Your Collecting Focus

[Volod]

Originally Posted by Samsdaddy

I am not as an advanced collector as many on here.

I like to collect any 1960's Topps Baseball cards of Ron Santo and Billy Williams. I will eventually start into the 1970's of these two favorite players as well as work on collecting Topps cards of Dick Allen.

Also, I am working on the 1964, 1965 and 1967 Topps All-Star Rookie Trophy card sub sets. I will eventually start on 1961 and 1963 trophy cards in the future.

I am five cards away from completing the 1967 Topps Football Set. I loved the AFL and '67 is the year of my birth.

That's the beauty of this hobby Erik: it all really is in the eye of the beholder. Anyone's collecting interest is just as valid and valuable as anyone else's, no matter the amount of money or time invested. I was a Cub fan for many years and loved Santo, Banks and Williams - biggest injustice in pro sports that those guys never reached the promised land, but makes their cards even more desireable, in my opinion. Appears that you were born the year of the AFL/NFL merger - how did you happen to love that league?

[laughlinfan]

Really enjoyed reading through this thread. I started collecting as a kid over 40 years ago, and I think I was the Will Rogers of collecting - "I never met a sports collectible I didn't like!" Back then, focus wasn't required as access to sports collectibles was pretty limited - cards, oddball food issues, and the occasional flea market find. As a result of Al Gore inventing the internet I have been forced to narrow things a bit, so I find myself frequently looking for the following:

Bob Laughlin sets (still need about half the super standups set) and original art
Hugh Bedient items (1912-1914 Red Sox)
Topps original drawings/artwork
Other interesting original art

OK as I was typing this list, I thought of about 10 others things I collect - interesting Mets items, Bills items, statues and figures.... I really have no focus!

[dog*dirt]

My collecting focus would be to be more focused. Seriously. maybe to finish the DeLong set by 2113. I am really liking the small set loaded with HOFers.

My DeLong progress http://photobucket.com/aj1

[tonyo]

Post war I'm pretty focused:

1. almost finished with late 40's thru 50's hof topps/bowman/leaf type card subset. At least 1 card of each hofer that played in this era, and at least 3 of each leaf/bowman/topps regular issue between 48 and 59. I'm at 108 and 7 remain on my want list.

When I finish this I'll probably move to 60's topps regular issue hof/type set.

these two aren't vintage, but they are part of my collecting focus:

2. Barry Larkin collection - over 1100 different and not even half way there according to a list I got off beckett.com

3. 1995 ud cc se gold signature - still need about 30 to complete.

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by tonyo

Post war I'm pretty focused:

1. almost finished with late 40's thru 50's hof topps/bowman/leaf type card subset. At least 1 card of each hofer that played in this era, and at least 3 of each leaf/bowman/topps regular issue between 48 and 59. I'm at 108 and 7 remain on my want list.

When I finish this I'll probably move to 60's topps regular issue hof/type set.

these two aren't vintage, but they are part of my collecting focus:

2. Barry Larkin collection - over 1100 different and not even half way there according to a list I got off beckett.com

3. 1995 ud cc se gold signature - still need about 30 to complete.

1. I morphed my post war goal into: all of the topps/bowman regular issue hall of famers from 1949 to 1979 (low grade natural state). Current focus is on reaching at least 10 in each year. Need another 55 topps and a few 48, 49, 51 bowman to hit that mark.

2. up to 1350 Larkin cards, but have slowed way down.

3. completed the se gold signature and now am looking for hand signed cards from that set to complement the gold and silver sigs. Those don't come up very often, but I now have 121 of them.

[KCRfan1]

I have been collecting 52 Topps ungraded, but they are increasingly hard to find in nice condition. I recently switched to collecting the 73 set which is the first cards that I remember collecting growing up. Collecting a set will give me focus and a goal to work towards.

[Matthew80]

Originally Posted by tonyo

2. Barry Larkin collection - over 1100 different and not even half way there according to a list I got off Beckett

Omg

[Samsdaddy]

Originally Posted by Volod

That's the beauty of this hobby Erik: it all really is in the eye of the beholder. Anyone's collecting interest is just as valid and valuable as anyone else's, no matter the amount of money or time invested. I was a Cub fan for many years and loved Santo, Banks and Williams - biggest injustice in pro sports that those guys never reached the promised land, but makes their cards even more desireable, in my opinion. Appears that you were born the year of the AFL/NFL merger - how did you happen to love that league?

Wow, I am re-opening an old thread and I apologize for it.

To answer a question I did not answer back then, my dad loved the AFL and would talk about it all the time. As I got older, I read more about the AFL and was fascinated by the wide open play, the high scoring and the great characters and players of the AFL such as Wahoo McDaniel, Ernie Ladd, John Hadl and Jack Kemp.

My collecting focus has changed a little. Still working on the 1967 Topps AFL Football set as well as collecting baseball cards of some of my favorite players such as Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Tony Oliva and a few others. I also do like the Topps All Star Rookie cards from the 60s and pick them up when I can.

