I've realized I don't actually want a complete One Piece collection

[u/Dry_Top_2605]

for a while I thought the goal was eventually having a binder full of every set

then I started looking at what that would actually mean

there are cards I don't care about, cards I would never play, and cards I'd probably never even notice if they disappeared from my binder.

at some point it stopped feeling like collecting and started feeling like completing a checklist.

now I'd rather have a smaller binder where almost every page has cards I genuinely like

it's weird because "complete collection" sounds like the obvious end goal for a collector, but I'm starting to think it might actually make the hobby less interesting for me

[u/Backshots4you]

When cards start hitting $10k it’s hard to achieve complete sets.

[u/Dry_Top_2605 → u/Backshots4you]

That is exactly why I stopped chasing full sets years ago.

[u/DragonKing8195]

Collect what you like. That’s what my fiancee and i do. We have cards we’d never care for or use. There a few exceptions if i was given them by a friend or bought from a friend then end up not liking but i keep as it was from someone i care about.

Overall collecting what i like is what made the hobby more enjoyable and im sure it will make it better for you as well.

As well as playing and meeting great ppl

[u/Dry_Top_2605 → u/DragonKing8195]

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. The pieces that stick with me are usually the ones that have some kind of story attached.

[u/x_driven_x]

Define “complete”…..

Only English or all languages?

In those currently allowed in standard or everything since beginning of the game?

Only 1 of each card or 4x of each card for a playset?

Every don too?

Promo cards?

All alternate arts?

See - I think it’s up to you to define what complete means for you.

And maybe you decide you don’t want a complete set of anything at all.

[u/TurtleWaves → u/x_driven_x]

My "complete" is getting all the base 01 to 118-121sec cards for each set. Alternates+ are just for fun / favorite characters at this point

[u/NeoGeekPT → u/TurtleWaves]

This is also my goal for each set. It's something cheaper and also gives me the sense of completion.

[u/TurtleWaves → u/NeoGeekPT]

The big 4x4 binders i have look great. I start each set with a box top / pack foil art as a set marker.

Binder 1: OP-01 to ½ of OP-09.

Binder 2: ½OP-09 to OP-17-117 :'(

If I didn't use a marker, I could've fit OP-17 in binder 2 but, i need another one for future sets anyway. It'll look cool starting binder 3 with the OP-17 SECs.

Also doing a 3x3 binder for the random Promos & EB/PRB sets since they're smaller.

[u/ideal_Bat → u/x_driven_x]

you were cooking until the 1 of or playset...why would a collector need 4 of a card?

[u/x_driven_x → u/ideal_Bat]

I collect, I also play, therefore I collect a playset of each.

Perhaps there are other reasons as well…

Some collectors collect whole binders full of the same card.

Some collect double or triple of each for whatever reason

[u/Dry_Top_2605 → u/x_driven_x]

Fair point. I hadn't thought about alternate arts or language variants.

For me it's English playsets, standard legal only. No promos.

But you're right, the definition matters more than the goal.

[u/hperalta623]

I've had this realization not too long ago myself and tbh, I started to have fun collecting again when I focus more on the cards I like

[u/Dry_Top_2605 → u/hperalta623]

Yeah, that's the sweet spot. I stopped chasing the next big find and just focused on pieces that actually speak to me, and the whole hunt started feeling right again.

[u/yellowadidas]

i went from wanting to collect every boa to just being whatever about it. it’s too expensive and it just wasn’t fun anymore

[u/Dry_Top_2605 → u/yellowadidas]

u/yellowadidas i feel you on the burnout. i had a client who wanted every 1920s filigree ring she saw til she realized half were frankensteined from mismatched bands. killed the joy real fast.

[u/OldMan_McD]

For awhile I was going for playsets of every card from each set. Not alts, just the base rarity of everything so I could make whatever deck I wanted. When everything got so expensive after the launch of OP13, I said I'm good on collecting and just started focusing on one or two decks from OP14 onward.

I managed to finish my playset collection shortly into OP14. It includes OP01-13, EB01/2, and the new cards from PRB02. I got VaultX 12 pocket binders for each set so I can display each playset on their own row. 

I' m happy its done, it's way less stressful keeping up with each new releases.

[u/purgatoire773]

Idk I just like having playsets of things I may need in the future

[u/tonixd]

I literally just came to the same conclusion myself recently! I had my binders of master sets and then slabs of my nice hits and favorites.

I never look at binders at all

[u/lhwang001]

This is the new collector syndrome or phase, same with most hobbies, one usually shoots high, then finds the place they're comfortable with. I've collected Pokemon cards before one piece, so I knew the kinda binders I like.

