The self-existential collecting crisis

I am thinking some thoughts like collecting pieces of cardboard do not dictate the narrative of my life - it' means less and less and it hits me that it's a solitary thing that migh literallyt cave down on me, with no real exit plan [to profit], quit cold turkey if I wanted to or pass on.

There is no line I can type out that makes me feel particularly excited up about collecting at the moment - I'm perpetually going through the motions and maybe I'm just bored with it; the summer did a number on me and maybe collecting ends up seasonal where I do not want to play with my cards if it is too humid and the air is stale.

I think I have to work myself back to being enthused about something - but I am just hanging on at this point, to what purpose, who really knows?

I do like playing with my cards where I sort of make sense of them as a collecting obligation - where I continue to harp on the themes in my hierarchy of interests and specifically within my mini-collections to give me a little sense of collecting purpose.

I am still claiming cards one-by-one, building up running tabs from those who sell cards on social media - in my own little world, by sorting the bulk cards I get in-hand accordingly, I am doing a thing as a true collector.

I do not want to be mindless about just hoarding endless cards - but going through a new pile from a purchase made has to get me animated at some level.

Picking five collection / project keepers

I'm not sure where to go with this bat around prompt, because according to my list of main projects - I already have five or six things I'm working on, but each of those collections has different wrinkles that mushroom into different subsets.

I'll do what I do, but maybe in my head, the idea would be to rip one thing from each of these five things - maybe narrow the focus just a bit more than what I've already spelled out.

1.) Personal collection cards - maybe my PC is always going to be ‘all over the place’ and ‘thin’ all-around between the varying degrees of quality, years, types, subjects, but if nothing else, I want to have a good, representative collection of cards I can pull out and have a good look at once in awhile.

I want to build depth within my PCs by adding ‘4-6’ old school / vintage rookie cards - I should be glad to have picked off and squirreled away.

With some inherent limitations, but hopefully still some imagination - I want to see if I could pick up some cards I’d never thought to have in my PC.

2.) Regional collections - focus on adding to my regional PC, A-Z singles, all-time autograph collection and inserts; ditch any 'loose card' projects like binder stars, frankenset and Opening Day starters that may have fallen flat in recent years.

3.) Collecting topics - I've got 25-30 ongoing collections but instead of trying to 'nerd out,' focus on 5-10 mini-collections to hammer on.

Awesome action and awesome outfield action
Bloodlines
Bonus babies - star cameos on common players' cards
Nations
Local guys
Multi sport athletes
Facial hair
Pitchers hitting
Tools of ignorance - catcher cards

4.) Award winners collection

5.) A-Z singles