Post your Experience - Built a set, sold it, trying to rebuild

[T_Hamilton]

Just wanted to see if anyone else has been in this boat and has any tips, thoughts, experiences to share.

I spent a few years building a very nice 1941 Play Ball set, which at one time got up to #12 on the set Registry... I sold it to fund playing in Kevin Durant's fantasy camp. Now I miss the set and think I want to rebuild it...

Have you been in this boat? any lessons learned? did you still enjoy building it a second time?

Thanks!

[Snapolit1]

Wow. . .that seems like a lot of work. If I built a set and sold it I'm not sure I could look back and start it again.

Good luck.

[whitehse]

I been in the place where I have built a 1973 Topps baseball set as it was the first set I collected as a kid but decided after I was done that I no longer wanted it and used the funds to move onto my next challenge. It was only after doing some serious reminiscing that I realized how much that 1973 set meant to me and decided to assemble it once again. So here I am working on this set for the third time in my life and enjoying the thrill of the hunt once again.

I have also built a 1955 Bowman set due to the fact that it held a sentimental meaning to me for a crazy reason. I had a classmate in third grade give me a shopping bag full of cards that were her grandfathers (or her fathers....time has taken that part of this memory away from me) and I was so excited I could not stop looking at them even though class had started. I was in a strict Lutheran school at the time and old Mrs. Bickle took the cards away from me and I never saw them again. In that shopping bag was mainly 1955 Bowman cards so I always wanted to complete that set to remove the "what if" from my mind. I assembled 95% of the set with most of the big cards and realized whatever anger I held at my teacher was now gone and I no longer wonder "what if" as I had actually owned these cards. I have since sold off the partial set and have not looked back.

For me at least, the reasoning for needing to rebuild the set after selling it off previously was mostly for sentimental reasons. I have no tips or thoughts to provide other than to say you need to follow your heart and do what you feel is best for you. That is what makes this hobby great.

[T_Hamilton]

Originally Posted by whitehse

I been in the place where I have built a 1973 Topps baseball set as it was the first set I collected as a kid but decided after I was done that I no longer wanted it and used the funds to move onto my next challenge. It was only after doing some serious reminiscing that I realized how much that 1973 set meant to me and decided to assemble it once again. So here I am working on this set for the third time in my life and enjoying the thrill of the hunt once again.

I have also built a 1955 Bowman set due to the fact that it held a sentimental meaning to me for a crazy reason. I had a classmate in third grade give me a shopping bag full of cards that were her grandfathers (or her fathers....time has taken that part of this memory away from me) and I was so excited I could not stop looking at them even though class had started. I was in a strict Lutheran school at the time and old Mrs. Bickle took the cards away from me and I never saw them again. In that shopping bag was mainly 1955 Bowman cards so I always wanted to complete that set to remove the "what if" from my mind. I assembled 95% of the set with most of the big cards and realized whatever anger I held at my teacher was now gone and I no longer wonder "what if" as I had actually owned these cards. I have since sold off the partial set and have not looked back.

For me at least, the reasoning for needing to rebuild the set after selling it off previously was mostly for sentimental reasons. I have no tips or thoughts to provide other than to say you need to follow your heart and do what you feel is best for you. That is what makes this hobby great.

Great advice, thank you for giving me hope...

[conor912]

I think it's important to really think about what you miss. Is it owning the set, or building it. As with anything in life you do for a second time, it would be tragic not to apply what you learned the first time around. Assuming you go at it with the same gusto, you already know exactly what it will cost you in time and money. Is going through that again where the fun lies for you, or does it seem tedious? If the latter then maybe just buy a complete set, upgrade a few, and call it good.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by conor912

I think it's important to really think about what you miss. Is it owning the set, or building it. As with anything in life you do for a second time, it would be tragic not to apply what you learned the first time around. Assuming you go at it with the same gusto, you already know exactly what it will cost you in time and money. Is going through that again where the fun lies for you, or does it seem tedious? If the latter then maybe just buy a complete set, upgrade a few, and call it good.

Good synopsis. For a lot of us the hunting is a lot, or most, of the fun. Once I sold my type card collection I wanted to still collect. So what did I do, start a T205 set sprinkled in with type cards. My guess is that over time the type cards win out.

