How do you build your sets, single or all in?

[vintagecpa]

I admire anyone that can stick with collecting the same set for years. I am personally 0-12 in trying to complete a vintage set. I generally get a 15-20 cards into it before I find greener pastures.

[Samsdaddy]

Originally Posted by vintagecpa

I admire anyone that can stick with collecting the same set for years. I am personally 0-12 in trying to complete a vintage set. I generally get a 15-20 cards into it before I find greener pastures.

Same here. My hats off to those who stick with building a set but I am so impatient at times that I find it is easier for me to stick to collecting some favorite players and other stars of the 1960's (the era I enjoy collecting most).

With all that being said, I did put together two vintage football card sets from the 1960's but had a lot of help to start one of them.

[Tim Kindler]

I'm a singles guy. I love the thrill of the hunt. I have put my E98 set together 1 card at a time and it is almost done. It is such a rush when I get a new card for my set!

Of course, I have no choice but to build my sets 1 card at a time! I would never be able to affordall the cards at one time!!!

[HANKCADDY]

I usually have 3 or 4 sets going at any one time, and buy in small lots or singles for budget reasons....when the budget is tighter i work on my raw cheaper sets... when budget is a little stronger i go back to a graded set

right now focus is on
1974 topps in PSA 9 (about 91% complete)
R312 SGC 20-50 range (about 52% complete some raw)
T205 in SGC 20 or so (12%,just starting with HOF for now)
1948 bowman in PSA 4 better (33% now)
1989 topps in PSA 10 (AT 80% or so)
2004 SPX in PSA (also at about 80%)

when i get a little bored with one i move back to another, or if there is not much out there i look at something else.

[Exhibitman]

I prefer knocking off a big chunk of a set at one time, preferably for cheap, then filling in the rest. I rarely collect sets, though. I just don't care to spend money on commons. Exhibits are my only set-making endeavors in baseball cards. I finished the Salutations last year and need about half a dozen to do the PC back set.

[frohme]

Originally Posted by Tim Kindler

I'm a singles guy. I love the thrill of the hunt. I have put my E98 set together 1 card at a time and it is almost done. It is such a rush when I get a new card for my set!

Of course, I have no choice but to build my sets 1 card at a time! I would never be able to affordall the cards at one time!!!

Generally I'm exactly the same, Tim. Though I've found that small groups of cards go a long way to help the journey go by faster (and more affordably) the level of appreciation for the individual cards gets lost when they all come in together.

The same thing happened for me when I was collecting multiple things (e.g. T207, E-cards, Pirates), even with only one card at a time. I needed a singular focus to keep the appreciation and interest.

-- Mike

[Runscott]

I collect my favorite cards from many sets, working my way down to lower-priced cards until there's nothing else that interests me in the set. Some sets only have a few cards that interest me, like E90-1, while T206 and OJ have a lot. I can't imagine trying to complete a complete set of anything, other than something small like E95/E96.

[BradH]

This past summer I took my 7-year-old son to his first card show. It was amazing and the dealers treated him great. He was fascinated by the early 70s basketball cards because of the big hair and great uniforms.

He used his money (with some help from his Dad) to purchase about a dozen 1971-72 Topps basketball. We've since gone to a couple more shows and for Christmas I bought him a nice lot of 30 cards from the set, mid-grade, mixed with stars and commons.

We are going to a show today and he asked me how I do my sets. I told him that I've done it both ways over the years, but with some of my expensive sets I have no choice but to do it piece by piece.

He said he wants to finish his set a few cards at a time because, "I can't wait to go to the next card show with you and find a few more cards for my set."

Made me realize that for him it's the process, but that the time we share is the most important part.

BTW - he refers to the 71-72s as the "George Peeples" set because that's the first card he bought. Crazy kid.

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by BradH

This past summer I took my 7-year-old son to his first card show. It was amazing and the dealers treated him great. He was fascinated by the early 70s basketball cards because of the big hair and great uniforms.

He used his money (with some help from his Dad) to purchase about a dozen 1971-72 Topps basketball. We've since gone to a couple more shows and for Christmas I bought him a nice lot of 30 cards from the set, mid-grade, mixed with stars and commons.

We are going to a show today and he asked me how I do my sets. I told him that I've done it both ways over the years, but with some of my expensive sets I have no choice but to do it piece by piece.

He said he wants to finish his set a few cards at a time because, "I can't wait to go to the next card show with you and find a few more cards for my set."

Made me realize that for him it's the process, but that the time we share is the most important part.

BTW - he refers to the 71-72s as the "George Peeples" set because that's the first card he bought. Crazy kid.

Congratulations, you are very lucky......I hope you can continue to nuture that common interest as he grows older.