New Diamond Stars Collector

[Big Six]

After years of collecting post-war cards, I am dipping my toe in to the pre-war waters...set of choice is 1934-36 Diamond Stars and just picked up my first card, #55 Tony Cuccinello. This is also the reason I just signed up for Net54...

I'm working on a number of sets, most of which I knowingly won't be able to complete in this or any other lifetime. I'm going to try and keep this Diamond Stars set in mid-grade (i.e. PSA 5 or 6) to keep it managable. Considering I have a limited amount of disposable income, goal will be to pick up one card a month for guys under a $100...after that, will probably be a card every two or three months as the prices go up. I was able to get Tony for $37...

Anything I should know about for this set (other than how miserably broke I'll be when I attempt to get the high numbers)? Thanks for everyone's time and I hope to learn a thing or two from you guys...

[rdixon1208]

Welcome to the board. Diamond Stars is a nice choice. I personally think the set in underrated. The HOFers are also very reasonably priced in my opinion. My only advice would be to not focus too much on the technical grade assigned by PSA etc. If you look hard enough you will find cards that are every bit as nice as what you're looking for in a 4 holder, or raw for that matter. You won't have to pay as much for those. Conversely, if you're looking for a great deal, you will find plenty of cards in a 5 holder that should probably be a 4. You'll get those for less than other nicer 5's, but you're really just paying for the holder. Good luck.

[Orioles1954]

Great choice that shows some originality! I would tackle the high numbers first and the rest will be gravy!

[bbcard1]

Agreed that it is a great choice. They are one of the most classically beautiful sets of all time. I recently picked up a nice raw Terry for $40 or so. It is one of those sets I have not decided to tackle, but might one day.

[tbob]

Originally Posted by rdixon1208

Welcome to the board. Diamond Stars is a nice choice. I personally think the set in underrated. The HOFers are also very reasonably priced in my opinion. My only advice would be to not focus too much on the technical grade assigned by PSA etc. If you look hard enough you will find cards that are every bit as nice as what you're looking for in a 4 holder, or raw for that matter. You won't have to pay as much for those. Conversely, if you're looking for a great deal, you will find plenty of cards in a 5 holder that should probably be a 4. You'll get those for less than other nicer 5's, but you're really just paying for the holder. Good luck.

+1.
Also, look for the chance to buy these cards in groups to reduce the price per card.

[T206DK]

Welcome to a great board ! I also collect this set and think it's fantastic as far as the look of the artwork and the player selection. I have 72 cards to go to complete my set. I don't know if I'll get them all graded or not yet.

[WWGjohn]

Go to oldcardboard.com and you can order back issues.

John

[leftygrove10]

Originally Posted by Big Six

Goal will be to pick up one card a month for guys under a $100...after that, will probably be a card every two or three months as the prices go up.

Good luck with that! I started off the same way, trying to buy just one card a month. I ended up completing the set in 3 months or so. It is VERY ADDICTIVE! The high numbers are not that bad to find, so don't be afraid of them. Just don't pay hundreds of dollars for them when you can be patient and find them via eBay auction for much cheaper.

You can view my Diamond Stars set at the link below. It is certainly my favorite pre-war set.

http://www.bandkgreen.net/diamond_stars

[53Browns]

If you're going for the complete set, don't forget the Cuyler variations and the Greenberg error variation as well.

[tbob]

You might consider the possibility of buying some of the cards in "multi-card lots" either on eBay or through online auctions. Since you are starting from scratch this might be a good way of obtaining a lot of the cards relatively cheaply and in a hurry.
Good luck and welcome to the board. It's a nice set and undepriced.
tbob

[ethicsprof]

welcome aboard!!!
as a 'type' collector who tries desperately to buy just one per type,
i have rogers hornsby.
as one of my stars framed for the office, he always gets alot of attention from those who come by--a real beaut.

best,
barry

[ChiefBenderForever]

Total pre pop-art style set that is extremely underated due to the lack of Ruth or Gehrig. Have fun and enjoy putting this together. I spent 10 years slowly putting together the 34 Goudey set and it was a lot of fun !

[Big Six]

fresh from the mail box...#58 Glenn Myatt...love the mask "falling"...

[wrapperguy]

Excellent choice! The art deco style is fantastic with great color. Loved the set so much I went back and am only 4 cards away from a master set with all the different back variations. Good luck, and I will check my dupes to see if I can help!

[Big Six]

With only 106 cards to go, I am truly excited to be working on this set. Thanks for the kind words everyone...

[Big Six]

I've been spending a lot of time (and $) on my 1954 Topps project and I've also started trying to wrap up what little I have left of my 1959 Topps project, too. Not to be forgotten, been pecking away at my Diamond Stars project and here's what I have so far...just picked up two more which I'll post next week when they're in hand!

