Trying to keep things in play

I'm organizing card images of collecting topics cards - either scanned or collected online. I figure I have a better idea of why I want a particular card, when I know what it looks like.

I am also trying to create an informal wantlist of collecting topic cards - so I have something in-hand when I'm hunting down cards at a more organized venue i.e. a 'baseball card shop' as opposed to a card show, where different booths may have different cards scattered about.

There are no misconception about the value of these cards - most collecting topics cards are found in the commons bin. I pick them up for my amusement, so I get involved as a card collector, when there is really no consideration for anything but value these days.

There are probably lots of cards I still need from various mass-produced sets from 1987-1993 - instead of looking for individual cards, what I may do is buy complete sets [probably $10 or less] of products like 1987 Topps, 1991-1993Upper Deck, 1992 Donruss, et al.

As I look to add more cards from these sets - I realize it isn't worth picking up individual cards if all of them are worth 1/2 a nickel each. However nostalgia kicks in and part of me wants to have complete sets of cards from my formative collecting days.

On the other hand, picking up junk sets and looking for those commons to fill holes as far as collecting topics cards are concerned seems pointless - unless I literally stumble into particular cards from various 1987-1993 sets.