Mom Chucked Mine - Who has assembled and owned a set for the longest time?

[frankbmd]

I hesitate (briefly) in starting this thread, because there will be a few rules (Hi Al & Ted). Do you currently own a set that you assembled 10 or more years ago? Quite a few hands went up. How about 20 years ago? Quite a few hands went down. Get the idea.

I’ve collected off and on for more than 60 years, but as a child, I never completed a Topps set from the fifties. And to make matters worse, when I visited my parents as an adult and asked about my “old baseball cards”, you guessed it, my mom had chucked them.

So let’s keep this as simple as possible.

1. Post a card from a set that you assembled a long time ago that you still own.

2. What set is it?

3. What year did you complete it?

3.5. (Optional) Subtract your answer to #3 from 2018.

4. Add a comment if you choose, such as the last card you needed to complete the set, etc.

That’s it. Anyone greater than 50 years will be listed.

The current leaders are

Ted Z 67

50sbaseball 60

grainsley 53

What could cause disqualification?

You no longer own the set.

You have a 1988 Donruss set that you assembled 40 years ago.

A T206 set with less than 524 cards.

If your answer to 3.5 is larger than your age.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

I started my Steve Garvey Topps run when I was 12 and finished it when I was 14, so I've had that for 32 years.

[ullmandds]

In my life I've completed less than 20 sets...ranging from late 70's-early 80's topps, burger king, fleer, donruss...early 90's upper deck...early 70's kelloggs/rold gold all time greats...64 topps giants...e90-2, e94 and most recently n43. The n43 set is the only one I currently own.

Hers is an n43 Ryan with the cute flower on his lappelle! The Ewing was the last to obtain as it was by far the most expensive. Many of these present well on the fronts and may have back damage from album removal...which for this issue is fine with me.

That'd make me a pathetic 3. I completed the set in 15'... tres!

Life is too short for commons is my motto these days!!!!!

[Matt1150]

The one and only complete set for me is 1977 Topps Baseball. I was 9 and managed to pull every card from a wax pack - and have the marked up team picture cards to prove it

[chalupacollects]

Oldest complete set is 1973 Topps finished in 1974... when I moved out took my cards with me! Never lost one to a Mom purge!

[grainsley]

1965 OPC, I remember throwing out Aaron after Aaron and buying new packs until I found a Hank that wasn't badly miscut. Terrible year for that. Put it away when done, and yes, still have the set, pack fresh.

So I reckon my number is 53.

Grant

[JustinD]

First full set was 83' Topps but that would seem to be cheating as it was a Christmas gift I had circled in the sears wishbook.

First small set was 1985 Wendy's Tigers set. Certainly wasn't hard to eat all those kids meals and frostys, but it was hard to talk mom into buying that many for my brother and I.

First actual pack built full set was 1987 Topps. Pack after pack till all 792 ( and additional 791 dups) were collected.

I still have all of these.

so knowing how much I loved those Wendy's trips I take the 33 years on that one,lol. But if we are going semantics with big sets, I can deal with the 31 for 87'.

[71buc]

My 1974 Topps set was completed with my weekly $2 allowance in 1974 and I still have it 44 years later.

[rats60]

I completed my 1968 Topps set in 1968, but sold it a couple years ago. Although I do still have my set of the 1968 Topps game cards, completed in 1968, well used. Still have 1965 Topps set, completed in 1973, with the help of Card Collectors Co.

[jefferyepayne]

1974 Topps Football complete in 1974 = 44 years ago.

I took my cards with me to college so my mom wouldn't throw them out ;-)

jeff

[trdcrdkid]

1977 Topps baseball, completed June 2, 1977 (last card Doug Flynn). Here is the first card I saw in the first pack I opened that year:

[50sBaseball]

I completed my 1958 Topps set in 1958, the only set I completed as a kid. Not even close with other 50s sets. Must have had extra newspaper delivery route and lawn mowing money in 1958. Still have the 1958 set. Last card to complete set was, I think, Don Cardwell.

[tedzan]

This looks to be the start of another great thread....you are the man, Frank.







