Introduction and a question on which cards are "Must Haves"

[ScottFandango]

gotta have a T206 Johsnon Portrait....an amazing gaze from an amazing player.

But man cannot live by pre-war alone....

this card (with this poor scan) just sold for $3000 ungraded


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the graded PSA 9 just went for $4500....



this card has appreciated VERY fast over the last 8 years!

even in a market of lower prices for collectibles, this card CONTINUES to set new highs!

remember, there are less than 500 of these rookies of possible the GREATEST RIGHT HANDED HITTER EVER.....

[Exhibitman]

Welcome aboard!

I'd add to the responses already given the following:

There are no rules--this is supposed to be fun above all else. Focus on what you like versus what others say you should like. If there is a team or player who meant something to you as a kid, an historical era that really appeals to you, or a card issue that intrigues you, base your collection around that subject. If you don't care about high grade vs. low grade, don't waste your money on high grade cards when lower grade ones will give you the same satisfaction at a fraction of the price. If you value completion of a set over collecting of individual players, choose a set that appeals to you and try to assemble it. If "common" cards simply don't interest you, don't waste time on a set with lots of commons in it. If there is an era or type of card (like E or strips) that don't appeal to you, don't bother with them.

[Leon]

Hi Paul,
Welcome to our board. I see where you had said, in your first post, that you might have waited a week to get approved for membership. It should never take a week and I would hope it would rarely take more than 1-2 days, but sometimes my emails get a little backed up.

I think what everyone has been saying so far is good advice. My very first big card was a T205 Johnson as I thought it was so great looking I had to have it. I have since sold it and moved on but it's a great set. As a closely held secret I am a type-collector, meaning I like one (or more ) from each set. Along the way there are certain cards I have seen and liked so much I picked one up. I think the main thing I could add to this discussion is "be patient." This is a long marathon not a sprint. Folks on this board have been collecting up to about 50 yrs, or a little more. I think from our last poll about time-in, in the hobby, the most common spot was in the 12-18yrs range. I fall into that one too. I hope its multiples of that before I am done. (and I mean literally done ) ......Here is a card I knew I always wanted, it turned up with a cool back, so I went for it. It's an absolute classic card of the winningest pitcher of all time. How can you go wrong with one of these? I am quite sure you will find cards like this that you really want too, as your collecting matures. If you collect what you enjoy you will rarely have regrets.

[ChiefBenderForever]

Paul I am no expert but am pretty familiar with the 34 Gehrig you are looking to get. It all depends on the eye appeal and how clean the card is, in a sgc 30/40 500-900 would be my guess from what I have seen for a decent example.

[steve B]

Another angle could be to collect cards of a player or players thet have the same last name as yours. I've got a few, and it's fun trying to figure out which ones exist. fortunately for me it's only one player and only one fairly rare card most of the rest being commons.

The "must have " cards really depend on your likes and dislikes. And unless I'm way off the list changes for most of us as we learn more about the cards and the players. For example, you may learn about a player who had a fascinating life and career and decide that his cards mean a bit more to you than other players.

Steve B

[ajwagner421]

As you can tell this is my first post as well. I just started getting back into baseball cards, but as a college student, the budget is extremely limited at this point!

Anyways, I'd love to collect players with my last name (Wagner), but I think I might have trouble getting at least one of those!

I'm really interested in the T206 set and I'd love to collect these as I get older. I'm sure I'll collect a few as I finish out my college years, but won't get serious until later. It's been really interesting to read everyone's opinions on this subject. I'm sure this board will be a valuable resource as I collect.

Originally Posted by ajwagner421

Anyways, I'd love to collect players with my last name (Wagner), but I think I might have trouble getting at least one of those!

There might be quite a few more than one card with that name on it that may be very hard to get. Best of luck though. Hope you get them all in time.