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Go Back   Net54baseball.com Forums > Net54baseball Postwar Sportscard Forums > Postwar Baseball Cards Forum (Pre-1980)

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  #1  
Old 09-13-2021, 08:51 PM
wdwfan wdwfan is offline
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Default Thinking about switching direction ... good, bad, indifferent, waste of time?

Okay, so this is going to be a long read, and I do apologize. But to preface what I'm contemplating: I've been collecting the 1958 Topps set for about 5 months now. I'm probably halfway to it (I've got about 350 different cards), and I've got lots of stars and HOFers. But I'm missing the big ones (Mantle, Maris, Williams, Koufax, Aaron, Clemente).

I was never interested in this set, but I picked up a nice lot for a decent price at the LCS. So I talked myself into building it. I have already built it once, and I sold it back in 2013 to fund my family's first trip to Disney World. While, looking back, I somewhat regret selling it, I'd do it again in a heart beat.

About 2 weeks ago, I picked up a huge lot of 1957 Topps. Now, 1957 Topps is my absolute, without question, all-time favorite set. It's one I've always wanted to build. It's the first complete vintage set I ever saw in person (a college professor had the class over for dinner one night, knew I was interested in cards and showed it to me). Since then I've wanted to build one. I absolutely love the look of this set, the advertising in the background, the mix of stars, HOFers, couple of key RCs and more.

So this is where I'm at:
I'm contemplating giving up my 1958 Topps quest and trying to trade the stars and HOFers for stars and HOFers from 1957. The lot I picked up was mostly commons with about 20 from the mid series. It had a few semistars (Colavito, Minoso, Furillo, etc), but none of the big names.

If I decide to do this set, I'd be looking to trade my big name stars and HOFers from 1958 for 1957. In the past, I haven't had any luck trading/buying around here for whatever reason. Maybe it's cause I've been around for very little time, and I'm not one of the veterans. Who knows. But that's kind of what I'd be looking to do.

So is this a waste of time? As I said, I've already built the set once and sold it as I didn't really like the look of it (I just built it because I got about 3/4 of the set in 1 big deal, I was able to build the rest and sell for 3x what I had in it and take my family to Disney World). This time I decided to do it again because I got a good deal in a large starter lot, again not really liking the set.

Has anyone built a set close to 3/4 of the way being done only to fall out of love with it? If so, what did you do? Did you sell it and start over? Try to trade for something you liked? Put it in the closet and wait a few weeks, months or years and come back and give it another look down the line? I've thought about putting it in the closet and coming back to it later. But I've already built it once, don't really like it anyway and don't have a bunch of money to be putting towards cards. I do have a budget, and I try and stick to that budget as closely as possible. But I'd rather move the cards I've already spent money on, if possible, for ones I want. Either that, or sell the ones I have (sell the starter lot, maybe sell just the stars/HOFers, whatever, haven't thought selling through to be honest as I love to trade) and buy the ones I want.

Again sorry for the long road down what I'm doing. Just looking for ideas. I guess in the end, it's really up to me and what I want to do. In reality, it's my money, it's my collection. But I just like to hear what others think.
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Last edited by wdwfan; 09-13-2021 at 08:56 PM.
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  #2  
Old 09-13-2021, 09:17 PM
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I've never met a pre-1980 set I didn't like so I can't really empathize, but if you don't like the 1958s and you love the 1957s it seems your path is clear: ignore the first and concentrate on the second.
If it were me I would actively seek out '57s but keep an eye out for bargains in the '58s. In addition to this site's BST and eBay there are many Facebook groups that buy, sell and trade cards from the '50s.
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  #3  
Old 09-14-2021, 06:02 AM
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stay with both..go at a slower pace...
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  #4  
Old 09-14-2021, 06:11 AM
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To me the only thing that matters is that you like 57 and don’t like 58. I wouldn’t bother putting in the time and effort I collect something I didn’t like. I’d would try to sell the 58 and use the funds to buy 57.
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  #5  
Old 09-14-2021, 06:27 AM
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based on everything you've written, sounds like you'd much prefer the 1957 to the 1958. if it were my collection, i'd move out the 58 and get the 57 piece by piece (or ideally as you say, there's a person here who has the opposite problem and you guys can just swap a whole host of cards...but it's probably a longer shot).
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  #6  
Old 09-14-2021, 07:09 AM
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I suppose it's possible to locate somebody that's in the same boat as you but "port" rather than "starboard" who hates the '57s and hearts the '58s, but that feels hard. It would probably be easier to simply sell the '58s you've accumulated and use the cash to buy '57s.

