Question for you set builders

[kailes2872]

Robert,
I am a set builder and have done it 4 primary ways.

1.) Buy the complete set. I did this for quite a few of the 70's sets and most of the 60's sets. My standard is no creases, trimmed, or writing. I target the stars in Ex to ExMT and then attempt to have the commons look similar. In these cases, there are usually less than 20 upgrades needed.

2.) Buy a distressed complete set - especially with the stars. This was the case for 1959. I had to upgrade over 120 cards including the majority of the stars and HOFers. What looked like a nice deal at $1200, turned into a $4000 all-in exercise s I got all of the stars and HOFers in at least PSA 6 with several in PSA 7 as well. In the end, it was a 9 month labor of love and one of my favorites in my collection.

3.) Build card by painful card. I did this with '67. It seemed like a good idea at the time. This was pretty early in the process and I was learning on the fly. I spent too much for low number commons and did not buy high enough quality Aaron, Mays, Clemente, Mantle, Rose, etc. By the time I got to the high numbers, I was about $1600 in and thinking that I was making good progress. 2 grand later, I had my Seaver, Carew, Robinson, Red Sox, John, Cash, and the rest of those painful high numbers. I still walk with a limp and speak with a twitch. After putting so much into those (I bought graded examples of all of the key ones), I decided to go back and upgrade the aforementioned Aaron, Mays, Clemente, Mantle, Rose, etc. into PSA 7 and 6 examples. This started when I spent $90 on a lower graded low number lot - of which I might have used 10-15 cards. It was a lesson in sunken costs, as I would not just admit the mistake and buy the set in full. It is one of my favorites sets now, however, after all of the time, energy and money that I put into it. I built 56 card by card with a 100+ starter lot that needed about a third upgraded. Again, it is an expensive proposition, but the set (now 3 short) is beautiful with all of the HOFers graded as a 6 or higher and over 50 graded cards in total.

4.) Buy near sets with nearly all of the commons accounted for and in nice condition. This is the approach that I took for '55 and 54. I would want the big dogs slabbed anyway, so it doesn't bother me that I don't get them - as I would just upgrade them and put the others into my doubles piles (and I have a tough time parting with my doubles so it would just be extra cost). This allows me the opportunity to avoid buying the commons card by card and getting some value in bulk, but still being able to have it customized to how I want it to look. The challenge now is being paitient to find the right Clemente, Banks, Mays, etc - as I have an overwhelming urge to get them complete as soon as possible.


My hope is to never have to sell. However, if there is an emergency and I need to liquidate, I think about what sells well in the AH catalogues and PWCC - A nice mid-grade set with several of the key stars in slabs. If I have the stars and 6's and 7's, then I assume that the rest of the raw cards will naturally be in that condition as well. I know that I have way more into the card than I would be able to get out (especially with the juice), but I feel like this would be the best possible way to maximize. It also allows me then opportunity to put my lower grade doubles in the '59 back into the binder and then sell the graded stars one by one if that is the best way to maximize the return. Again, I hope that i never have to do this, but I want to try to keep everything as close to liquid as possible in a worst case scenario.

Best of luck!