[Big Six]

still need 94...

[hangman62]

Im also trying to complete the 30s DiamondStar set, Its a great and colorful set.... been at it for about 2 yrs and now down to the last 6 cards..all high #s..they are tough.
Im putting my set together in lesser cond, I have quite a few extars avail for trade including - HOFers - Lopez,Hornsby,Jackson,Averill,Waner,etc..along with about 15 others.
Im pretty sure nobody has extra 30s DiamStar Hi#s for trade..but Im always interested in ANY - 33G,30s Batter Up, 40s Double Play,30s G heads up, 30s40s Play Ball in lower grade
Ral G

[PolarBear]

Best looking set of the 30's in my opinion. Too bad it is missing some of the major stars.

[Tomman1961]

I have found that you can get a nice jump by buying a lot. I have about 15 cards to go to completion. I find that in the common low numbers, there are some harder to get at a "cheap" price. For example, #4, 6.8,53,72,79,and 80 do not come up on eBay as much as others.Just my experience.Here's a nice debate.Is your set complete without the Na$ty hi-number$? Same card front. A master set has to have the front variations like the Greenberg and Lombardi $pelling$ and Mahaffey, Babich........

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by Tomman1961

I have found that you can get a nice jump by buying a lot. I have about 15 cards to go to completion. I find that in the common low numbers, there are some harder to get at a "cheap" price. For example, #4, 6.8,53,72,79,and 80 do not come up on eBay as much as others.Just my experience.Here's a nice debate.Is your set complete without the Na$ty hi-number$? Same card front. A master set has to have the front variations like the Greenberg and Lombardi $pelling$ and Mahaffey, Babich........

Thanks for the note Tomman1961...only a few months in and this set is certainly proving a challenge as you alluded to above. It seems like certain cards are readily available in nice condition and very inexpensive (Red Lucas and Cliff Bolton come immediately to mind!). Others...well not so much.
I am inclined to be happy if I only get the low numbers for this set...I really could care less if I have the hi #'s since they are duplicate fronts to what exist in the low #s. It would be nice if I could find some lots to consider, but because I'm looking at mid- to high-grade with emphasis on centering, I'm afraid I'd get some of what I want in the lot but a lot that falls outside my standards. Dare I say I'm becoming a cardboard snob...ugh.
As for this set missing the Ruth and Gehrig, that is one of the reasons I was drawn to the set...beautiful cards, no cards completely out of my financial reach (Grove and Greenburg/Greenberg notwithstanding) and, believe it or not, I beleive this set has the highest percentage of Hall of Famers of any set in the 1930's. While I would love to own a Ruth and/or a Gehrig, I would hate to have them standing in the way of my compelting a set...in this case, I'm aiming for PSA 5-6 in quality...a similar graded Ruth or Gehrig is going to go for several thousand dollars. Right now, the worst card I'm looking at is a $600-900 Greenberg/Greenburg (don't care which I get).
Now for my sad story...I have been lucky enough to knock out some really nicely centered PSA 6's of Hornsby, Traynor and Foxx and had been on the lookout for a nice Ott...I finally found one and negotiated a fair price. It arrived this week and, thanks to our friends at the USPS, the case was cracked...badly. The folks I bought it from have been very good so far and it's been sent back. Hopeing they can resubmit and the card itself wasn't damaged. We'll see...

[leftygrove10]

Originally Posted by Big Six

Considering I have a limited amount of disposable income, goal will be to pick up one card a month for guys under a $100...after that, will probably be a card every two or three months as the prices go up.

I think I told you that collecting this set is additive. You already have 88 cards... You are proceeding a lot quicker than you originally anticipated. That's sort of the way it happened for me. I had the whole set complete within a matter of months, but wanted to take years to do it....

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by leftygrove10

I think I told you that collecting this set is additive. You already have 88 cards... You are proceeding a lot quicker than you originally anticipated. That's sort of the way it happened for me. I had the whole set complete within a matter of months, but wanted to take years to do it....

Thanks Lefty...I actually NEED 87, though...someday.

[leftygrove10]

Originally Posted by Big Six

Thanks Lefty...I actually NEED 87, though...someday.

Oops... I see.... You are counting backwards.... Did you start counting at 96 or at 108?

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by leftygrove10

Oops... I see.... You are counting backwards.... Did you start counting at 96 or at 108?

