I’m not exactly like most other gamers who focus on collectible pieces. I don’t have an “extras box” or a “trades box” that’s overflowing with figures and/or cards I’m willing to let go of. In fact, I generally peruse other people’s trades boxes and buy from or trade with them. I’m what you might call a “choosy collector.”

What Is a Choosy Collector?

Choosy collectors build their gaming collections solely out of the figures or cards they play. They don’t have extensive collections at all–they may not even have a “trades” box or bin at all. They simply aren’t interested in keeping gaming items that they aren’t actively using.

Choosy Habits

Never Buy Boosters
I rarely buy booster packs, because I’m not guaranteed to get something I want in them–they’re randomized. Instead, I usually buy or trade with other gamers. Saves money and helps other gamers get rid of extras or stuff they won’t play.

Do Research on Which Cards/Figures You’d Like to Get
I also do my research beforehand and only go for the items I KNOW I would love to play. I use services like MTG.com’s Gatherer and HCRealms.com’s Units page to preview items from the newest expansion sets, so that I can figure out what might work best for the decks and teams I plan to play in the near future.

This way, I don’t waste money buying several booster packs just looking for one item in particular, and I don’t junk up my house or my gaming collection storage with items I’m never going to use.

Shop Local Gaming Stores Before Going Online
Lastly, I shop my local comics/gaming store’s singles counter–they buy single figures and/or cards from local gamers, and also open a couple of boosters to supply the counter with new material. This leaves their shelves full of the newest stuff, so I can browse it one at a time. If I’ve done my homework beforehand and know what I’m looking for, I can go right to it; if I’m just looking through their collection of new singles, sometimes I come across cards or figures I didn’t even know existed.

Shopping local means I don’t have to wait for it to be shipped, and I’m helping out my local store while I’m at it.

Why Is Being a Choosy Collector Helpful?

• Less to carry around–easier on the arms
• Less to store in my house–the less junk I bring in, the better
• Less items to dig through if I’m looking for a particular card/figure
• Generally happier gaming because I’m playing with cards/figures I enjoy

Becoming a Choosy Collector Yourself

If you’d like to become a choosier collector:

1. Pick out the cards and/or figures you most like to game with, and set them aside.
2. Sort the rest into boxes, keeping them in as good a condition as you can–you’re looking to trade or sell them to other gamers, after all.
3. Sell to your fellow gamers as much as you can, or failing that, trade with them for items you’ll love just as much as your existing favorites. Don’t trade for anything you don’t absolutely love–it’ll only exacerbate the collection problem.
4. If you can’t sell or trade some of your stuff to other gamers, sell to your local gaming shop, or list on CardShark, eBay, iOffer, Craigslist, or similar sites. If you’re really desperate to get rid of it, you can even try sites like Freecycle.
5. Once you’ve pared down your collection to just your favorites, you can now keep your collection low by only buying the items you absolutely will use in your strategies and nothing else.

Summary

Gaming collections, just like any other collections, can get out of hand very quickly, and you can end up with a junky game closet or even a junky game house. Whittling down to what you play with and nothing else will free you up, and as a choosy collector, you don’t ever have to worry about an overstuffed “trades box” or “extras box” ever again.

Trust me, even as a mildly-OCD hoarder, it’s much easier and more fun to game like this. 🙂