There are several reasons why you may an incomplete collection. For many collectors, the thrill of the hunt is more engaging than the simple acquisition. Baseball cards and their ilk, McDonald’s Toys, Lego Mini-Figs and Kinder Eggs are among those who use the “chaser” mentality to sell more of their products (though McDonald’s has provided other options for completing sets). When you buy a pack, you have no idea what’s inside. These Justice League Spinners from Kinder Egg are one of the collections I wasn’t able to complete.

Not Important Enough

Some collections just aren’t important enough to finish. Often the importance of a collection will determine how much inconvenience you’re willing to put up with and what type of budget you have for completing the collection. In this case, my wife got me a crate of Justice League spinners. I ended up with four Supermans, three Aquamans, and a couple of Jokers extra. Chasing after Cyborg and the Flash, who I figured would be too fast to catch, just wasn’t a priority for me at that time. We had better things to spend our income on.

Not Enough Money

Collecting is rarely cheap, especially if you want to collect something worthwhile. Finances can change quickly, and if this happens in the middle of a collection, you just have to make the sacrifice and hope you can complete it later on. If you collect multiple things, you may need to prioritize what you want in your collection. I prefer Disney over everything else, but I do enjoy Kinder Eggs, especially since I know I can’t get them in the U.S. (Kinder Joy aren’t the same; don’t get me started.)

Product Gets Discontinued

If you get a late start in collecting some items, you may find that the company discontinues the collection before you can get all of it. You may be able to find lingering blind bags or packs of cards in less frequented areas. You may even find them at discount and dollar stores. But, if you can’t find them, you can still turn to eBay or to other companies that specialize in the collectibles you’re looking for.

Completing Your Collection

Kids still enjoy trading their collectibles as they try to get a complete set. Disney fans can trade pins at the parks and other places. Trading is a time-honored tradition in the collectible world. There’s a good chance you can help someone else complete his or her collection and get something for yourself in the bargain. EBay has a lot of items on the site that you can buy and get shipped to you for collections. (I even found complete sets of these Justice League toys.) If you’re lucky, you have a shop near you that can help you find what you’re looking for. Whatever you collect, may you always find a way to fill your incomplete collection.

Collecting and Creativity

Having a hodgepodge set of items or collections can help inspire creativity through sheer force of juxtaposition. By bringing different things together, you can inspire your mind to connect different subjects to create something new. For more on creativity, join our Patreon; it has penguins, too. Check out these books: “Disneyland Is Creativity,” “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity,” and “Penguinate! Positive Creativity.”