Collecting sets you can't complete

[Casey2296]

I'm a completionist so I have to be careful with set collecting, it has to be a set I know is a challenge but obtainable with the resources I have.

[Exhibitman]

If you collect certain things, like boxing as Greg noted, or many nonsports sets, foreign sets, etc., defining a set can be a challenge and for all intents and purposes, finishing a set can be impossible. You just accept that it will never be completed and you do the best you can.

One of my favorites is the H815 and related Adam Hats premiums (whether they should all be H815 or H-Unc. and H815 is an academic debate among cataloguers). They were made for store displays in Adam Hats stores and are legitimately a rare issue. No way to know how many there are or who is in them. I'm a handful away from the complete known sports checklist, but they are nearly all baseball (I need Grove, Hubbell, McGraw and boxers Maxie Rosenbloom and Dave Castilloux) so no realistic chance of finding them except by luck. Uncatalogued ones pop up from time to time. Here's the Jack Dempsey and the Raging Bull, Jake LaMotta:

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

If you collect certain things, like boxing as Greg noted, or many nonsports sets, foreign sets, etc., defining a set can be a challenge and for all intents and purposes, finishing a set can be impossible. You just accept that it will never be completed and you do the best you can.

One of my favorites is the H815 and related Adam Hats premiums (whether they should all be H815 or H-Unc. and H815 is an academic debate among cataloguers). They were made for store displays in Adam Hats stores and are legitimately a rare issue. No way to know how many there are or who is in them. I'm a handful away from the complete known sports checklist, but they are nearly all baseball (I need Grove, Hubbell, McGraw and boxers Maxie Rosenbloom and Dave Castilloux) so no realistic chance of finding them except by luck. Uncatalogued ones pop up from time to time. Here's the Jack Dempsey and the Raging Bull, Jake LaMotta:

As usual, I'm late to the dance. Those Adam Hats photos are awesome, sir!

[commishbob]

Originally Posted by Casey2296

I'm a completionist so I have to be careful with set collecting, it has to be a set I know is a challenge but obtainable with the resources I have.

This exactly for me. When I decided to put together a run of Topps sets I chose to go back as far as 1957. The earlier sets had cards I knew were expensive to the point I wouldn't want to chase them.

[ALR-bishop]

Have ultimately given up on these sets and settled for one or two examples

Topps 1955 Stamps
Topps 1961 Dice
Topps 1966 Punch Outs ( not 67s)
Topps 1968 Discs...have 12 ( I do have the two 67 sets )
Topps 1970 Cloth

Have not been able to get even one of these

Topps 1971 Rookie Artists Proofs

Need one 67 Stand Up and two 55 Hocus Focus to finish those, and 3 of the 1971 Topps Winners. And time is running out

Also need 3 1950 Bowman no copyright cards and a bunch of the 1923 Fleer cards ( but do have Ruth)

[carlsonjok]

Originally Posted by commishbob

This exactly for me. When I decided to put together a run of Topps sets I chose to go back as far as 1957. The earlier sets had cards I knew were expensive to the point I wouldn't want to chase them.

This is exactly me with regard to the main part of my collecting focus. Although my cutoff was 1955 and it probably should have been a year later. The pain I felt dishing out for the Clemente RC wasn't offset by the feeling of accomplishment I got from completing the set.

Now, with regard to my signed 1960-1963 Fleer sets, I know I will never be complete and that is okay. It isn't my primary focus and I went in with that understanding.

[Zach Wheat]

1932 Fleer Whiz Bang. It is unknown how many cards are in the complete set as only 83 cards are known, all of which were found together. There is only 1 card known of Ed Brendel (non-baseball), which makes completing the set almost impossible. In addition, there are 3 others where only 2 are known.

The other set is a complete run of 1952 mid-series gray backs of which there are 60, not including some of the variations. I am in the mid to upper 30's by card count with over a dozen duplicates.

Some gray backs seem to be super rare and have not figured out why....