what is YOUR collecting style? Your 5 favorite sets?

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Posted By: Julie

Kelly, Radbourne, Hoy, Ewing...I mean, I can't resist a card of any of them, if I see one I can (even almost) afford. So I'll probably never GET all the 19th century HOFers...

Favorite sets:

I haven't really tried to get a set in the last 18 years, but when a certain number of cards fall together, I start looking out for the rest of them.So I have all the Scrapps, even though it's not my favorite 19th century set.
And almost all the T202s, even though they're beginning to bore me stiff. I also love the N162s, and will probably get all the baseball players.

In naming my favorite sets, I necessarily have to leave out sets I have no cards from! I'd probably spend all my life over the N167s, the N173s, G and Bs--but I don't happen to have any!

SO: Of the cards I have ANY of:

1) Old Judge--if you're collecting 19th century players, it's practical to collect the set with the most. I love black and white photography, and once in a while the Old Judge really makes something beautiful. And the almost infinite number of intense, casual, mock-lively, sentimental, ordinary photos of 19th century players...great.

2) A35--the Goodwin Round Album. Put out while the Old Judge was being published, it's almost the opposite: gorgeous colors, delicate portraits, huge, round. And where else can you get 4 HOFers on one card? My A35 Kelly is the only card of which Bob ever said "Hey--that's a beautiful card!". he hates baseballl cards..

3) N300 Mayo--not all of them, but some: the Nichols, the Hamilton, the Ewing--what beautiful portraits!

4) The Harpers Woodcuts--such great engravings, put in their historical perspective. Reading the backs is almost as interesting as looking at the pictures! Maybe we need more than one umpire--could it be? Oh--where else can you find 4 HOFers together? The 1874 Chicagos, with Spaulding, the Wrights and Connor. And the 1885 Champions, with 5 or 6.

5) 1869 Peck and Snyder Cincinnati Red Stockings. It's not the team, it's not that they were all paid, it's not that they didn't lose a game for a year--it's that little man on the back!!! The most fantastic ad I ever saw.

6) Sorry: I can't leave out the S.F. Hess N338-2 Ewing. The only card I have in the set!

Honorable mention: 1953 Bowman Color...