1950 BOWMAN....252-card set

Started collecting these cards when I was 11 years old in 1950....completed in 1951.

Last card was Ted Williams.

2018 - 1951 = 67 years


As kids, we had tons of these 1950 BOWMAN's. When we played Black Jack or Poker, we would use these cards as chips (instead of pennies).


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

[talkinbaseball]

I collected pack by pack and put the whole set together before going into my senior year of high school, class of '74. Also, the year before my mom wrote out a check for the 1972 Topps baseball through The Sport Hobbyist, and if i remember, that year that came in series by series, also with that set i received my first Sport Hobbyist and Frank Nagy was on the cover. Unbelievable, i still have both sets.

John

[CW]

It's too bad the phrase "Mom chucked my baseball cards" didn't mean "Mom sent my baseball cards to Chuck" because then I would have one awesome collection.

[jasonc]

Excellent thread.

Ted, I assume you still have that set? That is amazing to have it that long!

I dont qualify as mine was 1988 donruss.
Lol. No I think it might have been 1987 opeechee.

[cardsnstuff]

Oh well; I guess my 1975 set, {my first} started & finished in 1975 by trading off doubles to friends, is out the running. And I still have it. But those days were fun. I couldn't wait for dad to get home on Friday Night and I'd go to bank with him to cash his check. Right next door was a little deli that sold baseball cards; and we would always get a few packs. I have to pull the Richie Allen out; he was traded to Phillies I guess after the cards came out and I crossed off White Sox and wrote in Phillies. I still remember that.

PS. Happy dad's day to all the dad's out there.

[Rookiemonster]

Well I’m not a set collector by any means. When I was young around 1996. ( I know I’m beat already) I got my first Dan Marino rookie card in a trade for some McGwire insert. Then a week later I got the Elway. At this point I realized I had the best cards in the set. So I went after the rest of the rookies in the set. I was about 14 or 15 in 1996. There was a guy at the local show that sold plastics and commons. He had a 5000 count box of 1984 Topps and they were 10 cents each but if you bought a lot they were 5 cents each. So I just bought chunks of what I needed ever show. I don’t remember the last card but I think it was Howie long. So I guess 22 years ago. It was all by accident in the sense that I just wanted the Marino and Elway but then something got a hold of me. ( I know it’s not baseball or pre war but hey that’s the honest answer.

[tedzan]

Originally Posted by jasonc

Excellent thread.

Ted, I assume you still have that set? That is amazing to have it that long!

Hi Jasonc

I still have my entire collection which started in 1947.


TED Z
.

[frankbmd]

My apologies to Leon for posting on the main board. I thought Ted would be prewar.

[brianp-beme]

I have never been super fanatical in completing sets. In my collecting from pack years 1975-81, I never did finish a set, but came relatively close.

After switching to PreWW2 collecting, the first set I finished (Frank can not disqualify me as he only mentioned T206 sets needing to be 524 and did not mention any other sets) was the numbers 1 through 96 'short set' of Diamond Stars cards, which I accomplished sometime in the early 1990's and still have. We all know that the repeated Diamond Stars cards #97-108 are just pointless, and you shall all rally to my defense if Frank decides to place the DQ/banned banner across my sorry chest.

25 years later and I am still half a dozen cards shy of a complete 108 card set, and not sure if I will ever get them all.

Brian

[Peter_Spaeth]

My brother and I bought a complete 1971 set through The Sporting News in 1971. And indeed it eventually fell victim along with 1000s of other cards to my Mom's basement cleanup to make room on the shelves for her Good Housekeeping magazines.

[albrshbr]

The first complete set I ever finished was the 1979 Topps baseball set.

I had just purchased 10 packs and got quite a few of the cards I needed. I was down to only 2 cards to complete the set, Mike Krukow of the Cubs and Clint Hurdle of the Royals. I went to our local card shop (yes-I had one within walking distance in 1979) only to find out that there were several other folks ahead of me who had already turned in their need lists with these cards on them.


