Anyone ever attempt a complete Topps vintage run?

[hawaiian bam bam]

Anyone ever attempt a complete Topps vintage run from 1951-1979 and a Bowman run from 1948-1955? That’s a whopping 17,890 vintage cards! Anyone ever attempt it?

[55koufax]

I know of a Los Angeles area collector who completed this run UNgraded.
Likely Spence and the big names (Crandall, Merkel, Louchis, etc) have done it all graded. I assume this can be checked out on the PSA Registry.

I know I have completed about 60% of the 60's in all PSA graded sets.
" " " 75% " 70's " "

Problem is, I have only completed about 10% of the 50's. Anyone wanna assist?

[G1911]

I'm doing it right now, 22 years into the project that I started with my Dad when I was 9 years old.

1948-1955 Bowman - 95.75% done
1950's Topps - 96.37% done (1952 highs are most of it)
1960's Topps- 96.11% done
1970-1975 Topps (+1974 Traded + 1975 Mini) - 94.05% done (mostly 1975's to go)
1976-1979 I'm not doing.

1973 is the end of 'classic' Topps in my eyes as the end of series distribution provides at least some significant change to draw the cutoff line at.

On top of these base sets I'm building all variations, stock varieties, and recurring print defects.

I will never finish because I'm unwilling to pony up $25K+ for a second year double printed Mantle card.

[BRoberts]

Ted Z. can confirm, but I think he has completed every major baseball set from 1933 to the late 1970s.

[Scott L.]

Jim Crandall used to be a frequent poster here. Wonder what happened to him and his quest for 100 sets in PSA 8 or whatever it was. It was pretty incredible.

[hawaiian bam bam]

That’s Awesome!

Also, what size binders do you guys recommend for storing vintage topps sets a 1” or 3” D ring binder? Thanks

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by Scott L.

Jim Crandall used to be a frequent poster here. Wonder what happened to him and his quest for 100 sets in PSA 8 or whatever it was. It was pretty incredible.

Jim's doing fine, We chat about music on Facebook quite a bit.

Rich

[tedzan]

Originally Posted by BRoberts

Ted Z. can confirm, but I think he has completed every major baseball set from 1933 to the late 1970s.

Hi Bill

I will confirm......

In the past 40+ years....I have completed all these sets......

1887 ALLEN & GINTER N28
1888 ALLEN & GINTER N29
1888 GOODWIN CHAMPIONS N162 (2 sets)
E90-1 AMERICAN CARAMEL set
T201 set
T205 set
T206 (521-card set, plus MAGIE)
T206 (520-card set)
T206 (all PIEDMONT)(519-cards....missing Wagner, Plank, Joe Doyle)
T206 (all SOVEREIGN)(408-cards COMPLETE)
T206 (all SWEET CAPORAL Factory #30)(468-cards....missing only Wagner)
1927 W560 set
1933 GOUDEY
1934 GOUDEY
1939 PLAY BALL
1940 PLAY BALL
1941 PLAY BALL (2 sets)
1947 BOND BREAD
1948 BLUE TINT Set (R346)
1948 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1949 LEAF
1949 BOWMAN (24 sets)
1949 BOWMAN PCL (2 sets)
1950 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1951 BOWMAN
1952 BOWMAN
1953 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1954 BOWMAN
1955 BOWMAN
1959 FLEER Ted Williams set (2 sets)
1952 TOPPS....525-cards (need 30 Gray-backs to complete a Master Set)
1953 TOPPS > > 1965 TOPPS, 1966 TOPPS (2 sets)
1967 > > 1987 TOPPS

1981 > > 1987DONRUSS and FLEER sets.

Plus 1948 BOWMAN Football (108-card set), 1952 BOWMAN FB (near complete), 1948 LEAF Boxing (49-card set).


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

[Casey2296]

Holy crap Ted! Amazing.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by tedzan

Hi Bill

I will confirm......

In the past 40+ years....I have completed all these sets......

1887 ALLEN & GINTER N28
1888 ALLEN & GINTER N29
1888 GOODWIN CHAMPIONS N162 (2 sets)
T206 (521-card set, plus MAGIE)
T206 (520-card set)
T206 (all PIEDMONT)(519-cards....missing Wagner, Plank, Joe Doyle)
T206 (all SOVEREIGN)(408-cards COMPLETE)
T206 (all SWEET CAPORAL Factory #30)(468-cards....missing only Wagner)
1933 GOUDEY
1934 GOUDEY
1939 PLAY BALL
1940 PLAY BALL
1941 PLAY BALL (2 sets)
1947 BOND BREAD
1948 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1949 LEAF
1949 BOWMAN (24 sets)
1950 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1951 BOWMAN
1952 BOWMAN
1953 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1954 BOWMAN
1955 BOWMAN
1959 FLEER Ted Williams set (2 sets)
1952 TOPPS....525-cards (need 30 Gray-backs to complete a Master Set)
1953 TOPPS > > 1965 TOPPS, 1966 TOPPS (2 sets)
1967 > > 1987 TOPPS

1981 > > 1987DONRUSS and FLEER sets.

Plus 1948 BOWMAN Football (108-card set), 1952 BOWMAN FB (near complete), 1948 LEAF Boxing (49-card set).


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

Holy crap. That is an insane resume. Whenever I feel like my collection is entering bad-ass territory, there’s always someone here to cut me down a size

What’s sad is that this kind of collection will never be possible again for the non-billionaire. Whenever I see feats like this I have to remind myself that these collections were put together when cards were much cheaper than they are today.

[jcmtiger]

Originally Posted by tedzan

Hi Bill

I will confirm......

In the past 40+ years....I have completed all these sets......

