PC collectors, what to do?

[fordman]

Hi All,

I'm the FCB resident Jay Bruce guy, I've been a fan of his throughout his minor and major league career. He's not performed well the last two years (last year due to injury, this year who knows why). He's on the trading block if any team will take his contract.

If your PC guy is traded away or DFA'd from original team, then picked up by another team off the waiver wire, do you still follow him?

Do you feel as if your PC collection is somewhat tainted being in a different uniform vs what he's played his whole career in?

I'm not sure I'd follow him to another team as I'm pretty much a Reds fan and dont really like any other teams in the NL. I like the Tigers in the AL but not enough to collect any certain player.

So, if you had a PC of a certain player that was traded away, did you follow him or just liked him on your favorite team?

I see the Canseco, McGwire, Nolan Ryan guys pretty much followed them from team to team, but my PC guy isnt at their status level with collectors.

What says you?

Fordman

 

[CatdaddysCards]

When Billy Butler left KC, for Oakland, I traded/sold off that PC.

If Hosmer ever leaves KC, I'm not sure what id do.

 

[IndyManning18]

I'm a big time Peyton Manning fan. I don't player collect him, but I don't want to own a single card of him in a Broncos uniform.

 

[dstrawberryfan39]

I have collected darryl strawberry reguardless for what team and to me if you like the player it shouldn't matter what team they play for IMHO.

 

[MrMet]

I player collect Victor Cruz and Jason Pierre Paul of the New York football Giants, if they ever left the NYfG I'd still go after NYfG cards of them, but not cards of them on their new team, but they've been Giants since they came into the NFL, if you've already followed your guy over multiple teams, I see no reason not to keep doing it

 

[bongo870]

When i collected Griffey Jr. i still collected him when he left the mariners. But with Steve Carlton i only collect him in a Phillies uni.

 

[CollectorsCorner]

I wouldn't sell it off but I would only collect cards from the years he played there.

 

[gracecollector]

When Mark Grace went to the Diamondbacks, I faced the same dilemma. Being as he was nearing the end of his career, I decided to stick with it. It helped that in his first season, the Dbacks won an exciting World Series and Grace finally got a ring. I think a lot of factors go into your decision. It may be best to draw a line in the sand and say "I'll only collect cards of him in a Reds uniform." That approach will save you money and help focus your collection. If you feel betrayed by his departure, it may be time to let the PC go. You may factor in your personal connection to him and opinion of him as a person. If his card values are decreasing, it may seem bad for your PC but there's a bright side too if you continue to collect him - prices for future acquisitions will be lower. I guess the decision comes down to your commitment to him as a fan or an investment.

In the era of free-agency, hardly any player sticks with one team for a career. PC collectors should consider this question from the beginning, and have a game plan for when it happens.

 

[gracecollector]

(dp)

 

[TGutta]

I ran into that same problem a few years back with Denard Span. When he went from the Twins to the Nationals I debated whether or not I would continue to collect him or just be a fan of his. It didn't hurt that I somewhat liked the Nationals, so if it was the Yankees or Tigers I likely wouldn't have continued on. With that said I have continued to collect his cards and I am very happy that I did.

I think the thing you have to ask yourself is if you are a fan of Bruce because you like him, or are only a fan of his because he is on your team. If you are more of a team collector, then you can very well stop following him, but the thing to always think about in this day in baseball is that the time of a player spending his entire career with 1 team is very, very rare. If you have the mindset of selling off your players PC once they move to another team, what will you be left with in the end? I buy cards of Twins players along with Span, but only if they are in a Twins uniform. I realized this was the only way to go for me when I bought a few Rays Delmon Young cards when the Twins traded for him. Once he was gone I was left with cards I had no use for and ended up getting rid of them.

 

[joey12508]

I would stick with him. A change to a new team might be good for him. As mentioned he could go to a contender get in the playoff's or a WS.
Bernie was almost a Red v Sox. It would have killed me, but I would have sticked with him. Good luck.

 

[Juan Gris]

In the era of free-agency, hardly any player sticks with one team for a career. PC collectors should consider this question from the beginning, and have a game plan for when it happens.

This. I wasn't happy when Adam Dunn was traded from the Reds to the Diamondbacks but I followed him there and to the Nationals, White Sox and A's. Hate the game, not the player.

 

[nkdbacks]

If Brandon Webb hadn't gone the injury route, I imagine he would've eventually played for a different team at some point. I would've stopped collecting him but continued to pick up stuff in a Diamondbacks uniform. I'm a team collector first and foremost, so that obviously influence it as my player PC's tend to just be small pockets of the larger team collection.

But I have no interest in other teams, so I would certainly not pick up any Paul Goldschmidt stuff, for example, if/when he goes to another team. I would definitely keep following the player, but the collecting would be done.

Like others have said, it's pretty rare for one guy to stick with the same team for long. But 5, 6, 7 years is still pretty common, so they still get plenty of cards produced for that one team, so I don't think it'd be hard to put together a decent PC of a player with just one team. You can always move on to another Reds player if Bruce goes, and just continue picking up Bruce cards in a Reds uniform. It might even be a relief to know you've reached the end of his Reds cards and don't have to deal with a gluttony of new stuff.

 

[RStadlerASU22]

Didn't mind it when Clark went from Giants to Rangers, but that was 1994 and collecting was different. Hated it mostly because of how he played when he went to Baltimore, never been a big fan of his Oriole items, loved it when he went to STL, just wish it was for more than 1 year because I liked him on the Cardinals.

But I liked him more than the teams so I followed him.

Ryan

 

[David Anthony]

With NBA cards, I used pc and follow Shaq and Jason Williams. It never mattered to me when they got traded. I have never pc'd any player that did not play for Atlanta. If Freddie Freeman got traded, I probably would hold on to what I have acquired since 2011.

 

[James52411]

You are obviously a Reds fan, so I say just collect all cards of him on your favorite team. I actually have a rule that I don't collect cards of my favorite Cubs if they are pictured with another non-cub on an autograph or GU card. Helps narrow the focus. Just pick another Reds player you like to collect.

 

[BiggioBrooks755]

I dont have that problem Thats why I collect who I collect

 

[gt2590]

After that many years with one team, I'd just concentrate on filling in when he was in Cinncy.

With a younger guy I think I'd stick with him wherever he went. Although I did drop my very small Justin Upton PC when he went to the stinkin' Braves...:lol:

 

[AmishDave]

I still collect JJ and he's much much worse than Bruce. Stick with Bruce.

 

[CrawfordFan13]

I've followed Carl Crawford through every up and down, and every injury he's endured. He's why I love the game, not the team he plays for. With that being said I've always enjoyed watching a few teams, and the Dodgers have always been one of them. If Crawford got traded tomorrow, I'd still remain a Dodgers fan but root for Crawford to win a World Series with whatever team he was on, and go back to the Dodgers if/when Crawford got that ring/retired. I've gotten flack for that outlook a lot from a lot of people in real life, but it doesn't bother me. As for the collecting aspect of it, I would collect him in any uniform had I still been avidly collecting. It's not the players fault they got traded or cut, so the passion for that player should always remain in tact, regardless of uniform (in most cases).