How to Complete a Team Set, the Easy Way

One of my goals this year was to try an limit the sets I go after, to date I don't think I have done that good of a job.  If you take a look at my Set Want List tab, you will see want lists for Topps Flagship, Topps Opening Day, Topps Heritage and Donruss for 2014.  Outside the high end releases like Tribute and Museum Collection and the Online only set of Turkey Red (all of which I have never set collected), it doesn't appear I have held back much.

I recently heard that Topps Stickers had been released.  At a dollar/pack these can be affordable fun packs to break and I have found myself going after the entire set a couple of times.  This year I finally displayed some discipline, I haven't bought one sticker pack and went online and bought this for the price of 5 packs of stickers:

This is the entire 10 sticker Giants team set and I have vowed not to buy one pack of these this year to support my goal of cutting back some.  I think I will try to hold back on Gypsy Queen, using my case break of the Giants as my sole indulgence although I bet I will pick up some packs.

You know how it goes on eBay, I am always on the lookout for combined shipping and I picked up a couple more team sets.

 Next up is 2002 Fleer Platinum.  I only had 1-2 of these cards and for a couple bucks I couldn't resist.  Another team set bites the dust. The final one was a big one...

In all its glory, the 2003 Topps Total Giants team set consisting of 41 cards including the Bonds checklist.  I had a very small number of these prior to the purchase - under 10 for sure - so when I saw this I had to jump even though it was $10. I figured 25 cents per card to knock it out all at once was a good move.  I wasn't buying too many cards when this set came out but man if there was a 40-man roster deep set at a reasonable price I think I would be all over it today.

I did pick up a 4th parallel set but it was missing a card.  The seller is supposed to be sending it and I may post it once I get the entire team set.

I am hoping this Topps Sticker team set purchase is the start of a positive trend on paring down my new card purchases.  My next temptation will be Gypsy Queen which was released this week...