Anyone ever attempt a complete Topps vintage run?

[BRoberts]

Originally Posted by tedzan

Hi Bill

I will confirm......

In the past 40+ years....I have completed all these sets......

1887 ALLEN & GINTER N28
1888 ALLEN & GINTER N29
1888 GOODWIN CHAMPIONS N162 (2 sets)
E90-1 AMERICAN CARAMEL set
T201 set
T205 set
T206 (521-card set, plus MAGIE)
T206 (520-card set)
T206 (all PIEDMONT)(519-cards....missing Wagner, Plank, Joe Doyle)
T206 (all SOVEREIGN)(408-cards COMPLETE)
T206 (all SWEET CAPORAL Factory #30)(468-cards....missing only Wagner)
1927 W560 set
1933 GOUDEY
1934 GOUDEY
1939 PLAY BALL
1940 PLAY BALL
1941 PLAY BALL (2 sets)
1947 BOND BREAD
1948 BLUE TINT Set (R346)
1948 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1949 LEAF
1949 BOWMAN (24 sets)
1949 BOWMAN PCL (2 sets)
1950 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1951 BOWMAN
1952 BOWMAN
1953 BOWMAN (2 sets)
1954 BOWMAN
1955 BOWMAN
1959 FLEER Ted Williams set (2 sets)
1952 TOPPS....525-cards (need 30 Gray-backs to complete a Master Set)
1953 TOPPS > > 1965 TOPPS, 1966 TOPPS (2 sets)
1967 > > 1987 TOPPS

1981 > > 1987DONRUSS and FLEER sets.

Plus 1948 BOWMAN Football (108-card set), 1952 BOWMAN FB (near complete), 1948 LEAF Boxing (49-card set).


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

Great job Ted. Do you still own all of those? What a collection that must be!

[IndyDave]

I guess when I discovered this hobby in the early to mid 1970's at 14-15 years old and bought my first checklist book that started with 1948 Bowman, that was always the goal. Try go get all of them. My childhood collection started with 1966 Topps. Those first checklist books had me loving some of the older cards.

I mostly picked away at that for a few decades, kind of stepped away for about 15 years when I got married and had my son. I still went to the occasional show and tried to buy cards, but didn't actively search for them. About five years ago when my son graduated college I got a lot more serious about getting back in to the hobby.

At this point what I don't have complete are:

BOWMAN

1948 - never really tried. Only have a few. Don't even have a want list.

1949 - bought a huge lot at the National in 2021. Still need 47 cards including Paige, Doby and Musial

1950 - need Spahn, Jackie, Newk, Yogi, Campy and Ashburn.

1953 Black and White - need Stengel

TOPPS

1951 - need most of the Blues and have only one All-Star. Reds are complete.

1952 - finished the low number run this week (or will once Willie arrives). Have maybe 4 of 5 high numbers. Not sure I ever see this one getting done.

I've turned to the 1955 doubleheaders as my next challenge. Have always liked those cards. Need most of the 1964 standup single prints.

I don't think I would ever try to take this project on now, especially building all of them individually without buying any complete sets.

I was fortunate to graduate college in the early 1980's and was able to build my collection then (even off my starting salary of $15k per year), I could buy lots of 100 cards of most of the older sets at shows. I've told the story of needing to be convinced by a dealer at one of the Troy Hilton shows to buy a 100 card brick of 1958 Topps (wrapped in saran wrap) with Hank Aaron on top for $20.

Like anyone who has been this hobby for decades, I have regrets about not buying some of the star cards earlier, but I also recognize I got a lot of cards purchased for what are now bargain prices. Until I jumped back in the hobby in earnest 5 years ago, I had not paid more than $200 for any single card in my collection. That's changed since then - thinking rookies of Rose, Wilt, Bill Russell. 1951 Bowman Mantle, 1952 Topps Mays, 1954 Bowman Williams, one of the T 206 Cy Youngs (for my Cleveland collection) and I'm sure others I've forgotten.

[homerunhitter]

Lately I’ve been think the id rather have four quarters versus one hundred Pennies theory might be the smarter move meaning I’d rather have maybe 100 really cool expensive HOF cards versus 48,000 topps commons!(collecting completed sets) example having a 1955 topps Clemente versus a complete 1970 topps set or having a 1954 topps Hank Aaron vs having complete sets from 1975-1979 or having a 1968 Nolan Ryan vs a 1968 complete set. You get the point! What do you think? Quality vs quantity wins?

[gonefishin]

I've been working on the base sets for well over 30 years (yes I'm slow). About 10 years ago I gave my daughter the master sets from 70-79, and I continued to work on the 48-69. Unfortunately, I sold my 51 Bowman set and my 52 #311 Mantle about 6 years ago. I wish I had kept them now, as I probably won't be able to ever afford another 52 Mantle.

Upgrading and set completion keeps me busy in retirement! I probably will never get them all done as I'm constantly upgrading and chasing commons. That's a GOOD thing!

Yes, I still collect a few of the newer cards as it kind of keeps me in touch; Pujols auto rookie, Verlander Auto Rookie, Molina, Cabreara, etc. I can't just live in a vintage bubble entirely as there are some fantastic modern players that could compete with anyone of any era.

[gonefishin]

I hate to post back to back, but I failed to ask a very important question. Did everyone keep their duplicates? I ask because I rarely sell a vintage card and kept all my duplicates, which I'm trying to organize now. Any suggestions other than just sell them?

[Hxcmilkshake]

Originally Posted by gonefishin

I hate to post back to back, but I failed to ask a very important question. Did everyone keep their duplicates? I ask because I rarely sell a vintage card and kept all my duplicates, which I'm trying to organize now. Any suggestions other than just sell them?

I always sell mine to either upgrade or work on a new one. Like I'm doing with 57 baseball. Mickey below has got to go!!!!!

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

[ALR-bishop]

No matter how much physical love that card gets the little guy in the background survives 😊

[refz]

I think it’s great seeing and hearing what you people have accomplished, major kudos! Me? I’m turned off by set collecting for many reasons, I have a 1948 Bowman complete set only to my name. But my father.. I love the man, and thank him for getting me into this hobby but when it came to set collecting when I was a lad it was his way of the highway, I had no say. So I rolled my eyes at some of the vintage sets he put together back in the day where I would have attacked differently, and when I officially threw the towel in is back in 1992, I was grounded for whatever reason and he had me put together what seemed like 100 Topps gold winner sets. (My punishment) I’m serious.

Danny

[Marchillo]

Not as impressive as most people on this list -

Topps only 1952-2022 (Haven't done 2022 Series 2 yet)

1952 - 34.9% Complete
1953 - 50.4% Complete
1954-1959 - 93.5% Complete
1960's - 89.7% Complete
1970's-2020's - 100% Complete minus Alex Gordon's infamous rookie card whether or not some collectors count that one

Sets complete from earlier decades are 56,57,63,68 and I'm one away on 54 (Aaron RC).