Have no idea where to go with my collection. Could use your help and advice!

[arott23]

So recently I have decided to stay away from modern cards completely because I absolutely love the looks and history of vintage cards. My problem is, I'm not sure exactly where to go with my collection. I picked up my first t206, a Lajoie portrait that's a little beat up, but I love it. Because my wife and I have decided to save a little more money, my funds are limited (maybe $300 a month).

I love the looks of 1954 and 1956 topps and I love the look of the t206's. I realize it would be a long time before I could complete either set, so might not do set collecting right now. I love collecting HOFers as well, including Mantle, Maris, Robinson, Ted Williams, DiMaggio, Lajoie, and others.

I would love any advice on where to go next with my collection. I probably will focus on players and cards that will hold their value over time. Any of the listed players, or others, are fair game. Are there are certain cards of players that you absolutely love that maybe aren't the most popular or expensive?? Any suggestions as to where to obtain these cards? Also, do you know of anyone willing to trade modern for vintage?

The last question isn't all that important. Thank you all for reading and your advice (in advance)!!

Andrew

[Sean]

I collect the T206 set, so if you want cards that hold their value I suggest HOF players (like Lajoie). Consider picking up some Cobb, Mathewson, Cy Young and Walter Johnson cards. On your budget you could only get one every three months, but those are the cards to own if you're only going for a few cards. And they will hold their value.

[Centauri]

I moved away from modern recently, going with the T205 set. But if you wanted to go more with stars, I would mix HOFers from different sets. I am constantly astounded by the number of really cool cards and sets others on the board pickup. Out of my range, but perhaps you'd find some room. Carmels, Tobacco, Newspapers, heck - some nice bread cards out there!

Perhaps the perfect mix of cool set and lots of stars is the E93 carmels. 30 cards in the set, something like 20 in the HOF, and all seem to be findable.

[Chris Counts]

If you really want to focus on something, I'd go with the '56s. They won't break your bank and they're awesome cards. In my opinion they are one of greatest of all sets. The artwork and colors on the fronts and backs is fantastic. Plus there are no rare cards or overpriced rookies. And they aren't missing a bunch of stars like the '54s, only Musial. The set is very attainable. Personally, I don't worry about focusing on anything. I simply buy what I like and it's worked out pretty well so far. I like variety more than sets ...

[arott23]

Some awesome suggestions so far! I would love to eventually get all the HOFers from the t206 set, but that's a ways away yet. I. I can be patient maybe I can tackle it slowly.

I have just started looking at E93's, so it's interesting you brought that up. I may have to start looking around for them!

I agree with the 56 topps. Just simply a beautiful set. My problem is, I feel I have to start the set with Mickey and I can never find a card in decent condition that's not overpriced maybe if I can find one, I'll pick up a few HOFers from that set as well.

[campyfan39]

300/month is pretty good card budget IMO!
I would go with 56topps. I think you could complete it under a year with that budgeT

[arott23]

Originally Posted by campyfan39

300/month is pretty good card budget IMO!
I would go with 56topps. I think you could complete it under a year with that budgeT

300 might be a little positive but very do-able haha. My question with the '56 set would be, do I get graded or ungraded? If graded, what grade should be my goal without going too crazy on money?

[Leon]

You could also consider "type card" collecting. You can pretty much make your own rules and collect whatever your fancy is. Sets, groups, backs etc...can all be collected together. It's great!! Here is one of each series of T210s plus a bright orange series 3.

[AgonyandIvy]

Originally Posted by Chris Counts

If you really want to focus on something, I'd go with the '56s. They won't break your bank and they're awesome cards. In my opinion they are one of greatest of all sets. The artwork and colors on the fronts and backs is fantastic. Plus there are no rare cards or overpriced rookies. And they aren't missing a bunch of stars like the '54s, only Musial. The set is very attainable. Personally, I don't worry about focusing on anything. I simply buy what I like and it's worked out pretty well so far. I like variety more than sets ...

This. Especially if you like HOFs. The 56 set is loaded with early year HOFs that should hold their value - Clemente, Aaron, Mays, Koufax, Killebrew, Banks, Mantle, Mathews, Berra, Spahn, Kaline, and T. Williams, J. Robinson, to boot. And others like Wilhem, Roberts, Aparicio, Ashburn. You have there 7 members of the 500HR club and ground breaking players in Clemente and Robinson.

I would start with the Hall of Famers of the 56 set and then go to the HOFs of the 54 set where you have great rookie cards in Aaron, Banks, Kaline and iconic cards of Williams, Berra and Mays. Meanwhile in my spare time, I would be looking for bargain in T206 HOF. They will be rare, but they will be there. But starting with the more accessible 56 and 54s, you won't be discouraged with the slow going with the T206s.