[brewing]

Great rebirth of a thread. For those that previously posted, any changes?

My focus is 1952-1990 Topps Detroit Tiger cards. Less than 10 from completion.
T206 Detroit Tiger cards, need 11 more.

Post war HoF rookie cards and their Topps base cards (low priority).

1956 Topps set, my first vintage cards were from this set.

1969 Topps, year of birth and already have 1970 thru 2000.

1967 Topps set, was trying for Ex-Mt to NrMt. Think I'm going to bail of this set.

[Samsdaddy]

Originally Posted by brewing

Great rebirth of a thread. For those that previously posted, any changes?

My focus is 1952-1990 Topps Detroit Tiger cards. Less than 10 from completion.
T206 Detroit Tiger cards, need 11 more.

Post war HoF rookie cards and their Topps base cards (low priority).

1956 Topps set, my first vintage cards were from this set.

1969 Topps, year of birth and already have 1970 thru 2000.

1967 Topps set, was trying for Ex-Mt to NrMt. Think I'm going to bail of this set.

Brent, do you mean you are going to stop collecting the 67 set or just try to get it in a lesser grade condition? I understand the high numbers are very tough for this set. Pretty set though. My favorite card of the 1967 set is Billy Williams. It helps he is one of my favorite players of all time but I do like his card as well.

[Samsdaddy]

I try to be realistic in terms of my collecting. With that being said, putting together a complete vintage baseball set from the 60s is not feasible for me at this time nor do I have a strong desire to put one together.

But, I love the subsets such as the All Star cards and All Star rookie cards and those are fun to put together. The 1968 Topps Game cards is something I would like to complete as well.

Football is a different story when it comes to sets. Putting the 1967 Topps AFL set together because as stated earlier, I love the AFL and this is from the year of my birth. Plus, 132 cards is easier than 500 or 600 plus cards in a Topps Baseball set.

The main thing is I am having fun collecting what I collect. I don't have a lot of cards but what I have I love.

[pawpawdiv9]

i started with the cards i always wanted to have (rookies)
like Joe Namath, Joe Montana, Payton, Unitas, then went to baseball.
Went hard core with Mickey Mantles, until i hit my whale RC. (see avatar) Still like to get the other A version.
Sold off several items to re-coup my expenses and now back at it hard again.
So i switched back to rookie cards, but nothing to prevail latley. Still have the Mantle urges at times (only because BestDj77 has some nice stuff, he wont sell me) LOL
I still lookout for a Hank Aaron RC, W.Mays RC/bowman, Clemente RC --finding ones that are nicely centered is my focus there.
Heck, i even found myself in the pre-war stuff, bidding on Ty Cobb and Ruth items. Kinda like the old stuff.

[Bestdj777]

Originally Posted by pawpawdiv9

i started with the cards i always wanted to have (rookies)
like Joe Namath, Joe Montana, Payton, Unitas, then went to baseball.
Went hard core with Mickey Mantles, until i hit my whale RC. (see avatar) Still like to get the other A version.
Sold off several items to re-coup my expenses and now back at it hard again.
So i switched back to rookie cards, but nothing to prevail latley. Still have the Mantle urges at times (only because BestDj77 has some nice stuff, he wont sell me) LOL
I still lookout for a Hank Aaron RC, W.Mays RC/bowman, Clemente RC --finding ones that are nicely centered is my focus there.
Heck, i even found myself in the pre-war stuff, bidding on Ty Cobb and Ruth items. Kinda like the old stuff.

Glad you are collecting Mantles again! Some day I am sure I will send something your way

[brewing]

Originally Posted by Samsdaddy

Brent, do you mean you are going to stop collecting the 67 set or just try to get it in a lesser grade condition? I understand the high numbers are very tough for this set. Pretty set though. My favorite card of the 1967 set is Billy Williams. It helps he is one of my favorite players of all time but I do like his card as well.

I will be selling. The high numbers were killing me.

[h2oya311]

Cool thread. I must have missed this the first time around.

Primary focus is HOF rookie and pre-rookie cards pre- and post-war. I'm close to 2/3 of the way there for my "ideal" rookie collection...although it would be unrealistic for me to assume I could ever complete it w/ so many "one of ones".

Second focus has been Rickey Henderson cards and memorabilia. Collecting his stuff has resulted in me taking a serious look at whether I have a hoarding problem. Henderson takes up a full (large) closet in my house and he is starting to invade other parts of the house...need to tone this down a bit!!!

Third will be a set for/with my son: 1911 Helmar Stamps. Close to 1/2 way there on that one!! Just started this year...

Dabble in Japanese HOF cards...

Also dabble in cards I think are cool looking and underpriced...if only I could sell some of this stuff!!

[brewing]

Originally Posted by h2oya311

Second focus has been Rickey Henderson cards and memorabilia. Collecting his stuff has resulted in me taking a serious look at whether I have a hoarding problem. Henderson takes up a full (large) closet in my house and he is starting to invade other parts of the house...need to tone this down a bit!!!

The uncashed check would be the ultimate Henderson collectable.