[uvaspina]

I have 4 PCs- Verlander (400+), Miguel Cabrera (525+), Maybin (80+), Mike Stanton (150+). I've built them all from scratch over the last year. (I've done over 150 trades since October 2011.) I'd suggest starting a trade thread saying you're looking for McCann in return. The beginning is the easiest because you still need everything. Keep an eye on the boxbreak threads to see when guys pull McCann cards and post that you're interested. Stay active on the boards and people will keep you in mind when they pull something you collect. Another thing to consider (besides the bay, COMC, etc.) is checking out Beckett's marketplace. I've found great deals on here (especially for lower end cards). It's nice to pick up 50+ cards in one shot for under a hundred bucks. -I'd try to fill in as much as you can from trades first though. Be patient, too. You'll hit peaks and valleys and plateaus. Just stick with it, slow and steady.

Although I like busting boxes as much as anyone, I've found that my money is much better spent on singles (either trade bait or PC cards). Plus, you'll have a lot less clutter. I've found that some of the best guys to trade with have only like 200 $10 and up cards. Makes for very clean and easy trading.

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Also- to be somewhat more responsive to your question- what you decide to collect is up to you. Personally, I just try to collect everything I don't already have (PC-wise). I've never really gotten into graded cards, but I've picked some up along the way. Be warned though, graded cards (especially for star players) get expensive in a hurry. I've put together some partial rainbows, but it's more a matter of coincidence than anything. One goal I've set for myself is to collect all the Topps/Bowman Chrome GOLD refractors of my PC players. I like the way the gold cards look and they're mostly affordable.