Request for help 'defining' pre-WWII sets for my HOF collection

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by atomic175

Yes, OMG, I dont have that kind of cash to buy every card of every HOFer!! Maybe someday... Right now I have ~25 pre-WWII era players covered and only a couple players where I have more than one card so Im only displaying one of each player (and will trade/sell the other).

Got it. I would consider postcards also like Howard suggested. That way you could knock out 3-4 HOFers with one 4-on-1 exhibit, see below. List looks good, you could also consider some other Candy or Bread issues to fill in.
-

[atomic175]

Thanks Phil! Nice card you have there too!

[Cmvorce]

Your list looks really solid. I’ve embarked on a somewhat similar journey, going back a little further and expanded beyond the HOF to include notable players who didn’t quite make it, and am trying to stick to:

N172 Old Judge
N175 Gypsy Queen
N28 and N29 Allen & Ginter
N162 Goodwin Champions
Just So (damn Jesse Burkett)
N300 Mayo Cut Plug
E90 American Caramel
T206
T212 Obak
E91 American Caramel
T205
T207
E145 Cracker Jack
W515
E121 American Caramel
E220 National Caramel
E120 American Caramel
Zeenut
1933 Goudey
1934 Goudey
1934 Diamond Stars
1938 Goudey Heads Up (damn Rudy York)
1939-1941 Play Ball

[ValKehl]

Shawn, I suggest adding the following to your list of sets:

- 1916 M101-4/5 with Sporting News and several other advertising backs.

- Many of these "E" card sets, as listed on the Old Cardboard web site: https://oldcardboard.com/cardSetList.asp?GroupID=3

[Wanaselja]

Originally Posted by ValKehl

Shawn, I suggest adding the following to your list of sets:

- 1916 M101-4/5 with Sporting News and several other advertising backs.

- Many of these "E" card sets, as listed on the Old Cardboard web site: https://oldcardboard.com/cardSetList.asp?GroupID=3

I was going to suggest the M101-4/5 as well.

[ASF123]

3) I am on a budget - no dropping thousands on each card (yea, I know good luck on the Ruth).

I'm actually working on a very similar project, also as a mid-40s "returning collector." I took care of the Ruth a few months ago with a 1932 Sanella, and I'm very happy I did. They've gone up since then but are still ridiculously affordable compared to the competition. If your definition doesn't include German margarine issues, I recommend creating a loophole.

[steve B]

A couple other suggestions, although you might not think of them as "cards" they are pretty close to what you want esthetically.

The S74 Silks. Not cardboard, but roughly card sized. Mostly similar to T205s, but a bit of a different look.


A somewhat bigger stretch
B18 blankets. A bit big, but comparable to exhibits, so maybe? one or two might help with the budget..

Piedmont art stamps are also about card size, so they wouldn't look out of place in the display. But they're pretty tough, so you might find the players in other sets before you find one.

[UKCardGuy]

I'd add 1929 R316 Kashin to the list.

[atomic175]

Thanks everyone for the advice and thoughts today! I looked into several of these new suggestions and here are some reactions:

M101 4/5 - I am really glad you all suggested this. I think it fits very well with the style of collection I am putting together and I had not done any research on it until today. It also has a very nice list of HOFers.

R316 Kashin - This is a nice checklist with 33 HOFers so would make some sense. Size is reasonably close to other sets I am collecting too so would display well. And the 1929 year is attractive too since I dont currently have a set from that year on my list.

Silks/Blankets - Thanks for the suggestion but I think for now I may make these an emergency only set. Mostly just because I am a newbie and dont really know how to evaluate them. I do see the point on the budget though, especially if "frayed" and why it might be a good solution for a Cobb/Young on a budget.

cmvorce, thanks for sharing your list! Definitely would love to do the N series cards someday! Interesting that our lists are so similar post 1900. I really like the look/design of the T212 Obaks but unfortunately with no HOFers I wasnt able to add. Sounds like it works well for your expanded list though. I like your inclusion of the E220s, and I almost added them to my list too but ultimately decided to stick to the american caramels during those years. Might revisit that to include E220s too.