What Constitutes A "Master Set" Today?
 

Collecting sets from the 1930's to the 1990's it was possible to include all variations and errors to assemble a "master set"

These days, with the proliferation of base set variations, 1/1 auto's and patches etc. is it even possible to consider something a "master set"?

What would you end a master set at with a high degree of satisfaction?

Almost impossible to qualify and certainly impossible to complete a modern set these days with supper short prints, cards #'s to 1/5 or 1/1, and all of the cards that might potentially be rare because they are signed.

Since this is a vintage Forum I'll speak for a set I'm currently working on.
1919-21 W514 Baseball Strip card set is widely recognized to have 120 cards. There are 4 variations in this set, (team changes) which brings the Master Set total to 124. Fairly confident that no other variations to this set will be unearthed with 100+ years having gone by.

Someone once said here that every thread needs a pic.
RayB

Leads to the age old question of what is a "variation"? Intentional print variation? Mistakes?

For most modern set collectors, parallels of the base set are not usually considered part of the master set.

Like for Allen & Ginter (not Ginter Chrome or Ginter X - two other sets that reprint ginter on chrome stock or where the cards are black), a 2025 collector would likely call this a Master Set:
Base set 1-350
EXT Mini set 351-400 (usually - some years they get these wrong)
All base Mini framed autos & regular sized autos (usually, these have different people on them)
All base mini framed memorabilia cards
All base insert/subset/mini subset cards, even boxtoppers
All Rip Cards, and now oversized Triple Rip cards - these are what the EXT Mini set come out of, as well as numbered autos (Parallel, so doesn't count), sketches (1/1 so don't count, not checklisted), stained glass minis (Parallel, so doesn't count), and micro mini parallels (don't count).

At least, that's what I would consider a Master Set of Ginter.

It's absolutely impossible with any set that includes Jersey cards. For example I classify each of these Ryan Miller cards as a different card:

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...b6fdd193f7.png

That's why I have a whole sheet of my 2003-04 Pacific Titanium binder devoted to those Ryan Miller cards.

:)

I made the mistake of collecting Cubs from the 2016 Allen Ginter set. I got waaaaaay too into it and well...I will never go full in on modern A&G again. Don't get me wrong, I love the set, but I am the wrong personality type to limit myself to something like just base cards.

*nervously looks around the room* I'm not alone here am I?

Walter Johnson
 

Wow! That is a beauty!!!

I couldn't imagine a master set being possible in todays age . . . last master set I did was my 1959 Topps with all variations (errors and gray/white backs). I stick mainly to pre 1975 stuff for that reason.

Is that a set you collected as a kid?

Do you have all the insert/promo cards, salesman's sample card, the various different wrappers and display box as well?

:confused:

I did a master run of Topps from 1948 thru 1991 (maybe 1992, I forget).

I was missing a few 1952 high numbers, and all the obvious impossible to get inserts (dice game, etc.).

https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.co...comes-auction/

The answer to your original question is that what constitutes a master set today is the same as what constituted a master set yesterday, with the addition of anything discovered since then.

I would go so far as to say that master sets are relatively easy to put together ON ANY BUDGET as long as you have patience.

Doug