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I actually had this in the FAQs but I realized that this point needed it's own page.
Okay, I hear your argument: "Of course it's tough - there's only one card in existence!"
Fine. That's true. But ask yourself this question: How do you collect something that only one person in the world can actually own? In other words: As a collector you can't 'collect' every 1-of-1 in existence. That's impossible.
What was that you said? Of course it's possible?!?
Really? All right, let's examine that more closely...
The biggest impediment for any real discussion about a collection of 1-of-1's is: Money. So let's say, for arguments sake, you just won the Powerball Lottery. So whoopee! It's party time! New homes, new cars, everyone loves you right? Now you turn your attention to your [fill-in-players-name here] Collection. And now you're determined to build that elusive "master collection"; the one every collector dreams of making. Hey, you're a multimillionaire with money to burn, so there shouldn't be a problem right? Well, actually, there is.
Now it might take some time, but eventually, eventually --- you're going to run smack dab into The Fanatic.
Someone like me.
<g>
And I'm not alone. There's a small, but
very hardcore, group of Frank Thomas collectors out there. And the vast
majority of Thomas 1-of-1's reside split amongst our various collections. You're
going to encounter collectors who aren't tempted by money from some lucky bum,
collectors who can't be coerced by threats, and collectors who are singularly
one dimensional when it comes to their private hoard. So the very idea that
you can create a collection of 1-of-1's is a mirage. Chase it and one of two
things is likely to happen:
1)
You're going to go insane from frustration.
-or-
2) You'll probably end up in prison for doing something bad to the person keeping
you from that mirage.
So if it can't
be collected in the truest sense of the word - how can it be tough? I mean there's
no struggle, no great and lengthy search, no leads to follow, no haggling to
be done, no deals to be made. Remember - you're not getting it from The Fanatic.
Please understand that I'm not saying that these great cards are not 'collectible'
in the sense of adding it to your collection, of course they are. Even I'd pay
big time money to own one. My point is: The one fanatical collector who
actually has the 1-of-1 card that you want - also has a simultaneous death grip
on it. Except to the one lucky person who has possession of it, by definition,
do you know what a 1-of-1 actually is?
Desirable.
That's it - period.
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You can't 'collect' The Mona Lisa, you can't 'collect' The Hope Diamond, you can't 'collect' Dooley Wilson's Piano from Casablanca. They're entirely unique and are owned - not collected. And that's why a list of the "10 Toughest Frank Thomas Cards" aren't made up of a bunch of 1-of-1's.
Now, if you want to chase down the "10 Craziest Frank Thomas cards" to collect - fine - create a checklist of every 1-of-1 issued to date, run down the owners (not literally I hope) and send me an email from whatever sanitarium or state/federal penitentiary you end up in. ;-)