04 December 2009

the player collector dilemma - does the team card count?

being a set collector is easy. there are checklists (or at least there used to be) that tell you exactly how many cards are in the set, and who is featured on what card. a team collector is a bit more difficult, because the checklist won't say if a player is featured on his old team or on the one he signed with during the offseason for too much money. that's one reason why i loved those mid-70's to early 80's sets that included the team checklists on the back of the team, manager, or team leader cards. but even those weren't foolproof, since they didn't include cards such as league leaders, in action or other subsets.

anyway, being a player collector should be, i think, a tad easier, right? if your player (in my case, steve garvey) is on a card, you add it to the list. this works well for the cards on which garvey is the primary subject, but what about other cards where he just happens to be pictured? specifically team cards.do they count in the player collection? should i put this 1972 topps card in my garvey binder simply because he's there in the third row? i had not considered this (even though i do have a copy of the 1977 topps cloth stickers checklist/national league all stars card featuring the nl iron man in the garvey binder) until i noticed 30-year cardboard including team cards in his billy williams collection about a year ago.

so what do the rest of you think? does the team card fit in a player collection world?

7 comments:

  1. I'm not a player collector -- or at least I don't have a binder devoted to a player. But if I did, I wouldn't put the team card in there.

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  2. I don't think it counts unless your guy is prominently featured on the card. That said...I'd still probably throw McGriff team cards in my McGriff binder. And I also count cards of other people where he's randomly creeping in the foreground/background.

    So they don't count...but I include them haha.

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  3. It depends on how badly you need new cards to collect.

    If your player of choice is a middle reliever or bench player, you'll probably be willing to count team cards, cameo appearances on other player's cards & anything else you can find.

    If you pick a perennial all-star, you probably don't care about the team cards -- you'll have enough other things to collect.

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  4. I say no. Unless I started a Chuck Nixon or Bobby Cox collection, where the card is listed as that. But just 'cause Chipper is in the back row? No. Not me.

    Although it would be a cheaper way for me to enhance my Henry Aaron collection....

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  5. I think it counts. Why not? I keep a 1974 Cal Angels card in my Nolan Ryan collection. If it is a vintage card like your 72 Topps and my 74 OPC, I think it's important to keep them in good shape. So, they go in plastic sheets with the players I collect. Now, I wouldn't put a 2000 Topps Yankees in with my Jeter collection, if I collected Jeter. But just because of the fact that it is a vintage card.

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  6. I say go for it. If it's a way to honor your favorite players, you cannot go wrong!!

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  7. For me, the guy has to be prominent on the card, like the 1986-1989 Topps team leaders. But if it's just a blurry player in the third row seventh from the left that you're not absolutely positive is the player, then no.

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