PC collectors, what to do?

[Austin]

I collect the player, not the team. It's extremely rare for a player to be with one team his entire career. Imagine if Rickey Henderson collectors kept selling off his cards everytime he left each of his ten+ teams.

You have three options:

1. Keep collecting Bruce because you like him, no matter the team.
2. Collect only cards depicting Bruce on the Reds.
3. Stop collecting him.

If player collectors sold off their collections every time their player left the team, they'd be starting over every few years and there would be no reason to be a player collector.
It's player collector, not team collector.

 

[NY Tony]

Very tough spot

I would temporarily stop collecting Bruce - let time sink in and then reevaluate how you feel about the whole situation

While some continue to collect others collect 1 uniform or sell the PC its your cards and your collection
Do with it whatever you want

Just sit on them for a little bit and see what happens

 

[mrmopar]

Sounds like you are a team collector, who just happens to have a favorite player on that team. If the player leaves, maybe you say no big deal and find a new player?

I followed Garvey to the Padres back in 1983 and actually kind of forgot about the Dodgers for a few years, but once he retired I realigned my allegiances. I have never been crazy about supporting a team though…I am more interested in the history. However, I remained a Garvey collector regardless of what team he may have played for.

I will get some resistance here, but I say you can't be a true player collector if you are unwilling to follow a player when he leaves a certain team.

 

[shadowking86]

I have two separate collections and am glad they do not intersect. My player collection of Sandy Alomar Jr. and my Red Sox team collection are completely separate (unless the team hires him as a manager soon) and I prefer it that way. I am thrilled that there are a number of teams to chase for my Alomar. My only real complaint about that is that there are no cards of Alomar for his short time with the Mets. In fact my concern would be if Alomar does become a manager for the Red Sox. Which collection supercedes the other?

 

[Waxov]

I say you can't be a true player collector if you are unwilling to follow a player when he leaves a certain team.

I'd have to say this is true.

A lot of people get to be a player collector without ever being tested if they're really a team collector. Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken, Edgar Martinez etc...
I wonder what the state of 1 team players would be if they moved teams, such as Jeter to BOS.

 

[patrick182]

White Sox, A's, Blue Jays - I collect Frank Thomas.

 

[onionring9]

When McGwire left Oakland the thought didn't even cross my mind. I respected him as a player as much as I respected the A's. Selling off those cards would have been like selling off memories growing up and to me that was unnecessary just because he put a different uniform on.

 

[fordman]

Thanks for the opinions guys. Many different ways to think about my PC guy. I think this is where I stand:

I'm a REDS fan first.

I'm a Jay Bruce fan second, although he is the reason I started collecting cards again.

If Bruce is traded away, I'd only follow him if he was traded to Detroit, the only AL team i somewhat follow.

Good for me that's he's not been that great of a player the last two seasons. Other collectors have been dumping his stuff on ebay for 25% of what they wanted for it two years ago.

Fordman

 

[olerud363]

I kept collecting Olerud after he was traded from the Jays to the Mets for a sack of baseballs and a Cherry Coke, and even after the Mariners released him. For some reason I just identify with him and it never occurred to me to give up on my PC just because he was no longer a Blue Jay or not performing well on the field. I've tried collecting other players but never felt the same "stick-to-it-ness".

For your Bruce PC I'd say don't give up on it just yet. Maybe scale back or put a temporary hold on it until you're 100% sure that you do or don't want to collect him anymore. Don't do a quick sell-off if he gets traded or DFA'ed.

Sent from my Android using the Freedom Cardboard app.

 

[subject to change]

I was in a fairly similar spot when Jack Wilson was traded from the Pirates. There had been talk of trading him at the deadline in the two previous seasons, so I had some time to wrestle with whether to continue collecting his cards or not. Ultimately I decided to stick with just his Pirate uniform cards. But it ended up that he retired only three seasons after leaving Pittsburgh, and was only included in 4 sets (3 base Topps and 1 Heritage), making the checklist for the remainder of his career pretty manageable. I've been able to go back and pick up most of those cards, though I'm sure I missed out on some press plates during the period I was only chasing Pirate cards. I'd say do what makes you happiest, and what fits with your collecting budget. If you only stick to Reds Bruce cards, I'd imagine there will still be a nearly unattainable checklist to continue chasing for years to come.

 

[AnthonyCorona]

I'd have to say this is true.

A lot of people get to be a player collector without ever being tested if they're really a team collector. Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken, Edgar Martinez etc...
I wonder what the state of 1 team players would be if they moved teams, such as Jeter to BOS.

Jeter to Boston? I think you should be banned from the internet for just typing that

 

[Mark70Z]

Reds

Thanks for the opinions guys. Many different ways to think about my PC guy. I think this is where I stand:

I'm a REDS fan first.

I'm a Jay Bruce fan second, although he is the reason I started collecting cards again.

If Bruce is traded away, I'd only follow him if he was traded to Detroit, the only AL team i somewhat follow.

If it's in that order then I'd pick another Reds player to collect, but I'd hold off on selling at this point. Just so you know, as a Reds fan, Johnny Bench isn't going to be traded :mrgreen:

 

[ASTROBURN]

Luckily, with my Bagwell collection, i never had to face the situation you are in.

but heres a thought that i dont think anyone else has brought up... If you dump his stuff, what happens if they ever resign him down the road? Players can come back...