How does one put together a t206 set?

FrankWakefield · #1 01-11-2015, 04:27 PM

The idea that you should do what works for you, and what you enjoy, makes sense. Hold that as a touchstone.

Unless you buy a set or near set, you're setting out on a long term endeavor. It will test your patience and sticktoitness.

Consider ignoring the Becket numbers and collecting / sorting by team, and then alphabetically. That's how the cards were sorted by kids a hundred years ago, and also by the early collectors. Maybe pick a team and try to complete that team. That way to can attain several successes / milestones as you journey toward completion.

Storage of slabbed cards can be a pain, when compared to natural cards. And, you can gather more natural cards than you can slabbed cards with the same amount of money; so going natural can get you farther along quicker. Even if you chase the natural cards you may well find yourself occasionally getting a graded card because you can find it while there's no such natural card to be found. Then, do you break it out? I do much of the time. Or do you leave it slabbed? I still have a few that I've yet to liberate. Most collectors never break out a graded card.

A good aspect of gathering natural cards is that you can sort a team by series, and see the evolution of the series, the changes in uniforms, and poses. Easy to see with cards side by side. Not so easy when cards are in slabs.

If you're going to sell the cards in a few years, then you maybe should lean toward graded cards. If you're going to keep them a while, it shouldn't matter.

Learn to spot trimmed cards. You need to reach a point where you can discern them even in an eBay photo. Even if you're ok with them being in your collection, you should still be aware of what they are.

High quality natural cards are a bit of a pain, you don't want to handle them so much that they acquire dings and lose value. A G to VG natural card, with good color and registration, is a joy to hold.

So think about acquiring cards in a way so that you can have occasional success points. Keep a list of the cards, date the acquisition and giving it a number. It's neat to see how long it takes you to get half of the cards, 300 cards, then 400, then 450, then 500. I think I got to 513 different fronts before I sold a bunch...

Maybe ignore all of that, and only collect Polar Bear cards... especially if that's what you want to collect!!!

Wish you well with it.

iwantitiwinit · #2 01-11-2015, 04:49 PM

How does one put together a t206 set?

With patience and cash.

wolf441 · #3 01-11-2015, 06:35 PM

How does one put together a t206 set?

"Practice, baby.....Practice."

Econteachert205 · #4 01-11-2015, 07:13 PM

I've been told it is like eating an elephant; one bite at a time.

bbcard1 · #5 01-11-2015, 07:21 PM

I had a good start when I embarked...I had bought a lot of 100+ lower grade cards for $100 in the 80s. I had at one time had a goal of having one contemporaneous card of each hall of famer and the T206 set fit nicely with that so I was probably half way there when I started. I started with the goal of having only one pose of each player in the set and settling for any full card and I just started checking them off. Next thing you know I had decided to go with all the 518...and then I picked up a low grade Demmitt St. L. A little at a time, I clicked them off. Had a couple of large trades with Marc and one with Teddy Z. My set is now technically low grade but overall pleasing and I continue to upgrade a little at a time. It is a relationship set...the only set that I have found that I will take out and look through again and again. I expect I have about $15K in mine (thanks in large part to my head start which included a Cobb, a couple Mattys and probably 200 others.

Luke · #6 01-11-2015, 07:42 PM

There have been a bunch of threads like this in the last few years (and when I joined, I started my own just like this). Using the search function will turn up some really good advice. I've given some long, drawn out answers before, but will keep this one short.

I think it's really important to either:

1. Have $20k sitting around to spend (or large monthly budget)
2. Work on it in phases.

When I started with a small budget and no focus, it just felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. I'd spend like $250 on a group of say 15 commons, and then my budget was gone for the month, and I was still 430 (or whatever large number) away from completion. I would break it into smaller projects so that you can feel some satisfaction of completing them. That could be teams, series, or subsets like portraits, HOFers, SLers etc.

I gave up after awhile because it just was taking way too long, and really wasn't that much fun. Now I just collect the cards I like. I think someday I may go for 520, but I have no plans to at the moment.

The best advice I got when I started was to get the HOFers first. That way, if you decide to sell them, it will be easy and you won't be stuck with a bunch of commons.

Go into it expecting that your preferences may change. I have changed direction a half dozen times in the last 5 years. But I still love the set, and I'm buying more than ever.

Good luck.

tonyo · #7 01-11-2015, 08:29 PM

When I started about 5 years ago I was going for 150 subject backs only . That was my way of biting a smaller chunk. Then the monster tried to get me to quit and I sold those. When I started again I went with Luke's method and collected only hofers . That method stuck and once I got nearly all the hofers , something clicked and I decidecd to go for the set. Even though I was pretty obsessed and collecting lower grade, it still took about 2 years between getting the hofers and reaching 519 then another year to the day to score an Ohara stl that fit.

its been over a year since I hit 520 and am still improving.

Jantz · #8 01-11-2015, 08:32 PM

Starting a T206 set is easy...stopping is the hard part!

Condition, backs, graded or ungraded the choice is yours.

The only advice I have for you is to buy the HOFers or SLers first, that way if you change your mind and decide not to complete the set, its easier to sell off those cards than commons.

Hope this helps

Jantz

mansco · #9 01-11-2015, 08:48 PM

I am very close to finishing a decent graded set. I'd suggest you spend some time up front and decide what quality you want when you're done. It is not an easy task. I did graded with the focus on PSA 5s. It has not been easy. You will find that there are many common cards that are not easy to find. It takes patience and persistence. I would imagine raw would be easier. Whatever approach you choose, enjoy, have fun. Remember the fun is in the pursuit.

Regardless of the whether you go for HOFers or Southern Leaguers or any other subset first, I'd strongly suggest deciding the grade first. Upgrading is expensive!