All you type card freaks!!

[jimivintage]

So what does one do when one wants everything? ...and has a very limited budget? Go for sets? HOF collection? These are the things I have done for years and I never seem to be satisfied.

I've never tried (or seriously attempted) a type-card set. For a guy on a budget, and wants it all....where do I start? Where did you start before the addiction picked up for you?

T206/t205 backs?
Caramels?
Postcards?

Share your stories and offer some advice!

[steve B]

I'm pretty much the same sort of collector. I like it all, but don't have the budget to consider chasing a set, or most subsets. Or perhaps it's the discipline to only buy one card a month or less that I just don't have.

So what I have is a very eclectic collection. Covering most sports, and from 1887-2012.

I'd call my style "opportunistic collecting" I have stuff I'm currently interested in, but I won't pass up a nice deal on a card or bunch of cards just because it's not what I currently want.

If you have to have a focus, a few ideas -
One card from each decade 1880's till now.
A type set from any one main issuer- Bowman is pretty easy, Goodwin not so easy.
Stuff like that.

Steve B

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by jimivintage

Share your stories and offer some advice!

I'm a set builder at heart, but I started a pre-war type collection about a year ago. My working list is : all the sets listed in old cardbaord.com. I sort of hit a wall at around 75 diferent types. Currently sitting at 82 types. I may have found all the relatively-common-types-that-I-can-afford. It is a great way to learn more about a wide variety of cards, plus you can get a better feel for multiple sets. I've found a handful of pre-war sets that I really liked once I hold a card in person, and am buying more than one card of those types.

Here's where I give you a suggestion for type collecting: Pick one of the acc letter designations and try to collect all of those. That may satisfy your need to build sets, limit your search abit, and also give you a taste of type collecting. I got pretty close to getting all the "R" types - I needed an Uncle Jacks and an R311 leather and some of the wide pen types. Then I decided to limit my cards in size to postcard size and smaller and sold a few of the larger ones, but you get the point.


Tony

[jimivintage]

Originally Posted by tonyo

Here's where I give you a suggestion for type collecting: Pick one of the acc letter designations and try to collect all of those. That may satisfy your need to build sets, limit your search abit, and also give you a taste of type collecting. I got pretty close to getting all the "R" types - I needed an Uncle Jacks and an R311 leather and some of the wide pen types. Then I decided to limit my cards in size to postcard size and smaller and sold a few of the larger ones, but you get the point.


Tony

I was thinking along these lines, but I like so many cards in all these designations. I really like T cards, so perhaps that's the route. The rare stuff scares me!

[Leon]

Yes, there will be a brick wall or two with T cards....Pick some subset you like and go for those. Try not to be too OCD and maybe pick a value limit for yourself. You could go crazy (as I look in the mirror) otherwise. The reason I chose type collecting is I like variety.

[jimivintage]

Well, your recommendations are worth a lot to me, Leon, so what ya think? R-class? T205 backs?

[GregMitch34]

I'm confused, I had thought you were aiming to be a "type" collector and now you're back to collecting set or sub-sets?

[jimivintage]

Not sure what I'm doing yet. I think the idea might be to start by collecting one of each t206 back first, and then branching off after coming close to that task. Or perhaps starting with E cards or R cards first and going from there. No set collecting....at least not in addition what I'm already collecting.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by GregMitch34

I'm confused, I had thought you were aiming to be a "type" collector and now you're back to collecting set or sub-sets?

To me, the beauty of type collecting is you can literally collect anything you want. But that is just the way I see it and others could see it differently.
,
,


Jimi- Maybe you could go to my site or oldcardboard and just try for one from each ACC designation, to start with....so .....1 B card, 1 C card, 1 D card, 1 E, 1 F card etc.... Or just collect whatever you like. For me, I want one of each type card from 1900-1949, backs included and variations included. I used to do 19th century too but it just got to be too much for me.

[jimivintage]

Originally Posted by Leon

Jimi- Maybe you could go to my site or oldcardboard and just try for one from each ACC designation, to start with....so .....1 B card, 1 C card, 1 D card, 1 E, 1 F card etc.... Or just collect whatever you like. For me, I want one of each type card from 1900-1949, backs included and variations included. I used to do 19th century too but it just got to be too much for me.

