Post your Experience - Built a set, sold it, trying to rebuild

[conor912]

Originally Posted by biohazard

Different angle. I do understand the childhood nostalgia. I grew up in Hawaii and 1972 was my big year for baseball cards. I never finished the set. I often wonder was it because (a) my interest had waned and I had moved on to football or (b) the third, fourth and fifth series never made to Hawaii (I have a ton of first and second series cards). In the early '80s the failure of not completing the '72 set, brought me back to the hobby. An added bonus was my Mom never tossed out my cards. I often contemplate finishing the '72 set, but at close to 800 cards and where I am at collecting wise, I don't see it happening. Over the past few years, I have tried to concentrate more on quality as opposed to quantity of cards. Also, I don't know how I would display the entire set.

Variations and high numbers and cost aside; with the internet how hard is it to
complete a standard widely available set? To me, searching ebay is not akin to ripping open wax packs.

Years back I went for a '52-present Topps run. Of all the things to break my spirit, it was the '72 high numbers

[bounce]

I probably have a good story to tell, but still need ONE card to finish my 1956 set. I'll save the story for completion of the set, but in the meantime...

Collecting interests change over time, but if you keep coming back to the same set/cards then those are obviously the ones for you. 1956 Topps is one of those for me.

My advice is this:
1 - Be patient. If you're still coming back again, you're obviously in it for the long haul.
2 - Be disciplined. Don't overspend just because of opportunity, because there will always be another opportunity to acquire the card(s).
3 - Be picky. Don't settle for something you know you won't like, regardless of price. You'll just end up replacing it later.
4 - Enjoy the process. The "goal" is obviously completion, but it is the hunt that's probably the most fun part. That and the people you find that help you out along the way.

I've been working on this set for probably 5+ years now, and I've been one card short for a number of months now. I missed one a few weeks ago, but I'm sure another will come up soon. I'm really looking forward to going through them all again when I find it. Who knows what happens after that, but I could definitely see myself building this set again.

[Huck]

Originally Posted by conor912

Years back I went for a '52-present Topps run. Of all the things to break my spirit, it was the '72 high numbers

Yes, the '72 high numbers can be difficult. After re-entering the hobby and completing the '81 Topps set, I had the same dream of completing earlier sets. The explosion of cards in the late eighties, soured me on set collecting.

[doug.goodman]

I built a complete run of Topps baseball releases from 1948 thru 1992 including all (non print dot) variations.

When I got to a point where the only thing that stopped me from getting the cards I was missing was the finances, I sold the entire run.

Now I aim at more esoteric stuff like the Baseball Magazine supplements (m113 & m114) which aren't completely cataloged so while the chase is most of the fun, sometimes that catch is pretty fun also (like when I found that third different Mantle variation a couple months ago).

Doug (1036 and counting) Goodman

[aljurgela]

But I sold a 1923-1924 Tomas Guitierrez complete set a few years ago. It was a duplicate set that I had assembled over 15 years of upgrading my primary set. I cannot believe how much I "miss" my duplicate set. It is really bizarre the attachment that one can get. I pretty much could recall where I got virtually EVERY card in the set. Crazy.

Also, I am on a quest that will likely never end with a complete set, the 1910 Punch set. I think that I am like 70% done, but like a single card comes up every year or so and most of the time I have it. Like most here, I still love the search, however.

I was never a "set guy", but these sets have provided a lot of joy and challenge, but I typically only focus on a few sets at a time or it becomes too tiring.

[Exhibitman]

I'm with Al on the joy-challenge aspect of it. There are a few issues I chase that have virtually no cards out there and I am lucky to add one a year, but when I do add that one card it is schwing time