Good luck with your transition.
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  #7  
Old 09-14-2021, 07:40 AM
Zach Wheat Zach Wheat is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wdwfan View Post
Okay, so this is going to be a long read, and I do apologize. But to preface what I'm contemplating: I've been collecting the 1958 Topps set for about 5 months now. I'm probably halfway to it (I've got about 350 different cards), and I've got lots of stars and HOFers. But I'm missing the big ones (Mantle, Maris, Williams, Koufax, Aaron, Clemente).

I was never interested in this set, but I picked up a nice lot for a decent price at the LCS. So I talked myself into building it. I have already built it once, and I sold it back in 2013 to fund my family's first trip to Disney World. While, looking back, I somewhat regret selling it, I'd do it again in a heart beat.

About 2 weeks ago, I picked up a huge lot of 1957 Topps. Now, 1957 Topps is my absolute, without question, all-time favorite set. It's one I've always wanted to build. It's the first complete vintage set I ever saw in person (a college professor had the class over for dinner one night, knew I was interested in cards and showed it to me). Since then I've wanted to build one. I absolutely love the look of this set, the advertising in the background, the mix of stars, HOFers, couple of key RCs and more.

So this is where I'm at:
I'm contemplating giving up my 1958 Topps quest and trying to trade the stars and HOFers for stars and HOFers from 1957. The lot I picked up was mostly commons with about 20 from the mid series. It had a few semistars (Colavito, Minoso, Furillo, etc), but none of the big names.

If I decide to do this set, I'd be looking to trade my big name stars and HOFers from 1958 for 1957. In the past, I haven't had any luck trading/buying around here for whatever reason. Maybe it's cause I've been around for very little time, and I'm not one of the veterans. Who knows. But that's kind of what I'd be looking to do............Again sorry for the long road down what I'm doing. Just looking for ideas. I guess in the end, it's really up to me and what I want to do. In reality, it's my money, it's my collection. But I just like to hear what others think.
I am primarily a set builder/collector and often have 2 or 3 sets in process. I am an opportunistic set builder and change priorities as opportunities for acquisitions change. I would keep collecting both sets. jmho

Good luck either way.
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  #8  
Old 09-14-2021, 08:13 AM
wdwfan wdwfan is offline
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I'm always looking out for vintage "bargains" but they seem to come around less and less nowadays. Seems everybody wants higher than normal asking prices for their vintage because it's "vintage."

And on the BST thing, I've tried and tried and tried. I've listed stuff for sale, for trade, looking to trade for, looking to buy, and I rarely get anybody posting on the thread or sending PMs. Not sure if it's because I'm new or what. But I have little luck moving cards on here. I've had more success in the 2-3 months I've been on Facebook. But I know I will keep trying.

Quote:
Originally Posted by riggs336 View Post
I've never met a pre-1980 set I didn't like so I can't really empathize, but if you don't like the 1958s and you love the 1957s it seems your path is clear: ignore the first and concentrate on the second.
If it were me I would actively seek out '57s but keep an eye out for bargains in the '58s. In addition to this site's BST and eBay there are many Facebook groups that buy, sell and trade cards from the '50s.


I've gone pretty slow on the 58s as I've been working on it about 5-6 months. I'm ready to put it to bed. I don't want to work on a set that's going to take a year or years to complete.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ALBB View Post
stay with both..go at a slower pace...


That's kind of been my mindset. But that's why I wanted to get some opinions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cmvorce View Post
To me the only thing that matters is that you like 57 and don’t like 58. I wouldn’t bother putting in the time and effort I collect something I didn’t like. I’d would try to sell the 58 and use the funds to buy 57.