I love the idea, Leon. I have your site bookmarked already. Just need to sit down and get it organized, and really think about it. I have to be realistic, too. Why was the 19th century too much? Too much money? Too many one of ones?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by jimivintage

I love the idea, Leon. I have your site bookmarked already. Just need to sit down and get it organized, and really think about it. I have to be realistic, too. Why was the 19th century too much? Too much money? Too many one of ones?

I was only 1-2 away from completion on 19th Century but it was the money aspect, along with all of the other things in the 20th century. I am sure some collectors can relate to having a lot of cards and not a lot of cash...that was me (and is again, sort of...but such is life).

[Bocabirdman]

Originally Posted by Leon

To me, the beauty of type collecting is you can literally collect anything you want. But that is just the way I see it and others could see it differently.
,
,


Jimi- Maybe you could go to my site or oldcardboard and just try for one from each ACC designation, to start with....so .....1 B card, 1 C card, 1 D card, 1 E, 1 F card etc.... Or just collect whatever you like. For me, I want one of each type card from 1900-1949, backs included and variations included. I used to do 19th century too but it just got to be too much for me.

I have always considered the term "type collector" to be hobbyspeak for a person that snags what moves him at that particular moment. When he gets the urge to bid on something his options are endless. He can go after what ever there is to go after, if it gives him the "warm fuzzies". Once I shifted my focus to Pre-War, I became a fullblown type collector. It allows me to feed my monkey as often as it needs to fed. If you chase a single set and there are no cards available, then what do you do? wait? I just checked my ebay purchases for the last 60 days. I have scored cards from 26 different issues. 18 Pre-War sets and 8 from the Post War era are represented.

[Bridwell]

Just starting out I'd suggest you pick out a few cards that you really love. Sometimes a certain player or picture will entice me.

When you collect a whole set, you end up buying a lot of unknown players and poor designs. As a type collector you can pick one or two poses from a set that are the best images. Or at least the ones you like. There are some collectors who only have 25-50 pre-war cards but their collections are cool to look at. Choosing cards that you enjoy owning is a great way to go, based on what interests you personally.

[Rickyy]

I basically started with the major T's, Candy and Gum cards then just started collecting what I like from there based on what cards appealed to me in terms of looks...... Using both SCD Std Catalogue of Baseball cards and looking at other collector's information like Leon's. The great thing about type collecting is you can tailor it to your taste and budget and can add or deduct them anytime you want.

Ricky Y

[jimivintage]

Still not sure what I am doing yet, but was looking last night, and I purchased what I thought was a cool looking postcard, and even has McGraw featured on it. Not sure this is the route I'm going yet, but perhaps my type card set will have a HOF theme to it. Collecting HoFers on different cards that I think are cool looking. Heck, I don't know.

[Exhibitman]

Oddball, rare and preferably with a HOFer on it, opportunistically priced when possible.

[jimivintage]

Cool stuff! I really like the Maranville and A's Team?

[dog*dirt]

Originally Posted by jimivintage

Still not sure what I am doing yet, but was looking last night, and I purchased what I thought was a cool looking postcard, and even has McGraw featured on it. Not sure this is the route I'm going yet, but perhaps my type card set will have a HOF theme to it. Collecting HoFers on different cards that I think are cool looking. Heck, I don't know.

There are a number of different variations of the Polo Grounds postcard. Here is mine.

[68Hawk]

I went the marriage route and it has provided 11 years of chase, excitement, disappointment, and passing moments of feeling sated.

With a love of all sports (excepting motor racing and horse racing), and the enjoyment of having a smattering of knowledge of each, I just started collecting knowing I wanted a piece of card depicting it's heroes and sometimes villains.

So I started collecting the superstar names, largely HOF'ers, and learing about them along the way.
But set collecting seemed too limited, too repetitive an artistic depiction for my tastes, so I decided I wanted a type collection of these players with no copy of issue amongst them - or at least year of issue.

As I collected the players I loved or intrigued me across various sports, I purchased 3 penzoni (sic?) frames to hold the cards for display. Each allowing up to 30 standard grading compay holders that is my preferred holder. That finite space gave me limits to my collection I felt/feel reassuring.

