We all know the discussions of Master sets, Mini masters etc.

But for those who only collect a certain type eg promo, autograph, base or perhaps cards on a certain theme or subject, what would you use to define it as a collection? Rather than just a random bunch of cards?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: TC00,

Never really thought about it because you know a card collector when you meet one, even if they collect types of cards that are very different from yours. I think there are card collections that are highly focused to a title or theme, while others can be more loosely tied to a type, i.e. promo, sketch, autograph.

If you are buying out of personal interest and intend to keep what you have at least for the foreseeable future, its a collection.

If you are buying cards with the intention of turning them over, either quickly or eventually, its more accurate to call it inventory in MHO.

Some might still consider a card collection as more of an investment and buy with the idea of accumulating value. You could have done that with vintage cards, but its very hard with modern cards and practically impossible with the newest cards. All but the real sleepers are coming out at peak prices and have no room to grow, only decline. Barring a very uninformed seller, you can only make big money if you get them at the production level by pulling them yourself.

You can be a dealer with a large number of cards, but only the ones you won't sell are your collection. You can have only a small number of cards with no particular relationship and its still a collection if you like them. The desire of someone to enjoy and keep the cards define them as a collection to me. How good a collection it may be is a different matter.

A collection is whatever you want it to be.

I gave up on Master sets when I was buying cards (I came to realise) I didn't really want all that much, but because I needed them to complete the set. What a waste of time, and MONEY!

Now it is a 'random bunch of cards', as TC00 put it, with heavier focus in one area (Bond) and some branch outs into some other areas (Alien, X-Files, Star Wars, Star Trek). Because I don't have to have everything anymore, if I see a card I like, I'll get it without feeling any need to buy further into that topic. I have 3x Batman cards, 1x LOTR card, 1x Walking Dead card as examples of some totally random other items. They are all part of my collection.