What Draws You to the Set(s) or Player(s) you collect?
 

Im sure theres bound to be as many reasons as there are sets and players, so I was curious to see what first made you decide to collect the set(s) and/or player(s) you collect? For me, as a kid, tobacco cards were something only "advanced" older collectors could afford. That, and the fact that, at that time, I had no idea who those players on the cards were. Strangely enough, now thats what draws me to them. I have learned to enjoy the history of the game that these cards depict, as well as a newfound respect for these relative "unknown" players that paved the way for today's "prima donna" millionaires, who wouldnt know what to do if they had to go out and get a "real job" in the off season. Oops...soapbox moment. Sorry! :p

Im a new collector and I set out to collect pre-war cards but after getting a few T206 cards I decided then and there that it was the only set I care to work on. The set just struck me as beautiful and the dead ball era was baseball's greatest period to me.

For some reason I have collected more Giants players than any other so I suppose I am accidently putting together a Giants team set :)

I collect Rube Waddell, because I am drawn to the fact that he is one of the all time eccentric characters in baseball history.

I am also drawn to the sets I am collecting, most notably 1933 and 1934 Goudeys for a couple reasons:

1) - I love the design of both sets
2) - Both sets are loaded with Hall of Famers
3) - Most of the cards are readily available in mid-grade for me to purchase which makes the set attainable for to to complete.

The oldest set that I am currently working on is 1954 Bowman, I am up to about 2/3rds of the set. For me it is an iconic set, I love the design, the mix of the player, and the affordability of the cards!

Is the art great? I love the artwork on some of the T series cards. I picked up some of the T118s because the art was so nice:

http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/p...TT/T118/24.jpg

Is the set an iconic one in the card collecting pantheon? I'm with Sy Berger on 1954 Topps, which was his favorite set of all time. I started collecting that one when I was a kid. Ditto T206. And I am fascinated by arcade cards, so I specialize in Exhibit cards:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...bsize/Groh.jpg

Is the player interesting? I find Lefty O'Doul to have had a fascinating career so I collect his stuff.

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...%20ODoul_1.jpg

Do I admire the person? I also collect Barney Ross stuff because of what a person he was. Barney Ross (December 23, 1909 – January 17, 1967), born Beryl David Rosofsky, was a world champion boxer in three weight divisions and decorated veteran of World War II. In retirement in his early thirties, Ross enlisted in the United States Marine Corps to fight in World War II. The Marines wanted to keep him stateside and use his celebrity status to boost morale. Most of the athletes of the era like heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey had ceremonial roles in the military, but Ross insisted on fighting for his country. He was sent to Guadalcanal in the South Pacific. One night, he and three other Marines were trapped under enemy fire. All four were wounded; Ross was the only one able to fight. Ross gathered his comrades' rifles and grenades and single-handedly fought nearly two dozen Japanese soldiers over an entire night, killing them all by morning. Two of the Marines died, but he carried the third on his shoulders to safety; the other man weighed 230 lb compared to Ross' 140 lb. Ross was awarded America's third highest military honor, the Silver Star, as well as a Presidential Citation. As one of America's greatest "celebrity" war heroes, he was honored by President Roosevelt in a Rose Garden ceremony.

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...20contract.jpg

My first pre-war card was a T206 Johnny Bates. From there I started to work on the set. As time went on, I sold of what I had of the set to pursue other pre-war interests. Now I have come back to the Monster again....this time for good.

I find the T206 issue has all the qualities I like a set to have:

1. Aesthetics: The artwork on the cards is amazing. The sunset backgrounds really stand out.

2. History: The Deadball Era is my favorite period of MLB history. The T206 set contains players from the era who were in the twilight of their careers, current stars/commons, and minor leaguers who were just starting out.

3. Collectability: So many options are available to the T206 collector. Along with pursuing a 519 card version of the set, I'm also "working" on seven different sub-sets (backs, MA born, HOF members, Polar Bear, portraits, stamped backs, and sunsets.) No need to purchase multiple cards , just insert cards from the main set and you're good to go.