If you could make the Big 3 into the Big 4, what set are you adding?

[ValKehl]

Originally Posted by JimC

Val, piggybacking onto your points I'd personally consider the M101s and related sets. Ruth rookie is as good a headliner as you could want. Also real photos. Also virtually impossible due to all the back variations but doable if you just want a card of every player. (Maybe excuse a set that's missing the Babe.) Plus, I would rather collect the 1900s/10s/20s era guys than the 1870s and 80s players. More what we consider baseball today and more players recognizable to the average fan. Nothing against N172s. They're incredible. However, the common cards are a lot more expensive so it's probably not as accessible to most collectors.

And we haven't even mentioned the greatest set of all - - D304.

Jim, I'm with you in that M101-4/5 is one of my "Big 4 sets" (even though I'm not a set collector). IIRC, the only major star of that time period that is missing from this set is Matty.

The following are my personal choices for the"Big 4 sets":
- N172 - Surely, Goodwin & Co.'s success with the first very large baseball set would have influenced the ATC to issue its very large T206 set.
- M101-4/5 - Real photos of the players. All the major stars of the era are included, except Matty. Lots of different ad backs, some quite scarce, which enhances collector interest, just like the T206 set.
- E121-80/W575-1 and all the related issues with all the different ad backs. Same reasons for inclusion as for M101-4/5.
- 1957 Topps - First set (IIRC) to be issued in the now-standard 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" size. First Topps set to have real color photos of the players.

Jim, if I were to list my "Top 25 sets," I might be able to bring myself to include the D304 set.