I do prefer the 57s. Love the set. And I figured the best way was to post all of my 58s on here or Facebook and see if I could get some trade interests.

Quote:
Originally Posted by hockeyhockey View Post
based on everything you've written, sounds like you'd much prefer the 1957 to the 1958. if it were my collection, i'd move out the 58 and get the 57 piece by piece (or ideally as you say, there's a person here who has the opposite problem and you guys can just swap a whole host of cards...but it's probably a longer shot).


I'm not a big fan of selling and then buying. The main reason is I'll end up selling for 30-40 percent below comps (will list at fair comp price then get lower offers) and will end up having to buy at 30-40 percent over comps. So I'm basically giving away half of my stuff. I appreciate the words of luck.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bobsbbcards View Post
I suppose it's possible to locate somebody that's in the same boat as you but "port" rather than "starboard" who hates the '57s and hearts the '58s, but that feels hard. It would probably be easier to simply sell the '58s you've accumulated and use the cash to buy '57s.

Good luck with your transition.


I've always been a set builder. Love the chase. But I don't want it taking a year or more. I want to be done with it. I did start a 57 previously and wound up selling it off to fund another purchase. One of the biggest mistakes I made in my collecting past. I also started a 1962 Topps set and got about halfway done with it before putting it in the closet. Glad I did as it's still in there.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zach Wheat View Post
I am primarily a set builder/collector and often have 2 or 3 sets in process. I am an opportunistic set builder and change priorities as opportunities for acquisitions change. I would keep collecting both sets. jmho

Good luck either way.
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  #9  
Old 09-14-2021, 08:17 AM
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Set building is almost always a big money loss especially when you add in all the shipping. So collect what you like. Finding a trading partner on here with the exact opposite problem is very slim. Best bet is to sell the 58s and buy the 57s.

As for trading and selling on here the only way you are not having much luck is if you highly overvalue your stuff.
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  #10  
Old 09-14-2021, 08:47 AM
NiceDocter NiceDocter is online now
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Default Set building

I think you will find most of the people on here are working on sets or collections over a period of many years and even for a lot of us many decades. If you are in a shorter time frame situation then maybe stick to smaller sets or buy almost complete sets initially and then fill in the blanks. When you try to get in and out unless it is done over a longer time period you usually lose money in the process. The only exception to this is if you find a great deal on a large lot ( such as dealers seek) and buy at a large discount. I’ve found that having a wide range of possible interests makes this more likely to happen on occasion! Good luck and enjoy the hobby! Rocky
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  #11  
Old 09-14-2021, 09:00 AM
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Default Mostly pretty clear to me

The way I see it there are 2 decisions to make:

Decision 1 - what to actively collect/pursue? The answer to that one seems super clear based on what you shared - stop collecting the 58's and start collecting the 57's.

Decision 2 - how best to turn 58's into 57's? Trading is harder as pointed out in previous posts, but possible - and as stated your best bet to get a closer 1 to 1 value - so put it out there while maintaining low expectations - you never know. If you are getting offers for stars at 30%-40% below comps, I would take a good look at the comps you are looking at and make sure you are comparing Apples to Apples. You could sell your 58's when you feel like you are being offered reasonable prices for them. I understand you are working within a budget, but the 58's I presume are just a part of that equation, so hopefully you can wait for the right deal be it trading or selling while working on the 57 set.
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  #12  
Old 09-14-2021, 10:44 AM
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I'll add my two cents to the conversation as well.

It sounds like you already know what you want to do, but you're hesitant to pull the trigger. Dump the 58s, and grab what you can from the 57s. I've wasted time building sets I don't love, and there's very satisfaction when you finish.