1887 ALLEN & GINTER N28
1888 ALLEN & GINTER N29
1888 GOODWIN CHAMPIONS N162 (2 sets)
E90-1 AMERICAN CARAMEL set
T201 set
T205 set
T206 (521-card set, plus MAGIE)
T206 (520-card set)
T206 (all PIEDMONT)(519-cards....missing Wagner, Plank, Joe Doyle)
T206 (all SOVEREIGN)(408-cards COMPLETE)
T206 (all SWEET CAPORAL Factory #30)(468-cards....missing only Wagner)
1927 W560 set
1933 GOUDEY
1934 GOUDEY
1939 PLAY BALL
1940 PLAY BALL
1941 PLAY BALL (2 sets)
1947 BOND BREAD
1948 BLUE TINT Set (R346)
1948 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1949 LEAF
1949 BOWMAN (24 sets)
1949 BOWMAN PCL (2 sets)
1950 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1951 BOWMAN
1952 BOWMAN
1953 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1954 BOWMAN
1955 BOWMAN
1959 FLEER Ted Williams set (2 sets)
1952 TOPPS....525-cards (need 30 Gray-backs to complete a Master Set)
1953 TOPPS > > 1965 TOPPS, 1966 TOPPS (2 sets)
1967 > > 1987 TOPPS

1981 > > 1987DONRUSS and FLEER sets.

Plus 1948 BOWMAN Football (108-card set), 1952 BOWMAN FB (near complete), 1948 LEAF Boxing (49-card set).


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

Still have all those, amazing

[BRoberts]

Originally Posted by tedzan

Hi Bill

I will confirm......

In the past 40+ years....I have completed all these sets......

1887 ALLEN & GINTER N28
1888 ALLEN & GINTER N29
1888 GOODWIN CHAMPIONS N162 (2 sets)
E90-1 AMERICAN CARAMEL set
T201 set
T205 set
T206 (521-card set, plus MAGIE)
T206 (520-card set)
T206 (all PIEDMONT)(519-cards....missing Wagner, Plank, Joe Doyle)
T206 (all SOVEREIGN)(408-cards COMPLETE)
T206 (all SWEET CAPORAL Factory #30)(468-cards....missing only Wagner)
1927 W560 set
1933 GOUDEY
1934 GOUDEY
1939 PLAY BALL
1940 PLAY BALL
1941 PLAY BALL (2 sets)
1947 BOND BREAD
1948 BLUE TINT Set (R346)
1948 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1949 LEAF
1949 BOWMAN (24 sets)
1949 BOWMAN PCL (2 sets)
1950 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1951 BOWMAN
1952 BOWMAN
1953 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1954 BOWMAN
1955 BOWMAN
1959 FLEER Ted Williams set (2 sets)
1952 TOPPS....525-cards (need 30 Gray-backs to complete a Master Set)
1953 TOPPS > > 1965 TOPPS, 1966 TOPPS (2 sets)
1967 > > 1987 TOPPS

1981 > > 1987DONRUSS and FLEER sets.

Plus 1948 BOWMAN Football (108-card set), 1952 BOWMAN FB (near complete), 1948 LEAF Boxing (49-card set).


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

Great job Ted. Do you still own all of those? What a collection that must be!

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by G1911

I'm doing it right now, 22 years into the project that I started with my Dad when I was 9 years old.

1948-1955 Bowman - 95.75% done
1950's Topps - 96.37% done (1952 highs are most of it)
1960's Topps- 96.11% done
1970-1975 Topps (+1974 Traded + 1975 Mini) - 94.05% done (mostly 1975's to go)
1976-1979 I'm not doing.

1973 is the end of 'classic' Topps in my eyes as the end of series distribution provides at least some significant change to draw the cutoff line at.

On top of these base sets I'm building all variations, stock varieties, and recurring print defects.

I will never finish because I'm unwilling to pony up $25K+ for a second year double printed Mantle card.

Hats off, that is awesome! And even cooler that you started at 9 as a project with your dad. I hope you compete the run

[jefferyepayne]

Very impressive fellas!

I was planning to finish a baseball run of vintage leaf, bowman, topps after completing my run of nationally distributed, mainstream football cards produced between 1888-1988 - 101 years of football cards - but got so addicted to pre-war and vintage football that I never got around to finishing the baseball run. I was probably 1/2 way there when I stopped.

At this point, I think I'll just live vicariously through you all on the baseball side of things.

jeff

[Casey2296]

I dipped my toe in pre-war set collecting, it's a brutal business. Hats off to any set collectors no matter the era.

[riggs336]

Yes. Not bragging, just old.

I should say I do not have the 1951 Current All Stars Konstanty, Roberts and Stanky...so I am not quite complete.

[conor912]

I attempted it once. The ‘72 hi #s ruined it for me.

[savedfrommyspokes]

Finished the Topps run by completing my 52 Topps set in March 2021. For the Bowman run, I am missing 45 of the 48s (okay, I haven't started), nearly 200 of the 49s, 3 51s, 3 53s and 1 54. Unfortunately, the missing cards include the 51 and 54 Mantle cards and the 51 Mays card. It has taken me 20 years of buying and selling to be able to get as far as I have...based on current market conditions, I don't feel I will be able to finish the Bowman run.

[jcmtiger]

Great Job you guys.. not me, but had complete sets 1967 - 1996 Topps & whatever Donruss or Fleer had. Got into memoribilia. I did have 1951 Topps Red & blue sets.. all Detroit Tiger sets 1952 & up. Lol

[Collectorsince62]

I'm complete back to '48. I always assumed there were lots of others but maybe not.

[jcmtiger]

Originally Posted by Collectorsince62

I'm complete back to '48. I always assumed there were lots of others but maybe not.

Great job

[jcmtiger]

Originally Posted by conor912

I attempted it once. The ‘72 hi #s ruined it for me.

Had all the complete sets 1967 & up. At one time