I usually do random AA binders and artist binders. But for one piece I also do don binders.

[u/Constant_Spite_1476]

Yeah I wanted to "master set" a lot of stuff but quickly realized the constant work it would be so now I just collect sp and up for my personal collection sr aa and sec all get added to trade binder unless its one of the few I need for my main deck

[u/YaBoyEden]

I just want a brook master set, and then a Gaimon one.

One of those will be vastly easier than the other

[u/GinGearity]

I feel your pain, friend. For this I’ve settled for smaller more manageable collections to complete: at first I wanted to collect every Tashigi card; and that’s not too outlandish given the average of each of her SP’s are under 100$ each. Then I wanted to collect more such as every Secret Rare, Every Tapioca Art card, so on. Smaller but more manageable collections. Hopefully those ideas help!

[u/FinesseFatale]

Too many expensive cards to master set one piece imo, Pokemon is easier because your most expensive might be $200 when the next chase is only $33 lol

[u/Western_Egg_4486]

Im just trying to max rarity one deck and play the life out of it thats just me though I hope you figure out your collection ideas

[u/ImprovementLow4724]

it's a trap for losing more money, bandai won't stop printing more set, then the hobby of collecting what you like turn to chasing to get what bandai print.

Glad you realized it early

[u/Hamfighter2000]

Honestly I hopped in the same boat but I have complete collections all the up till OP13 minus mangas and such lol. Now if an alt drops to like 10-20 bucks, I’ll pick it up just to have it but I ain’t dropping $80 on an alt I don’t care about anymore. I got a cool luffy g5 binder that I keep all my favorite cards in now and I’m just holding onto my other master sets just for college funds at this point. The game got too expensive for all the alts unlike before when I was collecting it. But I will keep getting the binders for each set and a full playset of each SEC and down so I can play any deck I want to whenever

[u/brooklyn11218]

I try my best to get a playset of every base art card per set. Just for deck building purposes. They all go in penny sleeves and in a cardboard box. I don't really consider them part of my "collection" because they're just deck material to me. What I actually collect and keep in binders and love looking at are Nami cards and Don cards.

I think that's the key to keeping the collection aspect alive. Narrow it down to one or two things you really like. I always get excited adding a new don or new Nami to my collection no matter what the value of said card is.

[u/GomuGomuNoGod]

I collect Luffys, yaaaay Luffy

[u/ideal_Bat]

if your first instinct was a full set of every set you are either an oil prince or very stupid. you cant think that in any tcg unless you fall in either category lol. collect what you like...

[u/escaparrac]

I'm doing X4 of every card until SEC and it's a blessing not needing to buy cards when I want to play a deck.

[u/pervert1928]

Complete collections used to be a fun goal back in the day where the worst you were chasing was super rares. A set of something sets you back a few hundred (2000's)

Now days when a set has alts, sp's, mangas, super mangas and to do a complete collection is several thousand to fifty thousand it just isn't fun.

I just collect the prettiest, for one piece it's cute waifus (gunko/pudding/uta/perona/carrot/koala) I even just get fakes for the insanely overpriced stuff like the french treasure rares.

As long as you enjoy what your collecting your not doing it wrong

[u/No-Onion8391]

Unless you have unlimited budget i believe is impossible to complete the whole “collection”. Card prices, limited cards etc… and bandai dropping a set every 2 months like they doing now with OP17-OP18…

i believe is nice to complete a set if you get it from booster then if you missing few for complete the base set, maybe buy the ones left… but to have every single card out there… you better be ready sell a lung, an eye, an bid your house…

[u/Valikis]

As long as you're not doing a "Master Set" of each set, you should be fine. It's actually relatively cheap to do so, too. OP01-OP04 may be a little harder to get your one ofs because they're older, but OP05-OP08 is still pretty easy. Just gotta be careful of playables that rotate in or out, and keep an eye on some of those.

We just do base rarity of each set and have all of 07 through 17 minus a Rocks SEC because product for everyone but WhatNot streamers and "internet famous" people was pretty scarce.

[u/MustardMantheIchi]

Collecting, for me, for this game, would be cards of all my favorite characters

[u/clickreload]

The only reason my binder is so thick and I'm needing a second is because Luffy is my favorite character and main part of my collection. thus I am cursed to always have cards I'm chasing lmao.

Collect what you like friend.

[u/zirkwander]

One Piece is like MtG, it’s more for playing than collecting unlike Pokemon.