Finding joy in making a ‘run’
One of the things that was never on my radar (and couldn’t have been) when I started collecting in the 90’s was a ‘run’ or ‘rainbow’ chase. As I re-entered the hobby in 2017 I had to come to the realization that the number of variations and serial numbered parallels of a single card had really grown. I also quickly learned it’s a bit of a double-edged sword if you’re a “completionist” kind of collector: fun to have extra variations and colors to chase, but more challenging and expensive if you want them all.
I, like many, got into finding an image or design I really liked and started to ‘chase the rainbow’. What I quickly learned is that this is a super fun endeavor on the outset: grabbing some low hanging fruit or the higher print run versions equals lots of mail days that don’t break the bank! Who can’t find the fun in that, right? But as I started digging to find those rarer/lower numbered parallels I had to reframe how I was treating the chase or I’d feel burnt out, or like I was doom scrolling saved searches with no payoff. So, I started making an effort to reach out to others via social media I knew collected that player and having some fun conversations with those folks while letting them know about what I was run I was trying to complete. Switching from stressing about completing the run to more of a hunt that I can share with other collectors and have them keep an eye out for me became just as enjoyable as the easy win mail days at the start of the run. When I look back on the two big runs I did, the cards I most enjoyed were actually the ones other people found for me at shows because they just had a better ‘origin story’ for me. That' being said, I no longer have either of those runs, but I still talk with the folks I met and helped me out along the way. So, as I reflect via this post, the most rewarding and fun part of building a rainbow wasn’t actually the cards (literally didn’t keep them) but the folks that helped out along the way. Fellow collectors > cards!
Now, after many years being back in the hobby I no longer go for rainbows in ultra modern sets. Why? I just said I met folks and have cool internet friendships because of it? Well, my evolving collecting habits. In an effort to prevent collection bloat but still getting a copy of a card I like from a newer set, I’ll investigate the different parallels and pick one that I think presents the best based on the design and photography. Is that a blue refactor? A gold foil? Doesn’t matter, I’m just picking based on what I think looks the best and will be the most enjoyable to look at, no hard rules. Of course, since card product has changed, the same rules don’t apply for me with pre-2010’s sets. Because of the drastically reduced number of parallels even in the 2000’s it’s still possible to complete a run without having to get 10+ cards. Most of the time it’s still going to involve me reaching out to groups or folks in the hobby, making new connections, but the time and money investment to complete the run can be drastically lower. To wrap up the post, and put my feelers out here, one I’m currently working on that’s only missing one more card is the 2009 SP Authentic Ichiro run. Only 4 parallels, so I’m 75% of the way there and only missing the ‘titanium’ parallel /19. If you or someone you know might have a lead on a copy, reach out and let’s chat!
Best,
Ben
