and now I'm stuck at 50+ out of the 130.

 

[BigBarracuda]

I tried that for the 97-98 Totally Certified Mirror Platinums /25 and /30 lol. Think people caught on and now I'm stuck at 50+ out of the 130.

Feel free to hit me up if you ever decide to bail on the set. There's a couple of Whalers I still need :beer:

 

[foley2k]

I started in the late 90s early 80s to get the insert sets for the OPC base sets I already had. They sat for years. Up until a couple years ago I decided to put them to rest and complete them. Ended up trading, and buying to get what I needed. Mostly buying. Just down to some Roy reprints and some Lemieux reprints.
When I started to realize that some of these cards don't pop up too often, I knew I had to dig into the wallet a bit more. So I did. Some popped up on COMC. paid more than I would have liked. Cause COMC takes a decade and forever to get your cards now, I seen the same ones pop up on ebay shortly after. I started to think "what happens if those from COMC get lost in the mail? I might never find these again". My anxiety got the better of me.
Bid on them on ebay and won them for a considerably cheaper than what I paid on COMC. Both shipments came in and now,have some doubles. Hopefully someone else is putting those sets together.

When the last 2 insert sets are completed, I will look for another project. But only one at a time from now on.

 

[SkyFire47]

Feel free to hit me up if you ever decide to bail on the set. There's a couple of Whalers I still need :beer:

Which ones? I'll let you know if I even have them at least.

 

[MMarch]

It took me the better part of 10 years each to finish the 96-7 Select mirrors and the Pristine Golds. You grit your teeth and you stump high and low for them. And when they come up you say "Alright, budget priority is THIS CARD" and pay more than you intended to cross the ******* off.

Yep, this. Doing a 90’s set right now and it is a grind.

 

[Docrinki]

It is certainly a grind. Itg and numbering less than 20 almost made me quit. Now I just wait.
Habs Inks- Need Shutt- unlikely to get
Retro Inkcredibles- Need Gretzky- unlikely to get
Storied franchise- Morenz, Durnan, Harvey, Richard- may find
Parkhurst Franchises HSHS Robinson and several duals
Parkhurst Original 6 HSHS Garon/Worsley, Koivu/Beliveau, Theodore/Roy both versions

I refuse to finish much else SP until I run into the above.

 

[Theideafactory]

I agree with everyone that it is a grind....

..but doesn't it feel good, and worth the wait when you find that card(s) you need to finish a set?

 

[trekrun]

Only ONE active set for me and after getting most of them, down to a couple to complete the 2015 UD Master Collection Bobby Orr #/20 color schemes.
Never complete the 2006/07 UD Ultimate Signature Jersey AU #/50 and might pull some to move at EXPO!
$OLD the main TWO cards, Crosby and Ovechkin, from the 2005/06 UD Ultimate RC AU #/299 and #/399 portion of the set.
I have completed sets of 2007/08, 2009/10 and 2010/11 UD Ultimate Signatures with some tough to get cards with a few that were never inserted in pack.
TOO many cards that are UPDATE cards to even attempt with some beyond my budget.
A couple of ITG sets, BBR Vintage and Superlative Vintage, ALL collecting dust!
LAST set I completed was the 2021/22 Upper Deck Canvas BLACK Mascots, easy and done in less than ONE month.

Enough said, get the SSP first, get ready to spend plenty unless you sacrifice some great traders and patience for the OLDER SETS.

 

[SkyFire47]

Only ONE active set for me and after getting most of them, down to a couple to complete the 2015 UD Master Collection Bobby Orr #/20 color schemes.
Never complete the 2006/07 UD Ultimate Signature Jersey AU #/50 and might pull some to move at EXPO!
$OLD the main TWO cards, Crosby and Ovechkin, from the 2005/06 UD Ultimate RC AU #/299 and #/399 portion of the set.
I have completed sets of 2007/08, 2009/10 and 2010/11 UD Ultimate Signatures with some tough to get cards with a few that were never inserted in pack.
TOO many cards that are UPDATE cards to even attempt with some beyond my budget.
A couple of ITG sets, BBR Vintage and Superlative Vintage, ALL collecting dust!
LAST set I completed was the 2021/22 Upper Deck Canvas BLACK Mascots, easy and done in less than ONE month.

Enough said, get the SSP first, get ready to spend plenty unless you sacrifice some great traders and patience for the OLDER SETS.

Did the same with the 05-06 Ultimate Signatures set. Had to move the Gretzky SSP, Crosby, Ovechkin, and a Tanguay SP for some important Lundqvist pieces. Thinking I may as well move the rest of the set and SPs.

 

[creasecollector]

Just sit and be patient. Sometimes, that is all we can do.