[the 'stache]

Hello, Andrew.

It sounds like you're in the exact same position I'm in. Maybe we can find the answers together.

I used to collect when I was a child. I actually collected a little bit up until the time I started college, but nothing more than the occasional pack or two then. I'd become disenchanted with the hobby. Topps, Upper Deck, Fleer and Donruss had all but ruined the hobby by oversaturating the market. Besides, I had other things to spend my money on-tuition, books, my dorm room, and my future ex-girlfriends.

Then, about five years ago, I hurt my back. Because of a congenital bone disorder I was born with, there's no way to fix it. So, I was put on permanent disability. I went from being a single guy making an outstanding living as a stockbroker to being on SSDI. I was never a guy that wasted my money, and when I got hurt, I became even more proactive. I went ahead and paid off all my credit cards. I paid off my car. I paid off the medical bills I had, and now I'm completely debt free.

When I went on disability, I decided to start collecting again. Since I have so much free time, why not collect, and do something I love? Collecting has kept me happy, and has given me something to do. So, I've bought a few nice cards here and there, but I'm working mostly on building my savings up. I'm almost at my goal, which is to have a full years worth of bills and living expenses set aside. When that is done, I'm going to hit my collection.

Like you, when I came back, I started out with modern cards. I collected Bowman Chrome prospect autos (as well as some other lines, some Platinum, some Sterling, etc). But while I love prospecting, what people wanted for these cards started getting out of control. I was already subscribing to Baseball America, MLB.tv, and Milb.com. When I started seeing things like a 2014 Bowman Chrome gold prospect auto redemption card of Kris Bryant sell for $5,000, the absurdity of the whole thing struck me. I could buy a nice Babe Ruth for that much. Bryant at the time hadn't played above AA ball. Cards like Byron Buxton's base prospect auto were going for over $200. Since I would work on trying to get at least one base prospect auto of each of the top 100 prospects, that became ridiculously expensive. For a while, I was hanging in there. But it became tedious. I wasn't enjoying it. Since I loved the history of baseball, I decided to go back and start collecting vintage cards, and to learn about pre-war. I signed up here, and for a good six months, I just tried to learn before buying anything. Well, after getting home from the hospital last summer after breaking my leg, a package was waiting for me. It was my very first pre-war card, a T202 card from Pete Sycks (thank you again, Pete!) I instantly fell in love with pre-war, and I haven't looked back.



I spent some time researching, and finding what I liked before I really bought anything more expensive. I know that my favorite pre-war sets are the T206, T202, '33 and '34 Goudey, '14 and '15 Cracker Jack, the Exhibits cards, T3 Turkey Reds, T204 Ramlys, OJs (Old Judge), T207s, and Allen & Ginter. Those are a few. There are a lot more. From vintage, I love the 1953 Bowman Color set, the '55 and '56 Topps sets, the '57 Topps set (the first using the now standard 2.5" x 3.5" format), the '60 Topps set, the '71, '73 and '75 Topps sets, and the '80 Topps set. Again, there are others I like, but those were a good start.

So I bought a few cards, some really nice ones. I started out buying about 20 T206 commons in about SGC 40 (PSA 3) grade. Then, I decided I liked cards in a little better condition, so I've been buying PSA 4 and 5 level. But only a few. I also started personal collections of Robin Yount and Roberto Clemente, and just recently started collecting the 1975 set, which I'll build in pretty high condition (near mint or so). The '75 set is, of course, much less expensive.

With my medical issues, having that fall last summer scared me a little. I wanted to make sure I had a cushion so no matter what happened, I'd have a good amount saved up. So, that's what I'm doing now, and I'm almost there. That will give me some peace of mind. After that, I plan on budgeting my spending on baseball cards to between $5-600 a month. While I'm building up my savings, I am working on the '75 Topps set. I can buy some nice cards, and not spend a lot to do so. It satiates my need to collect without making much of a dent in my bank account And while I still like modern cards, I'm going to wait until these guys have some years in the Majors under their belts. I might end up spending more, but I won't be spending any money on guys that don't make it, either.

