What do I collect?

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Posted By: Joe

I am one of those people who has a hard time focusing my collection so that it has a theme. Does anyone have any suggestions as what to do? I like to collect pre war and am facinated by it, but I just want everything. I would really like to have a theme but cannot decide on it. Please help! With any suggestions.

Joe

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Posted By: Brian

I found some folks through learning the history of early baseball (books, SABR, Ken Burns, etc). My collecting focus followed my studies so to speak. I guess thats how a kid from Kentucky ends up collecting turn of the century PCL...

I find if I can tie collecting to learning, the cards mean more. Also, I tried to find vintage that were under collected (Zeenuts come to mind). Generally these are more cost effective.

I also pick up caramels with solid red or sky backgrounds -- because my wife likes them.

Best,

Brian

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Posted By: joe maples

Hi, when I started collecting years ago, I collected everything. At one time I had over 150 vintage bobbers, complete BB sets from 1967 up, programs, baseballs, games complete set of Hartland statues, baseball, and Westerns. Since than I have sold off a lot of those things. I collect Detroit Tiger items only now. You might find the easiest is pick one player, or 1 team. Anything else you pick up, use for trade bait or sell.

Good Luck Joe

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Posted By: leon

You're a Natural for a type card collector....and then whatever you like the most you can have more than just "a" type. You could even pick a set and still be a type card collector. Also, you don't have to have any rules. What is the coined acronym on the board?....CWYLTC (collect what you like to collect) and have fun ....good luck too

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Posted By: jay behrens

I have a hard time staying focused on my collecting because I love some many different cards and sets. What I've done is try and collect one card of every major leaguer that appeared on a card from 1908-45. This solves my desire for cards from different sets and will give me a life ling quest are several players have their only known card to have 2 or 3 known examples.

Jay

I'm incompetent at being incontenent.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

It is really hard to come to terms with the fact that unless you have a six-figure disposable income, you just cannot hope to collect everything. The problem is especially acute for thise of us from the "I remember when" tribe who have been collecting for many years. I remember when Ty Cobb checks were $50, I was turning down Old Judge HOFers were $50, T-card HOFers could be had at auction for a couple of bucks, caramel cards were considered the red-headed stepchildren of vintage collecting, etc., etc., etc., and I turned them all down. Locating the cards was the hard part; affording them was nothing. The main advice I can give is to decide on your own personal comfort level and go with that. When it becomes less about the fun and more about the money the cards are worth, or where you find yourself grinding your teeth over how much a card costs, you need to refocus and collect cards that make you comfortable and happy. Fortunately, it is possible to do so, as I have found over the years.

First I prioritized the sports to collect only baseball and boxing, which are the only two I truly enjoy watching. I traded or sold off the rest, except for a small crop of cards that I had from when I was a kid and really enjoyed (primarily a couple of basketball sets with heavy ABA content and all the wild 70's graphics and the hair--Artis Gilmore, Dr. J, Darnell Hillman, Slick Watts, etc.).

When collecting anything baseball got too expensive, I decided to focus only on HOFers and stars except in a few limited contexts where I bought the cards out of packs as a kid and could afford to piece together sets at a price I could still enjoy. I found that I did not find set building to be satisfying for vintage cards because I did not like paying the high prices of "commons".

As prices further escalated, I have focused even further to collecting primarily Exhibit baseball cards, Zeenuts, T206 HOFer and popular players, Lefty O'Doul, Jewish players, error cards, though I still buy those HOFer and popular player cards from each other set that catch my eye aesthetically. Fortunately, I can still afford to collect all of the boxing cards I want, which is where I am comfortable trying to build sets. I've also stoked my interest in Western history by collecting historical cards of historical characters, and for fun have assembled some sets of very cheap (relatively speaking) entertainment cards of Star Trek, James Bond, Kung Fu and Batman movies and shows I loved as a kid.

I tried type card collecting but found type card collecting to be unsatisfying because I did not care to have a card from many sets nor did I care to have only a card from many sets.

I have also found myself being increasingly mercenary as the years go by and prices sky, i.e., I buy a lot of stuff I don't really want if the price is right. Last year's National was a good example. I came home with a foot-high stack of Exhibits, a bunch of Zeenuts, a few obscure O'Doul cards, and a bunch of miscellaneous HOFer and other vintage cards that I did not really want per se but found at very good prices.

One thing you might consider is going into tribute type sets from the postwar period to obtain a nice collection of HOFers who are otherwise unaffordable. There are quite a few really nice, challenging but relatively inexpensive sets issued in the 50s and 60s that allow you to collect vintage players. 1951 Topps ATG, 1950-56 Callahan HOF, 1960-61 Fleer, 1961 Golden Press, etc.

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Posted By: Joe

Thanks for all of your comments. It is interesting to hear what other people like to collect. It gave me a few Ideas. I will have to show off some future purchases in the next recent pick up posts. Being from michigan I am interested in the Tigers and I am eyeing a few items as I write. Thanks Again.