[Exhibitman]

I've built and sold off the 1954 Topps set two times over the last 40 years. It was always my favorite 'Golden Age' Topps set. The first set was raw and assembled mostly from a few large auction lots and local shows. My #1 Williams came from Goody Goldfadden's store here in LA. I sold that one around 1987, piecemeal. The second set was mostly PSA graded and mostly 6-7. It came from card shows and was mostly self-submitted to PSA. I would sell off the 8-9 cards I got and buy slightly lesser cards with the proceeds. That set got liquidated around ten years ago. Since then I've been rebuilding with decent looking vg-ish cards, with a few better and a few signed, plus a few I still had from prior sets.

My main takeaway from the experience is that if you love the set and want to own it, you eventually end up with a set that is a sweet spot combo of cost and aesthetics, so you may as well decide what you are comfortable with and go there first. For me, I wanted a 1954 collection with decent looking cards that didn't have too much money tied up in them. They're just such beautiful cards

[Ronnie73]

One thing I have finally learned, which took me nearly 35 years is I enjoy the hunt and build of the set. I lose interest when I near completion and usually end up selling it because I'm bored with it. So I decided to collect all Front/Back T206 combo's. There's no chance of getting near completion or getting bored with it. I've never built a set twice if I sold the first one because I remember that I didn't enjoy the first one when it was complete. I do have complete sets of cards and don't even look at them. I spend much more time looking at cards from a set I'm working on. I have 4 complete 1973 Topps sets and one sits in a binder and the other 3 are in 660 count boxes and I don't look at them. Maybe I'll build a set number 5 just because I enjoy the hunt for single cards at card shows. It reminds me of the 1980's and having fun checking cards off of a need list.

[whitehse]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I've built and sold off the 1954 Topps set two times over the last 40 years. It was always my favorite 'Golden Age' Topps set. The first set was raw and assembled mostly from a few large auction lots and local shows. My #1 Williams came from Goody Goldfadden's store here in LA. I sold that one around 1987, piecemeal. The second set was mostly PSA graded and mostly 6-7. It came from card shows and was mostly self-submitted to PSA. I would sell off the 8-9 cards I got and buy slightly lesser cards with the proceeds. That set got liquidated around ten years ago. Since then I've been rebuilding with decent looking vg-ish cards, with a few better and a few signed, plus a few I still had from prior sets.

My main takeaway from the experience is that if you love the set and want to own it, you eventually end up with a set that is a sweet spot combo of cost and aesthetics, so you may as well decide what you are comfortable with and go there first. For me, I wanted a 1954 collection with decent looking cards that didn't have too much money tied up in them. They're just such beautiful cards

I have forgotten how beautiful that '54 Topps set is. Thank you for posting it!!

[steve B]

I had a 48 Bowman set I'd put together. Not in decent shape, mostly beaters. Berra had a yellow jersey, Musial had a nice peel on the front. A couple cards were worn round as well as being waxed for flipping.

Sold it to help pay for a ski trip. I started again a few years later, but trying for nicer cards. I got to a bit over 1/4 of the way and it just sort of stalled. Money, too many other projects etc. Someday....

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Ronnie73

One thing I have finally learned, which took me nearly 35 years is I enjoy the hunt and build of the set. I lose interest when I near completion and usually end up selling it because I'm bored with it. So I decided to collect all Front/Back T206 combo's. There's no chance of getting near completion or getting bored with it. I've never built a set twice if I sold the first one because I remember that I didn't enjoy the first one when it was complete. I do have complete sets of cards and don't even look at them. I spend much more time looking at cards from a set I'm working on. I have 4 complete 1973 Topps sets and one sits in a binder and the other 3 are in 660 count boxes and I don't look at them. Maybe I'll build a set number 5 just because I enjoy the hunt for single cards at card shows. It reminds me of the 1980's and having fun checking cards off of a need list.

As often is said, the hunt is a lot of the fun for a lot of collectors. I think the hunt is probably why I stay with type cards. It is somewhat limitless. And then there is the collecting of cards we just like, which is a category I think a lot of us fall into also.

[Huck]

Originally Posted by whitehse

I been in the place where I have built a 1973 Topps baseball set as it was the first set I collected as a kid but decided after I was done that I no longer wanted it and used the funds to move onto my next challenge. It was only after doing some serious reminiscing that I realized how much that 1973 set meant to me and decided to assemble it once again. So here I am working on this set for the third time in my life and enjoying the thrill of the hunt once again.