In the end, I allocated one entire frame to Baseball that in my case holds 28 players (larger cards of Pete Rose and Sandy Koufax ate space) from across the 19th century to current day. And so, I had to make really stringent decisions on who those players were I wanted to look at every day.

I split one frame between Basketball and Football, and one frame as a catchall to the other sports I wanted represented.

And then, the fun started. Because as I chose each player's 'type' - often their rookie card or scarcer card or most aesthetically pleasing, it removed that type option for a different player who may have played in the same era.

In this way, there are cards you start off loving and having but then replace because you prefer that type on a different player. In that way, I've changed my cobb representative 4 times, my matty 4 times, my cy 3 times etc..
And yet some cards have endured and are the first card I ever purchased of that player. My 51' Bowman Willie Mays was amongst the first 10 cards I ever purchased.

It's been some trip, one I'm awfully close to ending, and one I can really recommend!

[Runscott]

I am NOT a type-card collector; however, ten years ago I was building a collection of all the Nap Rucker and Ed Reulbach cards.

It's really amazing how many cards (and other stuff) individual players have, and it's sort of like type collecting in that it gives you an appreciation for cards you aren't used to holding. Plus, you'll find yourself looking at things like signed documents, photos, baseballs, equipment, etc., etc

[Exhibitman]

That was my experience with my Lefty O'Doul collecting, Scott. I found myself with a de facto type card set of PCL and 1930s MLB issues.

http://imageevent.com/exhibitman/frankleftyodoulcard

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by 68Hawk

That finite space gave me limits to my collection I felt/feel reassuring.

I use a similar method to limit my collection (really to control my spending). A cabinet with several shallow drawers I found at an antique shop holds my hof type collection pre-war to 70's. If a new card doesn't fit in the cabinet, I have to make a decision on which card "gets cut" to make room for the new one

Originally Posted by 68Hawk

And then, the fun started. Because as I chose each player's 'type' - often their rookie card or scarcer card or most aesthetically pleasing, it removed that type option for a different player who may have played in the same era.

I like your idea - basically a set of parameters that keeps the number of cards in your collection in check. I use a different but similar set of parameters:
Post war: late 40's and 50's Leaf, Bowman, Topps regular issues (at least 3 of each set) , and at least 2 of every hofer that played in that time period. Same with 60's topps, same with 70's topps.
Pre-war: as many different types as possible, at least one of each hall of famer. They must fit in the cabinet, so when i finally pick up a Plank or a Wagner for example, they may -depending on space in the cabinet- replace a Frisch (whom I have 8 different) or a Crawford or Hubbell (5 each)

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by dog*dirt

There are a number of different variations of the Polo Grounds postcard. Here is mine.

Very cool... those outfielders are really shallow, or very quick to back up the bases while defending the bunt!


I recently read that book about the 1912 world series... that card really helps bring it to life.

[68Hawk]

They must fit in the cabinet, so when i finally pick up a Plank or a Wagner for example, they may -depending on space in the cabinet- replace a Frisch (whom I have 8 different) or a Crawford or Hubbell (5 each)

That was great!

[jimivintage]

I've always weaved in and out of HoFers...bowing out when I realize I don't have enough money to get their rookie card. How some of you do it, I'll never understand!

So, perhaps this is a time to just start trying to pick up stuff I like the looks of that have HoFers on it, like the McGraw postcard I just got. Maybe itll lead somewhere. I will probably want to finish my e98 set since I'm halfway there. Heck, if I ever decide to break the set up, half the set is HoFers anyway!

[Leon]

Originally Posted by jimivintage

I've always weaved in and out of HoFers...bowing out when I realize I don't have enough money to get their rookie card. How some of you do it, I'll never understand!

We eat very little and live in shoe boxes.


.

[jimivintage]

Originally Posted by Leon

We eat very little and live in shoe boxes.


.

Or make a lot more than me.

[mrvster]

t206

there are so many facets of t206....freaks....backs....hofers....southern leagurers....rarities....teams.....poses...conditi ons..and on and on....

can be very very cheap...or very very expensive

a popular set....a decent investment....and a wide variety to fit any budget..

disclaimer:

i am extremely biased