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Posted By: identify7

Is it too late for further comment?

Looking at Brad Green's collection of Grove cards, it is apparent that one can assemble a fairly comprehensive type set just by obtaining all of the card issuances of a single player. Heck, Brad must have several dozen made during Lefty Grove's career, and many commemorative cards from after that time.

So a guy could select three players or so to cover the span of baseball if a nearly complete type set is desired, or carefully choose a single player as the theme if one period of cards is most attractive to you.

Check out Brad's site to see what I mean.

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Posted By: nbrazil

good post warshawlaw. Do you have a site that posts some of your boxing card sets? I'm not too familiar with boxing card collecting, so it would be great to see what those cards look like along with some of its history. thanks

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Posted By: DJ

Being on a limited budget, I try my very best to be very focused on what I collect. I have a short list of items I collect and try and stay true to it. I have no allegiance to any one player or any team and that helps. I did find myself attracted to an Obak Mohler that simply had my attention for one afternoon despite never having wanted to collect that issue before. That goes for Plow Boys and Zeenuts as well.

I try to stick to my want lists as funds are rather limited and if I purchased that Obak Mohler and something better comes along better from my list, I will have to let the Obak Mohler go (put on waivers and probably lose money) and attempt with a college try an Old Judge I fancy. This happened once before when I purchased a VG T201 Mecca Doublefolder Lajoie and along came an EX/EX+ Count Mullane. I learned my lesson.

Nice thread!

DJ

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Collectors who don't focus on a set or sets, but collect a wide variety material, tend to have a broader knowledge of baseball cards and memorabilia.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

David
I do not know where you come up with the observation that
"set collectors" have a limited knowledge of the Hobby. Your
observation is so far out, I do not think really you mean
what you just said.
I have collected BB cards for 30 years now, mainly in the
endeavor to complete sets (from 1888 to 1967). And, in the
process I have learned more about BaseBall, this hobby and
the history of BB cards than I thought I could ever have.

It also, has resulted in my authoring articles on the N162
set, PlayBalls, and 1948 to 1953 Bowmans. These articles
were the result of a significant amount of research. I do
not really want to "toot my horn", but your comments are
ridiculous.
Actually, things just the opposite of what you are saying.
Collectors who focus on type cards or certain players are
the ones who do not gain a full appreciation for the hobby.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

The original post was from someone who couldn't find a focus. My post said that there is a good thing to collecting a wide variety of things. If you have collected 1800s to modern sets and have gained a wide knowledge because of that, you are an example of what I was I was saying. I think you misinterpreted my use of the phrase "set or sets." Perhaps I picked the words poorly, but I din't mean it to bad mouth set collectors.

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Posted By: jay behrens

Ted you may be a set collector, but you collect a very broad number sets. You were able to do this because you have been in the hobby a very long time. Someone just coming into the hobby would need an incredible bankroll to collect the variety of sets you have put together over the years. I believe his point was that if you are new and focus on one or two sets, then your overall knowledge of the hobby will.

On the other hand, focusing on one or two sets will eventually make you one of the leading experts on those sets. It's all of matter of what you want out of your collecting. Is it a broad knowledge of all cards, or very intimate knowledge of a few sets. Everyone will have a different answer.

The days of someone entering the hobby and being able to put together complete sets of everything from 1800s to date is long gone. You are a rare breed, the likes of which will slowly disappear.

Jay

I'm incompetent at being incontenent.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Jay

Much of what you are saying is quite true. But, there is
much more to the story. I was very fortunate since most
of my BB cards from youth (1947 - 1953) were saved by my
dear Aunt. From my first 1947 Hom. Bond Bread card to my
last 1952 Topps Hi#.
And, why I tell you this, is because I had a huge base of
valuable cards to trade with in the pursuit of completing
sets. Actually, at the begining I was narrowly focused on
completing favorite sets from youth, namely 1949 Bowman BB,
1948 Leaf Boxing, and 1949 Leaf BB. And, as you well said,
by concentrating primarily on these sets, I became a so-
called expert. The '49 Bowman in particular was a myster-
ious set back in the '70s. There were strange variations
that even Beckett could not properly identify. I and Ralph
Triplette (a good buddy) published our theories in Lemke's
BB Card Mag. in the early '80s and resolved this set's con-
fusion.
Then, I branched out to pre-War II sets, then pre-WW I sets.
A decent common T206 cost less than $10 and across the board
Tobacco cards were really undervalued, while a Rose Rookie
was selling for $250....those were the days !

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Posted By: andy

Hi Joe,
I'm wondering if you got my email regarding the Ford Tigers?
-Andy

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Posted By: Joe_G.

You would be the 3rd Detroit collector from Michigan on this board with the name Joe I collect primarily 19th century Detroit items (Old Judge Detroit Wolverine cards) while Joe Maples collects just about everything Detroit, 19th & 20th century. Outside of the three of us, there are a couple others with interest in Detroit items that I'm aware of. Welcome aboard.

Regards,
Joe Gonsowski
Westland, MI