So, beside the T206 and 1975 Topps set, the Clemente and Yount master sets, and my ever expanding Green Bay Packer collection, I've been building a list of cards I want to buy. Here's part of it. I love the greats of the game, and God willing, I have several years to build a nice collection. Some of the cards towards the top of my list:

1953 Bowman Color Stan Musial
1934 Goudey Lou Gehrig #37
1958 Topps Roberto Clemente
1951 Bowman Ted Williams
T202 Cobb Steals Third
T205 Christy Mathewson
1953 Bowman Color Pee Wee Reese
1957 Topps Mickey Mantle
1915 Cracker Jack Eddie Collins
1941 Play Ball Joe DiMaggio
1971 Topps Thurman Munson
1954 Topps Hank Aaron
1909 E90-1 Willie Keeler
1955 Topps Sandy Koufax
1959 Topps Willie Mays
1950 Bowman Bob Feller
1934 Goudey Babe Ruth #144
1956 Topps Jackie Robinson
1953 Bowman Color Warren Spahn
1954 Topps Eddie Mathews
1953 Bowman Color Mickey Mantle

Anyway, that's a pretty good start. It will give you an idea on how I'm going to progress through my collection. I'll be mixing in my T206 cards with those:

Willie Keeler portrait
Ty Cobb bat off shoulder
Roger Bresnahan portrait
Napoleon Lajoie throwing
Hughie Jennings two hands showing
Tris Speaker
Harry Pattee
Eddie Collins

That list should take me a few years. But in the mean time, I can enjoy what everybody else on the forum is getting. Because I enjoy seeing other people have fun as much as I enjoy getting new cards. When I think of somebody at their computer excitedly typing as they share their latest card, it brings a smile to my face. I grin from ear to ear like the cheshire cat when somebody shows me a card they love, because I can totally relate to the joy they feel.

The last two cards I got before my 1975 Topps cards, and my 1976 Topps Robin Yount came in were a beautiful 1956 Topps Bob Feller I got from 4 Sharp Corners, and this Dutch Revelle, the first Southern Leaguer for my T206 set (as well as my first Old Mill back). This one I got from Mike DeNero.



That's a real beauty. Those are two good sources to buy from. I also like The Battersbox on EBay for vintage ungraded cards. I've done business with them several times now. And as you can see from my signature, I've done a good deal of buying (and some selling) on our BST boards. That's a great place to buy cards from other collectors.

When people get cards in that you like, don't hesitate to ask them where they buy from. That's a good way to learn. One of the most important things to remember when buying vintage and pre-war cards-buy from trustworthy dealers and sellers. You'll start building a mental list of people that you can do business with. That protects you in the long run.

Anyway, Andrew, again, welcome aboard, and I hope this gives you some ideas. You are among friends here, and I look forward to seeing your collection grow. Just remember one thing. It's not a race, nor is it a competition. You get what you want. Sometimes you may have to save for a month or two to get that new card you want. But the sheer jubilation you feel when you get it in, I look forward to sharing that with you. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message. I check the boards a few times a day, and I'm happy to help you in any way that I can!

Have a great weekend,

Bill

[Mountaineer]

Very good post Bill! I 100% agree with you on the whole prospecting/modern card thing. I believe prospecting is the closest thing to gambling in our hobby. Cards worth a bunch at one moment way take a massive drop the next moment when the prospect has a bad season or doesn't get called up. Too much risk involved in that collecting. BTW, I'm sorry that you were forced into an early retirement/disabled by a condition that you did not have any control or say over. Crappy things always happen to the best people. But I am glad you are not letting it keep you down.


For the OP: As for where to go, if one loves the history of baseball, I'd recommend any pre-war sets or early post war sets. Both have plenty of HOF'ers to collect if that is what you want to focus on. As for cards keeping their value, I'd recommend good/decent graded copies of HOF'ers in the specific sets. These will usually always be the cards that everyone wants to collect, hence there will always be a good market for it. If anything, the prices of HOF'ers in the pre-war sets and early post war sets have increased and I do not see them dropping anytime soon. As for modern, one injury can drop someones card prices to almost nothing. Prospecting players is a way to make money in a hurry, but it is the closest thing to gambling in our hobby.

Many pre-war and early post war sets can be collected on a budget so do not let that discourage you. If you want a card and it costs more than you have, just save up for it. Eventually, you will become the owner of that card and it will make you feel awesome knowing that you finally own it. I recently have enjoyed looking at the 1910 Standard Caramel (E93) set and hopefully one day can start trying to collect it.

And just because a card may not be the most expensive or the best card in the set, doesn't make it worth any less to you if you truly want to collect it. This is a hobby. Collect what you want to collect and what you are interested in. Just relax and enjoy it and let the good times roll!

