Putting together vintage sets

[Eric72]

I'm only actively collecting two sets, although I'll also pick up other cards along the way.

T206 is a set I'll likely never actually complete; however, each and every card is a joy to acquire. So, I'm collecting them without the expectation of putting together a set. Let's leave T206 aside and talk about the other set.

I will complete 1956 Topps Baseball. That's 342 cards, including the two checklists. I'm a little more than halfway there. I've got Mantle, Jackie, Mays, Aaron, Koufax, Berra, and Kaline, among others. So, from a cost perspective, I'm even closer to being done.

At the beginning of this journey, I only had the Mantle. Not a bad start, to be sure, but that was only one card. It got me thinking, though. I've got the most expensive card. Why not pick up some other '56 Topps and see where it goes? I started picking up some small lots and a few cheaper singles. Before too long, I had well over 100 cards...but Mantle was still the only major star.

Right at the beginning of the pandemic, I shifted my focus. Rather than "checking off boxes" by buying more commons and minor stars, I decided to go after the HOFers. In the spring of 2020, before the boom, I bought a Jackie Robinson. My next purchases were Berra, Aaron, Koufax, and Mays and Kaline. I've also picked a few other HOFers (like Warren Spahn) along the way.

So, it has been quality over quantity lately. Best decision I've ever made, from a card collecting standpoint. Once I've got the Hall of Famers and checklists, I'll fill in the rest of the set. This is definitely the best way (for me) to build a set.

[Exhibitman]

Hey, Matt, me too. For years, I've not bothered with commons.

I am close to the T206 portraits of HOFers (obv. not Wags or Plank and no green Cobb either), just two lower tier guys to go and I am in no hurry.

[Fred]

I started working on a 1940 Play Ball set about 40+ years ago. I'm down to less than 10 cards (out of 240). I kept telling myself I'd get the Jackson and DiMaggio cards but never did. Now those are the two that are going to be a pain in the rear to find a decent deal on them. I'm going to complete the set because at this point, it just doesn't make sense not to. The set is nice because it has players from earlier eras (Matty, Wagner, Jackson and others) and the current era (at that time).

T201 is probably the easiest set for T-cards and if you would like to have a set that's over a hundred years old. I'll guess that E91 shouldn't be too bad.

One set that's over 50 years old that is easy is the 1969 Deckle Edge set.

Overall, I think set collecting for some of the vintage sets is not economically feasible for a lot of "collectors/hobbyist", these days.

[anchorednw]

I also have been working on a T200 Fatima team card set over the past 2 years. I love this set as it's only 16 cards and is packed with plenty of HOFers and is like collecting a 250 card set from 1913. And because every thread needs a card...

[brianp-beme]

I just posted a thread about a set (kinda) that I just finished. Check it out. It might possibly be the least enjoyable 3 minutes of hobby written word you have ever encountered, but who knows, you might be the type to enjoy it.

https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=342274

russell'srustlersplayingcards 001.jpg


Brian (this is the type of set completion that seems doable for me nowadays)

[molenick]

I am working on three sets: DeLong, Diamond Stars, Wilson Franks. Delong and Wilson Franks are small and theoretically, I could finish them one day. I am pretty sure I will never finish Diamond Stars, but I have always liked the look of that set and will continue to work on it.

Honestly, sometimes the best thing that can happen is that you start a set and then abandon it. Then you can just sell all the cards you have (maybe keeping a couple of your favorites) and use that money towards something else.

When not working on the sets, I amuse myself with type collecting, cdvs, and cabinets.

[steve B]

I'm in a phase I get into periodically.
I can't get past T206 commons in VG being almost 100 bucks.
And many of the cards I still need have gotten way out of reach not only prewar, but postwar too. I'm fairly close to a few postwar sets, but there's always that one card....

So I get into my weird and cheap stuff I like from the junkwax era.
And collecting stuff like 49 Leaf virtually by saving scans of the various different varieties.

[midmo]

I've never been much of a set builder but since my want list is getting too tough or expensive I have started putting mid grade early Topps binder sets together. I've finished 1953 & 1956. Getting close with 57-60. I won't attempt 52.

I think the only pre-war set I've ever completed is DeLong. Have been thinking about E95 only because I already have the Cobb and Wagner. Doubt I'll ever attempt anything larger.

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by Eric72

I will complete 1956 Topps Baseball. That's 342 cards, including the two checklists.

Or 544 cards if you want to use the checklist I used...