Diversity

 

Diversity is a huge deal in the business world and I've been hearing about it virtually my entire career, probably even during college when I was preparing for my career.

Diversity, in a different way, is a big factor in the hobby, as it relates to variety, different brands, different styles of cards, etc. When collectors complain about Topps' exclusive license, they're complaining about a lack of diversity.

But as far as individual collectors, there are those who have diverse collections and those who keep the parameters limited. I admire those collectors with limits and am also baffled by them. Every time I hear someone say they collect only Topps cards, I feel a swell of admiration for that collector and at the same time I yell, "HOW? You're missing so much!"

I can't do that. My collection is diverse. Sure, people could put me in a specific category -- set collector, team collector -- but I like too many card things to stay in the same lane all the time. If I did, maybe I could get some sets done sooner, but, sorry, I like what I like, and I like a lot. This isn't the place in life to apply restrictions.

 

My diverse interests was underlined in the most recent arrival of cards I bought from Twitter seller imoMitch Cards. Mitch makes it easy to diversify because the cards he offers up are all over the board. And sometimes, yeah, I have a problem deciding (but I have to act quick, because as usual, stuff goes fast).

 

But the best way to show how diverse my acquisitions were -- and my collection is -- is to show you the cards.

 

 

Starting with a couple 2021 Chrome Platinum Anniversary cards. I try to add these every time I find them cheap. I know I'll never complete it -- the set is huge and there are bunch of rookie cards of players I've never heard of, so interest will wane -- but I try to grab as many legends in the set I can. And I grab stars sometimes, too -- Ketel Marte is one of the very few Diamondbacks that I appreciate.

 

Staying with that set a little more, I got one of the bazillion parallels in the set, these black-and-white things don't do much for me, but it's a Dodger card. At least 2021 Plat-Ann is not as parallel heavy as the 2022 version, which contains at least five-to-10 parallels that I find just gross.

 

Specifically selecting something wildly different next. I have no intention of attempting to complete the 1976 Topps football set (thanks a lot Walter Payton sellers), but I have no control over my feelings when it comes to this set.

My first knowledge of football cards was with the 1975 set and the Alan Page card -- I've written about that -- but the '76 set features the first football cards I bought and that team football is absolutely everything. Current cards cannot produce anything that great. Also, this set features among the most nostalgic card backs of my life, out of any sport.

A diverse group of cards within a diverse purchase with a post about diversity! Different reasons for acquiring each of these cards.

1. I grab Stadium Club legends cards when I can, because they look so cool. But they've got to be cool players like Bob Gibson. Several of the '90s players in SC do zero for me.

2. Dave Lopes is my first A's Granny Goose card. Therefore I did not know how flimsy the card stock is.

3. When I feel like I don't have enough late '90s cards, I add a 1997 Topps card. It's about the only late '90s Topps set that I like.

4. Relic card that's not a Dodger, what are you doing, N.O.? Well, Vernon Wells is about my 12th or 13th mini relic from 2011 Topps Lineage. No, I am not nuts enough to try to complete it, but why not add another cheapie?

Definitely trying to get all the 1977-84 Galasso Glossy Greats cards and here is one more for the collection. I've never known why the word "glossy" was used in the set name, they are not, nor ever were glossy.

"Players I've interviewed" is a collecting category for me and two or three pages in an album. Therefore, it doesn't matter what set I find with that player. Sean Casey's cards are from the early 2000s, and those cards run the gamut. These cards have always looked cool to me, but the set confuses the heck out of me.

On to a group of diverse Dodgers. Dodger cards are what I'm looking for first in Twitter sales like this (generally these aren't the greatest for set-building, though Mitch regularly offers swathes of 1970s cards). And with the Dodgers, I want it all. All that matters is the Dodgers are mentioned, a Dodger player is mentioned or the Dodger uniform is there.

 

(So what about that Konerko Dukes card? There are always exceptions).

 

 

Finally a couple of vintage cards, including one of the great manager cards of the 1960s. It's been a while since I've added random vintage cards -- thanks mostly to the skyrocketing of prices and the increased demand.

Vintage is always a priority and if vintage cards weren't as expensive as they've become I would focus a lot more on them, and probably cut down on some of the other stuff, and my collection would probably be less diverse.

So diversity has been somewhat of a necessity because I need the hobby to keep me interested and waiting for vintage cards to land within my budget is just not fun or interesting to me.

 

But mostly my collection is diverse because I find a lot of the elements of the hobby interesting. I'm interested in baseball history but also interested in current baseball, too. I like traditional sets, like Heritage or Allen & Ginter, but I also like shiny chrome cards. And I like other sports and am interested in other areas of entertainment, too.

 

You can put a lot on cardboard and the variety is fascinating to me.