A couple weeks later I was visiting my grandparents house. I was sorting the cards in the living room when my grandfather told me we had to go shopping. We walked to the grocery store and he bought me 5 packs. I got back to the house, opened them up, but did not find the cards I needed.


About 2 hours later my grandmother came into the room with a bag for me. She had gone back to the store and bought me every pack they had. And yes...I got the last 2 cards I needed for the set.


Completed in 1979 - 39 years ago

[bnorth]

I still have a 1985 Topps set in a binder I put together from wax packs back in the day.

[Mark]

complete set: Topps 1968.
complete series: Topps 7th 1967

[tedzan]

Hey Frank.

Aren't you proud of me....for once this time I followed your rules to a tee


Actually, I have an older set than the 1950 BOWMAN which I posted in post #13. Do non-baseball cards qualify ?

If so, here is my......

1948 LEAF Boxing.....49-card set

Started collecting these cards in 1948....completed his set in 1948. I still have my original collection.

2018 - 1948 = 70 years







TED Z

T206 Reference
.

[egri]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

My apologies to Leon for posting on the main board. I thought Ted would be prewar.

Well he is pre-Korean War .

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by egri

Well he is pre-Korean War .

With the boxing set he is even before the War of 1949.

[ramram]

Still have my ‘75 full Topps baseball set that I collected one pack at a time from the corner Utotem store. Still have lots of dupes from that quest. Best part for me is that I’m a KC guy and that was the year of George Brett’s rookie card.

Rob M

[RedsFan1941]

Originally Posted by ramram

Still have my ‘75 full Topps baseball set that I collected one pack at a time from the corner Utotem store. Still have lots of dupes from that quest. Best part for me is that I’m a KC guy and that was the year of George Brett’s rookie card.

Rob M

love that set. great story

[BleedinBlue]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

What could cause disqualification?

You have a 1988 Donruss set that you assembled 40 years ago.

I would actually be very impressed if you assembled a 1988 Donruss set 40 years ago. I think a special prize should be awarded for that accomplishment.

My oldest set assembled from packs was 1977 which is less than 50 years old so I won’t bother adding a card.

[earlywynnfan]

Originally Posted by Matt1150

The one and only complete set for me is 1977 Topps Baseball. I was 9 and managed to pull every card from a wax pack - and have the marked up team picture cards to prove it

1977 Topps should have been my first complete set, I couldn't find a Boog Powell for years!! So I completed my 1980 set first, then found a card store and got my Boog.

[steve B]

I suppose it shouldn't be surprising,

First set put together - 1978 Papa Ginos discs finished as the promotion was ending. So 40 years.

They'd been very tight with the cards all summer, holding strictly to whatever the purchase requirement was I think maybe a drink bought with anything else?
It was pretty close, my sister an brother helped, as they got cards too when we went for the once a week Pizza outing. The last or next to last week of the promotion we got three duplicates, and I figured that was it. But maybe I could get a bit closer if they'd let us swap cards for ones we needed. I had my brother ask, as he was the youngest. To our surprise they handed us one of the the buckets they kept the cards in and said to take what we needed and bring the rest back. Finished the set, and gave the rest back.

A few weeks later I got one of the ads from the register. It had fallen down behind, and I'd asked earlier but the ads were supposed to be returned to the main office (A likely excuse for "sorry, we're keeping them ourselves") One had gotten behind the register and I got it but it took the manager clearing it.

First big set I think was a three way tie, 1982 Topps Fleer and Donruss. But I bought them instead of putting them together.

I'm not sure if I finished the 78 Topps before or after 82 I know I was close, but seldom really worked for those last few cards. I may not have finished that one until 89 or so.

[barrysloate]

I bought my first packs in 1958- clearly remember getting a Ted Williams AS and thinking it looked cool- and probably continued buying until 1963 or so. But I never completed any sets, and whatever I had left over in adulthood my mom tossed out.

Unlike most collectors I tend not to keep things very long. Usually I get excited about buying something new but at some point get tired of it and put it up for sale. And yet, I still have all the LP's that I bought in the 1960's and 70's, over 500, that I never threw out. So maybe without realizing it records are my favorite collectible.