[yanksfan09]

Maybe while you're getting your feet wet, you could maybe buy some common cards that are fairly cheap from a number of different sets you're thinking about and that way you can see them in hand and how much you really like them. I wouldn't fully commit to one specific route of collecting until you get a better feel for what's out there. Read the board, look at other people's collections and get familiar with the vast variety of cards out there and see what really gets your interest. One set maybe worth mentioning would be the 1941 play ball, possibly the 1934-36 diamond stars as well. These 2 are relatively affordable and not that huge of sets, especially if you leave out the expensive High # cards in the diamond stars. These are 2 sets in between the eras you talk about. The Playballs have DiMaggio and Williams and both sets are loaded with HOFers at an affordable price. Good luck and take it slow at first!

[mrvster]

T206 T206 T206 T206

hands down, imho, the best to collect.....Wagner fuels it....

$300.00 a month is an awesome budget!!!

you can get a ton of commons or 1 tuf back a month.....you can get a few hofers.....collect team sets...ERRORS...I can go on and on...

ojs are my second fav, but $300 wont go too far

email me or pm me....I will help

[T2069bk]

Lots of great answers here so far. Most important is do what you want. You can even try mixing and matching from the answers.

I love Hall of Famers so I am trying to get a few but unlike in previous years (attempts) I am trying to spread the wealth around- going for as many different sets as I can. Almost a type collection within a Hall of Fame Collection...with the only rule- if they were on a card for the Cubs/Redskins/Devils I have to have a card in that uniform.

Look at peoples signature lines and see their collections...sometimes things click and that is similar to what you want to do. There are no timelines or deadlines it is a life journey so if you want to try sets while Hall of Fame collecting ...Why Not!!!!

Just my 2 cents....but happy hunting!

[Nappy1525]

I've started collecting the t205 set and I love it. And your budget is perfect. Once month you can collect upwards or 20-25 commons If you find the right seller and then the next month you can search for a cheap matthewson. Eventually when you grab a Cobb or cy Young you will have to take 2 months build get to buy that 1 card but you can easily collect the whole set without breaking your budget while having a good time looking and searching for the cards. So if your interested you can try that set also

[conor912]

Out of the sets mentioned in the OP, I'd go with '56. Beautiful, iconic set. On that budget, you could finish a nice mid-grade set in less than a year. Plus you could save even more time (and money) by starting with a partial/near set and just upgrading/filling in the holes from there.

[autograf]

All great ideas......on the 1956 front, I'm working on that set. You can get nice groups of commons off ebay in lots for reasonable prices and at $300/month, you can finish that set in VGEX to EX uncreased and clean in just a few months--around a year. A Mantle in nice shape might cost you two months, a Robinson a Month, etc. Just depends on what condition you want your cards in. I try to do midgrade at least VGEX to EX clean, uncreased on my Topps sets. There are dozens of most of the 1956 cards online at any given time, so you have a variety to choose from.

I also like Leon's idea of type collecting--with $300 on a given month, you could probably get 8-10 type cards from a variety of sets in VGEX to EX or so from early 1900's to 1940's.

Again, it's all about your tastes. Moving away from new stuff is a great idea. Some of the new stuff is neat but if you collect it, wait a month or two after it's introduced and you can get it for 50% or less what it came out at--at least most of the stuff. Your $300/month will at least retain it's value if you buy vintage cards..........

Good luck!

[brewing]

I suggest team collecting.
I went this route because I did not enjoy spending money on common players for set completion. The 1960 hi#'s killed it for me.

T206 is a great set, but it's called the monster for a reason.

[arott23]

Thank you everyone!! I'm both surprised and impressed with the number and range of answers! There are ideas that I had never thought of before and will probably end up doing them in the near future. For right now, I think I'm gonna start with the '56 set and collect some t206 team/back sets. I didn't think I would be able to do the '56 set, but it sounds like it can be done! Again I want to thank everyone who has responded. Also, please keep responding!! I like to see and hear what other people are collecting. Please post pictures as well so we all can share.

If anyone has any ideas or knows where I could pick up a lot/incomplete set (about PSA 3-4), I would love to hear about them. My fund is slowly building back up and I'm looking forward to beginning this journey!

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer

Very good post Bill! I 100% agree with you on the whole prospecting/modern card thing. I believe prospecting is the closest thing to gambling in our hobby. Cards worth a bunch at one moment way take a massive drop the next moment when the prospect has a bad season or doesn't get called up. Too much risk involved in that collecting. BTW, I'm sorry that you were forced into an early retirement/disabled by a condition that you did not have any control or say over. Crappy things always happen to the best people. But I am glad you are not letting it keep you down.

