I lost count but it must be now over the 500 sets.
I am collection for 21 years now.

well I only have seven base sets (only been collecting a year)
but out of that I have three master sets

OK I forgot about this message but I went Back and checked and I have 542 card sets. Thats too many

All are in binders and sorted by show or movie.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Chris Cline,

Honestly, I consider myself a "casual" colletor as well, and I have only been collecting about a year... and I have about 80 sets, people that are serious or have been collecting awhile probably have in the thousands

I've lost count!

I mostly collect Star Trek, B5, Xena, Farscape and X-Files, with movies and selected other TV shows.
I probably have close to 50 sets - and that's purely a guesstimate.
Au Res.,
Paul

This was an eye-opening question for me!

I really had no idea how many different sets I
have until I did a quick count. It seems that
I have around 120 sets give or take a couple.
I don't think I would have guessed that large a
number.

Not being sure just how the collectors "rank structure" is compiled, I would have to consider
myself a 'casually serious' collector. I don't
go after every insert card within a set every time, just with a few. I'll usually go after the
more common insert sets and not persue the autographs and pieceworks or sketch cards. If I
do happen to get one then that is just a nice
little surprise. I say little because I have had
nowhere near the luck that Paul and some others do!! We'll see with the upcomingScorpion King and Twilight Zone sets...hopefully my luck will improve!

Happy Collecting!
Greg

I was idly pondering...

A Guide to what sort of non-sport collector you are

000-020 sets - Newbie. You buy collated sets or odd packs, and you only go for subjects you know. You're sometimes tempted by the possibility of an autograph card.

021-050 - Casual. You buy packs in 5's or 10's and, occasionally, a box. You're probably not a completist, but if the card you're missing comes along cheap...

051-100 - Casually Serious. You tend towards boxes, with the occasional pack to keep you going.

101-200 - Seriously Casual. You buy 2 or more boxes at a time and regularly attend card fairs and shows looking for bargains. You're open to sets you know little about, especially if they have interesting chase card possibilities.

201-500 - Serious. You go for cases as a minimum purchase, though you will buy boxes of new stuff to test the waters.. You are tending towards completist. (Note: If all your sets are on one subject, such as, to pluck a totally random example out of the air, Star Trek, then you are Lynne Stewart and I claim my $5)

501-999 - Deadly Serious. You are either a long term collector, a dealer or an archive. You buy multiple cases. (in certain ciircumstances you SELL cases!)

1000+ - Obsessive. You either have no money or are loaded. (If the latter, email me directly - I have a proposition I want to put to you!)
Au Res.,
Paul

I don't have very many.
12 non duplicate sets.
I count a set as just the base cards.
Card sets with all the inserts minus autos-4
Card sets with all inserts, promos and autos-1
Which leaves 7 that I don't have all the nserts, autos, promos or that just didn't have inserts, etc.

I'm not sure how well your guide works. Given the number of different sets I have, I guess that would make me only a NEWBIE, but if you go by my purchasing habits, I would classify as a SERIOUSLY CASUAL collector. I buy a lot, it's just a lot of the same sets over and over looking for those last elusive chase cards and autos.

I can't wait to get home & count!!! Off the top of my head (here at work) I counted 65+, but the question is what constitues a set? Do preview sets count? Do duplicate sets count? Someone has to set some rules - Quaint1, thanks for your chart, now make up some rules!!!
-beth

I'm definatly just a novice, although I buy lots.
But I buy packs, not boxes or cases...
I have only three compleate sets and one almost compleate..ish...
dune.

well, if we count all the inserts then I have only 1 set, because it didnt come with inserts!

I collect the inserts but consider a set complete when i get the base, I will look for the inserts but am not going to pay big money for them, only trade or buy in lots

[ 03-28-2002: Message edited by: mtlhddoc2 ]

OH, the guide was just a rough, off the top of my head, I was bored in work, joky kind of thing - not to be taken TOO seriously!

There are aspects of my collecting which would rank me as 'Obsessive' - I cite my continual purchasing of 'just one more pack' of Star Trek 35 as an example...
Au Res.,
Paul

Well, I was horrified when I added up my sets. This is just the base sets mind you,
354 sets, 34 in progress.
That doesn't count the ones I started and lost interest in or the duplicate sets I have.

I have them listed by manufacturer, 41 Topps and 57 Comic Images.

Hello everyone. My name is Don, and I'm a cardaholic....

I have to tell you Don, that was great, everyone at work thinks I'm nuts, laughing out loud at my computer!! a cardaholic!!!

I think im a collectoholic, as far back as i can remember it has been something. First hot wheels, then comic books, then cards, then cards and comic books, then i discovered girls and got married...then went to micro machines (1st series)then coins then sports cards then autographs and now I am back in the non-sport thing. Lets start a political agenda in search of the collecting gene. Then we will have an excuse like everyone else..... I guess I have around 60 to 70 sets (a few still survive from my childhood) and I have around 100 authenticated autographs. Another 60 or so that I have recieved in the mail or in person.

It's so nice to know there are people worse off then me. lol.
Dune.

Yeah, well i guess its cheaper than collecting spouses...I am still married to the same girl.

This discussion is offering some very interesting insights...some of us are even discovering things about ourselves that we might not have known...(to the rest of the cardaholics/collectoholics out there - the first step is admitting that you have a problem - the next step is meeting at the next show to do some serious trading, and buying some new cards!)

Paul - I know that you may have just meant for your guide to be for fun, but I was surprised how well it fit my current habit (I mean, hobby!) I did a quick tally and came up with 118 complete sets. That would "put me in" the Seriously Casual category. I know we aren't supposed to be taking this whole thing too "seriously", but it was very interesting to read your description: "You buy 2 or more boxes at a time and regularly attend card fairs and shows looking for bargains." I JUST started buying TWO boxes of sets that I really like, in the hopes of getting more of the hard to find inserts. Since moving to PA, I JUST started attending the Philly Non-Sports Show regularly. It all fits!

And if I go back to when I had 50-100 sets, I had JUST started buying boxes, rather than packs or pre-constructed base sets. So I think your guide is amusingly accurate.

Well, I better start saving up some money now. I've never bought a case before, and I have a loooong way to go if I want to make "Serious" card collector by the end of the year.

Joe

I counted, 72 sets, 3 preview sets, 14 extra sets & 4 incomplete sets. I didn't count sticker card sets or special promo sets. And I considered a set to be a base set of cards, inserts are just bonus. There may even be more hidden in shoeboxes, I had no idea I had that many, I just have them piled up in a closet.