Introduction and a question on which cards are "Must Haves"

[Clark7781]

Gentlepeople:

Greeting from the Commonwealth of Virginia. I am new to the site and this is my first post. I have been visiting over the past week awaiting account activation, and am happy to be a member of the forum.

I am a 34 year old married father of one son (5 yrs old) who is just starting to show an interest in the hobby - but he only wants to collect Chase Utley cards, his favorite player.

I have been collecting since I was a child, but during college and as a young man starting his career, money for my hobby was hard to come by. I now find myself in a financial situation where I can spend some money adding to my collection.

I have a deep love for the old tobacco cards, but my pockets are not as deep as I would like to go after them full bore.

So here is my question: What are the four or five "must have" cards for someone who collects early 20th century (pre-WWII) baseball cards? I'm thinking that I can spend about $1000 to $1500 for each of these cards; I'm not a condition prude, so lower grade cards are ok with me.

Any opinions are greatly appreciated, and I thank you for your time. I look forward to corresponding with many of you in the future.

Regards,

Paul
Fairfax County, VA