For the OP: As for where to go, if one loves the history of baseball, I'd recommend any pre-war sets or early post war sets. Both have plenty of HOF'ers to collect if that is what you want to focus on. As for cards keeping their value, I'd recommend good/decent graded copies of HOF'ers in the specific sets. These will usually always be the cards that everyone wants to collect, hence there will always be a good market for it. If anything, the prices of HOF'ers in the pre-war sets and early post war sets have increased and I do not see them dropping anytime soon. As for modern, one injury can drop someones card prices to almost nothing. Prospecting players is a way to make money in a hurry, but it is the closest thing to gambling in our hobby.

Many pre-war and early post war sets can be collected on a budget so do not let that discourage you. If you want a card and it costs more than you have, just save up for it. Eventually, you will become the owner of that card and it will make you feel awesome knowing that you finally own it. I recently have enjoyed looking at the 1910 Standard Caramel (E93) set and hopefully one day can start trying to collect it.

And just because a card may not be the most expensive or the best card in the set, doesn't make it worth any less to you if you truly want to collect it. This is a hobby. Collect what you want to collect and what you are interested in. Just relax and enjoy it and let the good times roll!

Thank you, Dustin. I believe adversity builds character, and creates opportunities. I'd just gotten a big promotion about 4 months before I got hurt. So while I was very disappointed that I couldn't work anymore, in part because the money was so great, but more because I got so much satisfaction from helping people, instead of letting it get the best of me, I decided to find something else to channel my energy into. I was down for a little while because I'd built some wonderful business relationships. My promotion had me working with our best clients, many of whom I spoke with on a nightly basis. These clients had substantial assets, and were generally a cut above the rest when it came to investing knowledge. So the conversations I had could be quite challenging, but at the same time, I found them enthralling. I relish the opportunity for political or financial discourse, and being able to learn from these clients, these men and women who'd traveled extensively, who could speak at length about business customs in other parts of the world, that's something I'll always have. Those conversations helped me to open my mind, to see new possibilities, and to challenge convention. There were times I couldn't believe I was getting paid for what I was doing. But since losing that intellectual stimulation, I've found a way to get much of that back here. The subject material is, of course, different, but many of the discussions we have about the game, or the hobby, well, they give me that same sense of satisfaction. Being able to converse at length about the greats of the game that have shuffled off this mortal coil, and compare them to the very best today's game offers-and to do so in an environment that encourages passionate, and intelligent debate..well, that's an added dimension that I couldn't have possibly anticipated when I signed up on this forum. But I am so thankful to have found this place.

Andrew, over time, I know you will find your way, your own little niche. You will learn what you love, what you enjoy, simply by doing, by reading, by asking questions. You will probably change your mind a few times. We've all done it. Just remember that nothing is permanent, so if you buy something, and decide two weeks later to go in a different direction, there are probably other people changing their minds, wanting to go now in the direction that you are leaving. It all evens out. Just keep your mind and your eyes open. Once you find your legs under you, you'll never really look back.

[cubsfan-budman]

The funny thing about "vintage" collecting that *I've* found:

The more you know, the easier it gets. Keep reading Net54. Start building what you feel like you want, then allow it to change over time.

The lucky thing, in my opinion (and in my experience) is that if you're a "deal shopper" you can collect vintage at little to no risk because you can usually offload at the same price you bought.

Obviously, there are booby traps with forgeries...but in my experience, you don't run into those as long as you keep your interests modest. As you gain knowledge, you can open yourself up to those types of things and be able to mitigate the risks.

I see that Mr. Gregory (above) said roughly the same thing.

In short, start with what tickles your fancy. Allow it to evolve. Start modest and grow into an advanced collector. Also, with even a small budget you can complete ANYTHING if you give yourself enough time.

[BicycleSpokes]

The T206 horizontals are a cool little subset that you might consider.

[clydepepper]

Andrew-

I do have a few ideas for you - Within my collection, I have some mini-collections that include:

1.) players born on my birthday
2.) players who have thrown perfect games, had 4-HR games, or turned unassisted triple-plays.
3.) players born in my local area
4.) local professional teams & players who have played locally professionally.
5.) I have tried, in vain, to always get at least one card of everyone who plays at all for the Atlanta Braves, but that gets very discouraging.

6.) At one point, I was attempted to have at least one card of as many Hall-of-Famers as I could, with the caveat that the card had to be issued while the player was active. That gets to be expensive, plus you have to make borderline judgement calls like the T206 McGinnity which showed him as a minor leaguer after his Major League career was over.

There are lots of other ways to divide up the journey...just pick one you like and have fun with it.

[joeadcock]

Go for E cards. Many are fairly affordable and you can get one each of most sets. E107, you'd have to save up 3 to 4 months.