In sports cards, PC means ‘Personal Collection’.
You will often hear card collectors say, “I PC Ken Griffey Jr. and Bo Jackson.”
But just as commonly, you might hear, “I collect Ken Griffey Jr. and Bo Jackson for my PC.” Or, “These cards are part of my PC and are not for sale.”
Its also common for sports card collectors to list the players and/or types of cards (game worn patch cards, autographs, non-sports cards, etc.) they collect on their social media profiles, using the PC acronym. For example:
PC: Brady, Mahomes, Goff, any vintage HOF
In short, its just a quick way to help describe what you collect!
What do collectors put in their PC?
There’s no wrong way to build a personal collection. Some common approaches:
- Player collections: Every card of a favorite player you can find, from base cards to autographs. You’ll hear these collectors called “player collectors.”
- Team collections: Cards of every player on one team, often going back decades.
- Set building: Completing a full checklist, such as a favorite set from childhood.
- Rainbows: Collecting every parallel version of a single card.
- Themes: Anything that connects your cards, like rookie cards, hometown players, cards with dogs in the photo, or RPAs from one set.
“PC” vs. cards for sale or trade
Labeling a card as PC tells other collectors it isn’t available. At card shows and in online groups, you’ll see people separate their “PC” from their “trade bait” or “for sale” cards. It saves everyone time: don’t bother making an offer on someone’s PC card unless they’ve said they’re open to it.
You may also hear the phrase “paying PC price,” which means a collector paid more than a card’s usual value because it fills a spot in their personal collection. Recent sales (comps) tell you what a card usually sells for; PC price is whatever it’s worth to you.