Fortunately, or unfortunately, 108...I also see myself loosening up my requirements...it started as strict PSA 6...I've dropped to 5 and I could see myself doing nice 4's for the Greenberg/Greenburg and Grove...we'll see. I do love the set though and just love reading the write ups...thanks for following the quest. Matt

[keating3620]

Matt,

I inherited my dad's diamond stars. He had 75 of the 96. He was 11 years old in 1934. I completed the set in raw cards last year. Not leaving well enough alone I started to build a second set of the 108 in PSA 4-5. Still need about 10-12 cards. Cool looking set. Even though my dad's cards are poor-good they are worth more to me than the PSA 5's (especially since he got the 75 cards for a total of 75 cents!).

John

[jdeptula]

Matt,

I've enjoyed following your thread and it's motivated me to start putting together a low grade raw diamond stars set. I'm 41 in and getting addicted. I too was in westchester today and picked up a bunch at very reasonable prices. I don't think I've ever said that about a westchester show.

I agree with you on the high numbers(97-108). To me they are just variations since they have the same fronts as earlier releases. 96 different fronts and I'm done.

Joe

[Big Six]

Thanks for the kind words, Jonathan and Joe. The Diamond Stars set is really cool - at least for me - in that even the commons don't "feel" common. I mean, check out the detail of the dugout on Wally Berger's card...or the "action" of Glenn Myatt's falling catcher's mask...just a great set all around...

[Big Six]

Couldn't pass this one up...thanks for a smooth transaction Brian Van Horn...



small pin hole in the neck, but will look nice in an SGC holder in my set. Any idea if this would earn a 10 or 20, or just an Authentic...regardless, I like it for it's relative brightness and decent centering...

[conor912]

Originally Posted by Big Six

Couldn't pass this one up...thanks for a smooth transaction Brian Van Horn...



small pin hole in the neck, but will look nice in an SGC holder in my set. Any idea if this would earn a 10 or 20, or just an Authentic...regardless, I like it for it's relative brightness and decent centering...

wow. great color on that one. if it's just the pinhole and all else is kosher (no trim, etc), my guess would be a 20.

[Big Six]

Thanks to the recently completed Sterling auction...I give you Marvin Owen...see below for Wikipedia's bio of Owen if you want to know more about him...



From Wikipedia...

Marvin James Owen (March 22, 1906 – June 22, 1991) was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball. He played nine seasons in the American League with the Detroit Tigers (1931; 1933–37), Chicago White Sox (1938–39), and Boston Red Sox (1940).

Owen was born in Agnew, California (now part of Santa Clara) and played high school baseball at Bellarmine College Preparatory and college baseball for the Santa Clara Broncos. After he joined the Tigers in 1931, Owen played a full season in the minor leagues before rejoining the team in 1933.

The Detroit infield in the mid-1930s was one of the best-hitting combinations in MLB history. With Hank Greenberg at first, Charlie Gehringer at second, Billy Rogell at shortstop, and Owen at third, the 1934 Tigers infield collected 769 hits (214 by Gehringer, 201 by Greenberg, 179 by Owen and 175 by Rogell), 462 RBIs (139 by Greenberg, 127 by Gehringer, 100 by Rogell, and 96 by Owen), 179 doubles (63 by Greenberg, 50 by Gehringer, 34 by Owen and 32 by Rogell). Three members of the 1934 Tigers infield (Gehringer, Owen and Rogell) played in all 154 games, and the fourth (Greenberg) played in 153. Led by the hard hitting infield, the Tigers won the American League in both 1934 and 1935.

In Game 7 of the 1934 World Series at Navin Field, Joe Medwick tripled in the 6th inning with the score 7–0. On the play, Owen was knocked down by a hard slide at third and both players fought. The incident and subsequent fan reaction toward Medwick forced Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis to remove Medwick from the game. Owen batted just .069 (2-29) in the Series and would again bat a lowly .050 (1-20) in the 1935 World Series, in which the Tigers defeated the Chicago Cubs in six games. He managed to set a post-season record of most consecutive plate appearances between hits (31).

In 1936, Owen batted .295 with 105 RBI. He was traded to the White Sox before the 1938 season and finished his playing career with the Red Sox in 1940. During his career, he batted .275 in 1,011 games with 1,040 hits and 31 home runs.

Owen was also a good fielder, leading American League third baseman in putouts in 1934 (202) and 1936 (190). No Tiger third baseman since 1934 has had as many putouts as Owen's 202 in 1934. Owen also led AL third basemen in fielding percentage in 1937 (.970) and in double plays in 1936 (28). Owen was involved in a career high 33 double plays at third base in 1934. His career high in assists was 305 in 1938 with the White Sox.

Owen died at age 85 in Mountain View, California, having suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

[BigBeerGut]

Art-Deco for life!!

R327 is bosshog

[RCMcKenzie]

There are so many aspects to this set when you look at the backs. This one notes that Whitehead pitched for the Dallas Steers in 1934.

I like how the jersey blends with the border like a Cracker Jack. I don't have a lot of these, but it's a great set...