I can't dismiss cost entirely, but I wouldn't spend a lot of time dwelling on what you'll get in the sale of the 58s or what you pay for the 57s. It's not going to be a dollar-for-dollar exchange, but I figure if you're getting rid of cards you don't care for, and are bringing in cards you like, you're coming out ahead.
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  #13  
Old 09-14-2021, 01:28 PM
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As I set builder in the past. I was working on finishing the 67 set. Than COVID and the world stopped, everybody started collecting again, the prices going up, Seaver and Carew passing, has made me put the set on back burner for now. I just don’t know if I want to spend big bucks for the two key RC’S anymore. I would move to the 57’s and follow your passion, but keep the 58’s too and slowly finish it. You can’t go wrong with a 60 plus year old set just setting in the closet. You might need money again in the future and just having it finished will bring you mental happiness lol. Just think of ALL the things we waste money on, you’ll be happy you spent on it to finish
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  #14  
Old 09-14-2021, 02:24 PM
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* You should only really collect what you like. If it feels like a chore to put together the 1958 set, there is no rule that says you need to keep going.

* You should list your cards from the 1958 set here and give it a shot. There is no downside. When you've tried selling in the past, you may just not have had the right buyer looking at the board, or they might have missed your thread. It happens. If you don't have luck here, there are other avenues to move the cards.

Good luck. I got within a few cards of having a fully graded 53 Topps set in PSA 5+, and I just kind of lost the love for having the graded cards and obsessing over the PSA set registry. I sold everything off slowly, got my money back and then some, and used that money to start other projects.
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Old 09-14-2021, 06:25 PM
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I had no intention to build a '57 set (mostly because of cost), but got a good deal on about 2/3 of the set and ended up finishing it. One of my favorite sets now.

Like you though, I have no love for the 1958 set. Just dad gum ugly, if you ask me. I've got a few, but how many head shots with just a bold, solid color background can a man take??

My advice, sell the '58s on here (or FB) as you can. I doubt you'll find many traders. And then put those funds towards finishing the '57 set. The Dodgers' Sluggers card is a classic, maybe the best Topps card of the 1950s.
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Old 09-14-2021, 07:43 PM
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Thanks everyone for the advice.
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Last edited by wdwfan; 09-16-2021 at 08:22 AM.
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Old 09-14-2021, 08:19 PM
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If I can offer one more suggestion.

It might take a bit more time to do it, but you may have an easier time moving the 300+ cards if you offer them up individually and allow people to make their own lots. There are plenty of set builders out there that need 100+ cards, and might not want to invest almost $2 per card on 300+ cards when they might only need 30 or 40 from the lot you have. So, set a price for the entire lot like you did, wait a few weeks and see if you find someone who wants the whole lot (probably someone who doesn't have many/any of the cards and wants to build a complete set) and if you don't get any takers, consider listing out the numbers you have available and doing 10 card build your own lots for $20 shipped or something like that. You might draw interest that way as well.

Good luck
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Old 09-15-2021, 08:41 AM
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Me Personally would dump the 58's which is a set I never liked and go full bore on 57's which is, IMHO, a great set.

But it's good to get various opinions and think through things out loud so this is a great general conversation as well

Rich
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Old 09-15-2021, 11:59 AM
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Just remember, there are no rules and no right or wrong answers. It is supposed to be fun. I've started lots of projects, decided I just don't want to do them, and moved on to something else.
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Old 09-15-2021, 07:03 PM
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Just remember, there are no rules and no right or wrong answers. It is supposed to be fun. I've started lots of projects, decided I just don't want to do them, and moved on to something else.
Preach it brother! I'm 21 cards short of a 1964 Topps baseball set, with Gibson being the only missing HOFer, and I've run out of steam on it. I guess being this close, I'll finish it, but there is no drive to chase those last ones down.
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Old 09-16-2021, 01:48 AM
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I have so many sets I collect, I rarely seem to finish. I'm also looking to not pay top dollar, and because I am working on so many I have no shortage of things to buy.

I have found that when I do complete a set, I hardly look at is when compared to the ones I am building or upgrading. For me, my "inbox" will always have (collecting) tasks in it.

For me, if I didn't need the money, I'd keep the '58's and pick them up when you find a bargain. Some sets i didn't love ten years ago sometimes find a rejuvenated passion. If I need the cash to sustain my buying habits, then for sure piece them out as you have. Lots of good suggestions here on how to do so.
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