Different angle. I do understand the childhood nostalgia. I grew up in Hawaii and 1972 was my big year for baseball cards. I never finished the set. I often wonder was it because (a) my interest had waned and I had moved on to football or (b) the third, fourth and fifth series never made to Hawaii (I have a ton of first and second series cards). In the early '80s the failure of not completing the '72 set, brought me back to the hobby. An added bonus was my Mom never tossed out my cards. I often contemplate finishing the '72 set, but at close to 800 cards and where I am at collecting wise, I don't see it happening. Over the past few years, I have tried to concentrate more on quality as opposed to quantity of cards. Also, I don't know how I would display the entire set.

Variations and high numbers and cost aside; with the internet how hard is it to
complete a standard widely available set? To me, searching ebay is not akin to ripping open wax packs.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by biohazard

Different angle. I do understand the childhood nostalgia. I grew up in Hawaii and 1972 was my big year for baseball cards. I never finished the set. I often wonder was it because (a) my interest had waned and I had moved on to football or (b) the third, fourth and fifth series never made to Hawaii (I have a ton of first and second series cards). In the early '80s the failure of not completing the '72 set, brought me back to the hobby. An added bonus was my Mom never tossed out my cards. I often contemplate finishing the '72 set, but at close to 800 cards and where I am at collecting wise, I don't see it happening. Over the past few years, I have tried to concentrate more on quality as opposed to quantity of cards. Also, I don't know how I would display the entire set.

Variations and high numbers and cost aside; with the internet how hard is it to
complete a standard widely available set? To me, searching ebay is not akin to ripping open wax packs.

Years back I went for a '52-present Topps run. Of all the things to break my spirit, it was the '72 high numbers

[bounce]

I probably have a good story to tell, but still need ONE card to finish my 1956 set. I'll save the story for completion of the set, but in the meantime...

Collecting interests change over time, but if you keep coming back to the same set/cards then those are obviously the ones for you. 1956 Topps is one of those for me.

My advice is this:
1 - Be patient. If you're still coming back again, you're obviously in it for the long haul.
2 - Be disciplined. Don't overspend just because of opportunity, because there will always be another opportunity to acquire the card(s).
3 - Be picky. Don't settle for something you know you won't like, regardless of price. You'll just end up replacing it later.
4 - Enjoy the process. The "goal" is obviously completion, but it is the hunt that's probably the most fun part. That and the people you find that help you out along the way.

I've been working on this set for probably 5+ years now, and I've been one card short for a number of months now. I missed one a few weeks ago, but I'm sure another will come up soon. I'm really looking forward to going through them all again when I find it. Who knows what happens after that, but I could definitely see myself building this set again.

[Huck]

Originally Posted by conor912

Years back I went for a '52-present Topps run. Of all the things to break my spirit, it was the '72 high numbers

Yes, the '72 high numbers can be difficult. After re-entering the hobby and completing the '81 Topps set, I had the same dream of completing earlier sets. The explosion of cards in the late eighties, soured me on set collecting.

[doug.goodman]

I built a complete run of Topps baseball releases from 1948 thru 1992 including all (non print dot) variations.

When I got to a point where the only thing that stopped me from getting the cards I was missing was the finances, I sold the entire run.

Now I aim at more esoteric stuff like the Baseball Magazine supplements (m113 & m114) which aren't completely cataloged so while the chase is most of the fun, sometimes that catch is pretty fun also (like when I found that third different Mantle variation a couple months ago).

Doug (1036 and counting) Goodman

[aljurgela]

But I sold a 1923-1924 Tomas Guitierrez complete set a few years ago. It was a duplicate set that I had assembled over 15 years of upgrading my primary set. I cannot believe how much I "miss" my duplicate set. It is really bizarre the attachment that one can get. I pretty much could recall where I got virtually EVERY card in the set. Crazy.

Also, I am on a quest that will likely never end with a complete set, the 1910 Punch set. I think that I am like 70% done, but like a single card comes up every year or so and most of the time I have it. Like most here, I still love the search, however.

I was never a "set guy", but these sets have provided a lot of joy and challenge, but I typically only focus on a few sets at a time or it becomes too tiring.

[Exhibitman]

I'm with Al on the joy-challenge aspect of it. There are a few issues I chase that have virtually no cards out there and I am lucky to add one a year, but when I do add that one card it is schwing time