With my latest PSA return (still in transit) I have completed a full 10th Movie Set in PSA10. I’m close to a full Bandit Ring set and will likely go for a complete set of Legendary Shine Collection.
I picked up Blasotise FA and Venusaur FA in PSA10 thanks to a certain somewhere here, the FA Charizard has just finished grading and is on its way back in PSA10 glory.
Although I’m not a fan of Gyarados personally, my next aim will likely be a full set of XY9 or if I don’t like it much like I’m not a huge fan of XY8 I will go complete my Emerald Break PSA set.
I have 4 main goals with a few less important side projects, my main focus at the moment is:
Neo 4 shinings in 9+,
JP 1ed crystals in 9+,
Keep up with new jp releases full art wise
And finally my longest standing goal, a full 10 set of the 27 stars.
My goal is to complete Base, Jungle, Fossil and Rocket in NM/M including special stamp cards, prerelease etc (No, not raichu though ).
Then all Neo sets in NM/M!
I also have the goal of getting all the Shining cards in PSA 9, and I have also started a bit on getting the Gold Star cards in PSA 9.
I’m just a student at the moment so when I get a job and have increased funds for collecting I might expand into some more rare cards
There’s always new challenges to take on in this hobby, but I don’t see my current goals beeing finished anytime soon!
-All Japanese BW URs in PSA 10. Currently at 2 lmao.
-Replace my damaged PLAY Stars (thanks psa)
-Chip away at my Japanese crystal/gold star sets
-Buy/grade any pretty cards I happen to see
-Spoil myself with an opening every now and then.
Good thread, and it’s something I’ve been thinking about recently. Initially my goal when returning to the hobby was to complete all four Neo sets in English 1st Ed and Japanese in NM+ condition and I am now one card away from doing so (Shining Kabutops would you believe - though it’s en route to me now!).
Along the way I started getting some PSA 10 cards, and after some initial hesitation I went for the 1st Ed Destiny shinings set. I was hesitant because of the cost, but what I’ve now realised is that actually when you spread that cost over the time it takes to get them, and you factor in the enjoyment and happiness they bring, and lets face it the fact they they aren’t likely to lose much value (maybe even gain value in time), especially compared to for example expensive clothes or alcohol then they really are bargains.
So where to now… along the same lines of @garyis2000, until the fun stops. I have realised that there is no reason not to try and complete the most audacious sets, because that only increases the amount of time and enjoyment I can get from the hobby. Price isn’t really an issue if you span something over 10 or 20 years even.
In real terms, I’m done with complete ungraded sets, with the exception of Team Rocket 1st Ed, but I’m really holding out on that because I’d love to buy and open a booster box for that set, I’m waiting for the right price as they’re so common but it seems to be pretty consistent so I’m not sure I will get one soon. I’ve actually sold about 10 of my PSA cards recently because they were a bit ‘odds and ends’, and I much prefer the completeness of sets and mini sets e.g. 8 Neo Destiny Shinings, or 3 Johto starters. I’m also in the process of selling all of my bulk cards, my holo spares etc. I really want to streamline my collection at the same time as adding to it.
Having recently been lucky enough to acquire a PSA 10 1st Ed Base Charizard, I feel like a long term goal HAS to be a complete PSA 10 set of holo’s now, but it will be a very long goal, and just something I’ll keep an eye on rather than actively pursue, definitely in the spirit of what I alluded to earlier in the post. I also started another collection, which only a couple know about, but I really took inspiration from @darkrai when he just surprised us all with his PSA 10 Shinings collection, so hopefully I can surprise you all when I finish it, but again I don’t think it will happen for a little while, which is great!
It looks like we have a really good mix of collections going on here!
The reason I asked this was because I’ve been thinking about my collection a lot lately. When I started collecting again it was to finish the Black Star Promo set like I had tried to do when I was a kid (they were much harder to obtain at the time as a 10 year old kid). Once I had completed that I was completely hooked. I started buying more expensive cards ($20-30) which I didn’t think I would do at first. Now it’s on to hundreds and thousands per card. It’s been an interesting ride. I’m really happy with my collection and what it’s become (I sound like a proud father…). Anyways I just thought it was interesting how my taste in cards has changed since then. It makes me wonder what it will look like in 5 or 10 years.
This is completely normal. If anything, your path is the quintessential path for a true collector: Start out with what you know, like or had some previous experience with, then gradually move forward, which usually means to more expensive/rare items.
What you described is almost identical to how I began and many other serious collectors.
My collection is small, but I like it. I just started collecting about 3 months ago and I have my own little space for my collection. There’s a few cards I really want, but I might keep the collection small for now.
I’ve been collecting (well, restarted collecting) for about a year now, and I gotta say… I’m surprised at how much progress I’ve made. At this point, it feels like anything that I get is just icing on top of the cake. The first few months where I was simply trying to find full NM WotC sets for good deals were definitely where most of the nostalgia was. Not that collecting has gotten less fun or anything, but it certainly is different.
The stuff I’ve moved on to I see as more of an advanced and… acquired taste. A lot more people would be able to recognize a Base Set Charizard as opposed to something like a Masaki promo or a University Magikarp, and it is definitely kind of satisfying knowing that I have this greater knowledge base now to appreciate the oddities. Feels like I’ve finally hit the big leagues.
Where does my collection go from here? Who knows (maybe I’ll finally cave and drink that PSA Kool-Aid? nahhh…), but I will definitely keep you guys updated.
