Posted By:
RayI was in the same boat a few years ago. I started collecting them in August of 2003. I bought my first one the weekend of the big blackout on the east coast. I now have about 115.
What worked: research is the key to happiness and success in this journey. i started out buying commons, mostly fair to poor shape. I handled them. I learned as much as i could about the set. as i got comfortable, i started buying HOF cards.
What i did that i would change: In the beginning, i was too focused on trying to get as many backs as possible. i missed out on some good deals because the cards had piedmont or sweet caporal backs. As my set grows, the backs mean less and less to me.
The key to completing it is research. If you don't do your research and see what's real, what's fake, what's trimmed, etc... you'll get burned and that kills the fun... which in turn kills the collecting experience.
Hope that helps...
Ray