Areas of focus

[KenBoyerCollector]

I like to open packs and look at and read the cards. Earlier this year, I opened my first case — 2011 Bowman Draft. Sold pretty much everything since then to recoup costs and then some. Made a couple hundred dollars off the case. Took the money and bought vintage for my PC. I don't remember the last time I paid for anything out of pocket. My modern collection is paying for my vintage collection plus grading fees. I also invested in some 2012 Bowman Chrome Cardinal prospects (Oscar Taveras and Carlos Martinez) that I plan to sell at the opportune time to fund my vintage PC.

For me, modern allows me to open packs while still building up my vintage PC

Andy

[tiger8mush]

For those of you with player collections:
1) What did you use as your checklist?
2) How do you organize?

A year or so ago I started a Rickey Henderson master set and have picked up MANY duplicates. I found it easier to put a single copy of each card into a box, in order. The duplicates I also have ordered but in many other boxes.

Rob

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by tiger8mush

For those of you with player collections:
1) What did you use as your checklist?
2) How do you organize?

A year or so ago I started a Rickey Henderson master set and have picked up MANY duplicates. I found it easier to put a single copy of each card into a box, in order. The duplicates I also have ordered but in many other boxes.

Rob

For my Larkin collection I got a Larkin master checklist from beckett.com about two years ago. If I remember correctly, you have to subscribe to the online price guide to get the checklists. I think I probably got a one month subscription.

I keep my collection in plastic sheets in a 5" binder, grouped by years. I'm about to bust out of that one though - will need a six inch binder soon.

Tony

[DaClyde]

Originally Posted by tiger8mush

For those of you with player collections:
1) What did you use as your checklist?
2) How do you organize?

A year or so ago I started a Rickey Henderson master set and have picked up MANY duplicates. I found it easier to put a single copy of each card into a box, in order. The duplicates I also have ordered but in many other boxes.

Rob

I started with Beckett for the checklist, but now I use the Inventory Manager at SportsCardForum. With the players I collect that spent lots of time in the minors and overseas, Beckett's usefulness quickly ran out since they pay little attention to either of those areas. For purely selfish reasons, I volunteered to help out on SCF's system to fill in the gaps so I could properly document my own collection. It will never be the "bible" of the hobby but, at least for modern cards, it makes a great checklist.

As for organization, I still pretty much stick with pages and binders for anything that fits. To be honest, anything that doesn't fit is lying around in stacks on any available flat surface.

[cwazzy]

I collect anything and everything Roy Campanella. I don't care if it's a base card or a game-used card. If it's out there I want it. So if anyone here has some available let me know and maybe we can work something out.

[bsuttonosu]

Originally Posted by tiger8mush

For those of you with player collections:
1) What did you use as your checklist?
2) How do you organize?

A year or so ago I started a Rickey Henderson master set and have picked up MANY duplicates. I found it easier to put a single copy of each card into a box, in order. The duplicates I also have ordered but in many other boxes.

Rob

I collect George Brett cards (from his playing years only) and, like the others mentioned, started my checklist with Beckett's on-line tool. But you can't stop there. I've added hundreds of cards to the checklist over the years by gathering info from message boards, other player collectors and just running across items at shows or on eBay. If you're collecting someone like Henderson (or Brett for me) and you come across any set from his playing days he's usually in it. Sharing checklists with collectors of other contemporary players can give you a good benchmark for sets you might find your cards in.

For storage, I go with the large semi-rigid holders in a graded valut box. You can get about 400 of those in a box and they're easy to store. Plus the large semi-rigids allow you to store larger format cards and odd size items. All the cards are in the box in the order they are on my checklist so I can find them. Then I have a binder for the truly oversized items.