HOF Collection Milestone
 

With the acquisition of this Andy Cooper card, I have finally completed my goal of obtaining a career-period card of every Hall-of-Famer who appeared on any "standard" card issue! I also include CDVs, studio cabinets, and postcards in my collection, so my HOF career-period number now stands at 317/329. The hunt continues for the remaining members (4 Major League executives and 8 Negro Leaguers/execs). But this Cooper card (my first Billiken), marks a real milestone.

My journey began about 15 years ago, and I have enjoyed every minute of it! A big part of that has been the knowledge and camaraderie, I have received from this board and all it's contributors. Thanks, guys! Couldn't have got here without you. Of course the beauty of being a HOF collector, is that you're never REALLY finished - there are always new inductees (including old-timers) - something I look forward to, every winter.

Anyway... thanks for listening. Now, I'm off to play with my new card!!

My HOF collection: http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s290/triwak/

Congratulations! That is a real milestone. I collect members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and just for the actual boxers (excluding refs, managers, journalists, etc., which can be impossible--I mean, journalist cards???) it is a real challenge that I have yet to complete, so I totally get how much effort goes into this sort of thing. You may never get something career-contemporaneous for everyone, but it is a hell of a lot of fun to try.

Any good/amusing stories from the process?

Have you thought about doing a photo book? That might be a fun way to memorialize the collection.

Absolutely brilliant, congrats on the time and passion it has taken to wear the ups and downs of finding and buying and often missing on so many wonderful cards!!!
Hope the moments spent just looking and being with these timeless relics is as still and mesmerizing as what I still enjoy when I take it.

That is freakin' amazing - CONGRATS!!!!!!

Congratulations! You have the admiration and respect of every true collector.

Fantastic!

Congrats Ken.

Doug

What did you do for Josh Gibson? Can't get the link to work.

Back row, 4th from the right. Apparently, this was part of a set of eight team postcards, put out by Ron Marin Rum Distillery, Puerto Rico, 1939. BTW, the crease over Gibson's face is not nearly so prevalent in person. The reflection from the phone camera somehow makes it appear worse.

Amazing
 

Incredible... congratulations! My 25 year collection is similar however I only concentrate on players. Missing Cummings, McPhee and Deacon White.
You are my new hero!
Dave B

Congratulations Ken! Which baseball executives do you still need?

Major League Executives: William Hulbert, Jacob Ruppert, Walter O'Malley, Lee MacPhail
Negro Leaguers: Joe Williams, Joe Rogan, Frank Grant, Louis Santop, Ben Taylor
Negro League Executives: Effa Manely, Cum Posey, Sol White

For now, modern commemorative cards will have to suffice. For now, lol!!

Congratulations Ken! That is quite an accomplishment.

Congrats Ken. That’s a big accomplishment. And I am glad you got that card - I almost bid real strong on that baby (awesome card), but the whole pwcc - trimmed card thing scared me since I don’t know the issue very well. I am going to peep your gallery now.

Very impressive!!

Ken huge congrats! I gave up on execs and Negro Leaguers and deep down I know I took the easy way out. I look forward to checking out your link to see how it should be done. Congrats again!

Awesome Ken! I know you’ve been working on this collecting goal for a very long time! Super glad to see you have finally picked up that Cooper. I still need one as well. What a fantastic accomplishment!!

Thanks, everybody!!

As a fellow HOF Collector I am more than impressed!! Absolutely amazing!!

Wow
 

Congrats! Very cool milestone! Good example of how our great hobby is a marathon, not a sprint.

Hey, Ken:

I'm so glad to see that you FINALLY accomplished your goal. Congratulations!

I guess it was good that you held off several times from parting with a couple of your best pieces. With some of the tough HOF'ers, you may only get one chance every decade or so to pick something up and if you are lucky enough to do so, you really can't part with it until you find something better. If you want to become a little more liberal with the guys that you are still missing, I can probably give you some career contemporary pieces to seek out.

Thank you, Phil!! You were always one of my go-to sources, when it came to information AND inspiration!! Much appreciated. And yeah, I may contact you about some of the "impossibles."

Thank you, Derek!! Your encouragement means a lot! BTW, I tried to send you a private message, but honestly I'm not sure it went through. Let me know here, if it didn't. Maybe I can email you.

Race well run!
Congratulations on a great accomplishment!

Awesome collection.

May I ask what was your deciding factor on some of the later HOFers as to which card you chose for your collection?

Most of the cards from the 1960s and '70s were from my childhood, so I actually began this HOF project with those. For the modern players (post 1980), I am able to grab them at a little card shop in my hometown. The guy deals mainly online, but still carries thousands of cards in the shop - usually for $1 each. ($2 for rookies). I generally just have him pull a bunch of cards of the latest inductees, and I choose the one I like the look of best. Often, I'll opt for the earliest year, but sometimes I'll go with a player's best season (MVP, batting title, etc.), or perhaps a season his team won the World Series. Sometimes, just which card I think is the coolest, lol! Thank you for your interest and kind comment.

Congratulations!!! You have some really nice cards. Good job.

Thank you, Kenny. Means a lot, coming from perhaps the top Negro League collector in the world!! Sincerely.

I appreciate that. But at this point that's probably Al, then Matt/Ryan, with me being maybe a distant fourth, if that. Doesn't matter. You got it done. That's what this thread is about.

Congrats all the way around, Ken. Now onto the next project!

Great set! Kudos

Ken - yes, I got the PM. I was away on vacation the past week+ so didn't have a chance to respond. I'm sorta in a transition period with my collection right now (in limbo, or rather, should I say...purgatory). Like you, Cooper may be the last one I pursue/acquire to finish the HOF rookie/"playing years" collection.

Again, kudos on such an awesome accomplishment! Now you can spend your days looking for upgrades!