There are a total of 75 cards (so far; a couple more might be added) in The Projection Collection. However, with one exception (noted below), I am only making them available in randomized packs of 16 cards. There are no logistical reasons for this (in fact, it makes more work for me). Instead, my reason is this: I want to offer a specific experience.
I remember opening packs of baseball cards, or Magic: The Gathering cards. I remember the anticipation of not knowing what that pack contained, and the careful indulgence of appreciating each card while simultaneously wondering about the next one, hidden underneath. Uncertainty — mystery — is a precious gift to be rationed (bonus reading: 17776 by Jon Bois).
So, too, can the feeling of wanting sometimes be. As Mr. Spock reminds us: “having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true.” I never got all the cards I wanted from those packs, and those absences created their own sort of anticipation as I looked online to buy or trade for missing pieces. It was a process that ended with the satisfaction of obtaining that which was long-sought.
Immediately owning the entire set of cards removes all that. There is no mystery, no triumph of obtaining the missing pieces of the puzzle. Complete collections sit around on dusty shelves. Incomplete collections still have the fun of the chase left in them. These are frivolous cards about a nerdy subject, so I feel like I can safely foist this preferred experience upon all of you without doing any actual harm. I hope you will indulge me. In this chaotic era, it’s nice to have something unimportant to be excited/envious/obsessed about. So pick up a few packs, trade your extra cards with friends, and enjoy the experience.
I do offer one exception: if you’re an educator who’d like a complete set for classroom purposes, or you’ve otherwise got some special reason where having the complete set would be really useful, send me an email at somethingaboutmaps@gmail.com
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