Since sketch cards are being classified as "original art" rather than mass produced replications I won't compare them go gold border stickers or any other printed chaser. In many cases they're great little examples of an artists talent. They're delightful samples of characters we love. They're not works of art that require a new concept, days of design and days more to execute. The few who are paying $1000 or more for a sketch need to put things into perspective and realize a modern sketch a card should not be as valuable as a Wacky painting.
Plan,
I think the issue here is that a few people ARE classifying these sketch cards as a kind of chase card, rather than original artwork. I first noticed this thinking cropping up with the postcard sets. Folks wanted to have "one of each sketch". At that point I started scratching MY head a wee bit, but of course the Old School color sketches take that many times further, at least with a few individuals.
You figured out a way to build a gold set without spending $200 a card, but I'm guessing you put time, effort, and thought into making back your out-of-pocket expenses. That work and time has a value, too, and some people wouldn't have felt felt it was a worthwhile effort, even if they could have built a set for little cash cost. You did, and that's cool. I don't spend crazy amounts of money on my hobby, but I put in the time when I can... I'm sure a lot of people would say I'm wasting my time.
The way I see it, the few individuals ordering dozens of cases (or boxes, in the case of Old School) or spending $1,000+ on color sketches ARE stinkin' rich.. or rich enough... and they've found something they enjoy spending their money on, for a hobby.
Are we suggesting the few people who want to go hog wild collecting these are dolts? Or is this merely a discussion of investment value, and how best to spend ones' dollars?
-J
P.S. I think a single Old School painting should be "worth" more than a dozen color sketches or even twenty gold-bordered Flashbacks, but that doesn't seem to be the way things would shake out today.