I'm restless with a short attention span by nature, so it's not hard for me to sell collections I've put together. I simply move on to a new challenge. Learning new things excites me.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by steve B

I suppose it shouldn't be surprising,

First set put together - 1978 Papa Ginos discs finished as the promotion was ending. So 40 years.

They'd been very tight with the cards all summer, holding strictly to whatever the purchase requirement was I think maybe a drink bought with anything else?
It was pretty close, my sister an brother helped, as they got cards too when we went for the once a week Pizza outing. The last or next to last week of the promotion we got three duplicates, and I figured that was it. But maybe I could get a bit closer if they'd let us swap cards for ones we needed. I had my brother ask, as he was the youngest. To our surprise they handed us one of the the buckets they kept the cards in and said to take what we needed and bring the rest back. Finished the set, and gave the rest back.

A few weeks later I got one of the ads from the register. It had fallen down behind, and I'd asked earlier but the ads were supposed to be returned to the main office (A likely excuse for "sorry, we're keeping them ourselves") One had gotten behind the register and I got it but it took the manager clearing it.

First big set I think was a three way tie, 1982 Topps Fleer and Donruss. But I bought them instead of putting them together.

I'm not sure if I finished the 78 Topps before or after 82 I know I was close, but seldom really worked for those last few cards. I may not have finished that one until 89 or so.

Great set if only because the Yaz just says YAZ. No need for anything else. The player selection for the non-Sox is a little odd.

[PowderedH2O]

I was 12/13 years old in the summer of 1978. For whatever reason, I really went after that set strongly. I kept my cards by teams, so when I was keeping track of the cards I needed, I always had about 40 or so that I couldn't find. Then one day, a friend of mine tells me that the cards I am looking for are the ones on the Rookie Cards. Boy, I felt stupid. It turned out all I needed was Greg Luzinski and Jeff Burroughs. I got them in probably August in a late summer desperation purchase at the local Woolco. I finished 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990. Now, it is just too costly to do it anymore. I miss those days. I still have my 1978's, so it is almost 40 years since I completed my first big set.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Great set if only because the Yaz just says YAZ. No need for anything else. The player selection for the non-Sox is a little odd.

Nobody can spell Yaz?@#!%&*ski including the printer of the set. Does he really deserve kudos for being average?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Papa Gino's was long before all the wood fired artisanal goat cheese arugula wildcrafted stuff that passes for pizza these days. Growing up my kids liked it much better than Domino's which IMO was truly horrible.

[riggs336]

I completed two sets of 1955 Topps in '55 and '56 without knowing it. I thought I was four cards short on both.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Papa Gino's was long before all the wood fired artisanal goat cheese arugula wildcrafted stuff that passes for pizza these days. Growing up my kids liked it much better than Domino's which IMO was truly horrible.

I’m sure Papa’s “pies” were delicious, with lots of pizzazz,

But my point still stands with respect to Yaz.

By the way were Yaz and Klu related?

[steve B]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

I’m sure Papa’s “pies” were delicious, with lots of pizzazz,

But my point still stands with respect to Yaz.

By the way were Yaz and Klu related?

You must be thinking of Michael, Carl was actually quite good.

[mark evans]

I collected the 1961 Topps set as an 11-year-old, more or less one pack at a time with my allowance. Still have the set.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

I’m sure Papa’s “pies” were delicious, with lots of pizzazz,

But my point still stands with respect to Yaz.

By the way were Yaz and Klu related?

No but he was related to Maz. And both liked jazz.

[jsq]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

My brother and I bought a complete 1971 set through The Sporting News in 1971. And indeed it eventually fell victim along with 1000s of other cards to my Mom's basement cleanup to make room on the shelves for her Good Housekeeping magazines.

thank god she at least saved something really valuable like those good housekeeping mags!!

[ugaskidawg]

My oldest completed set is 1960 Topps. I am one card away from completing my 1921 W551 set. With that said however, The oldest set I have completed was 1989 Topps in 1989. So for me it is 29 years.