So I’ve narrowed my focus (I think): Now what? Thoughts and questions from a newbie collector

Rofles

I started out wanting to build a perfect 1990 topps traded set to get graded, but something just felt missing. It finally dawned on me when I pulled out my ‘81 and ‘82 Topps Baseball I’ve ripped: I love the older cards! So I went through some eBay auctions and bought some vintage common raw cards, from the 50’s to ‘75, of the 4 main sports. Then, I came across the 1970 topps basketball Tallboy cards, and THATS what I wanted to collect! For some reason I just think the cards look awesome! So, here are my pickups from this past week:

My big splurge card:

I am so fricking excited for these cards!!! Especially the West!! I know, I’m hoping for at least 1-2, or maybe even 3 10’s from this, but if it’s one thing I’ve learned from everyone here: don’t get my hopes up!

So, now what?
Well I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit. I’m planning on subbing these Tuesday, and I’m quite thrilled!

So, aside from counting the seconds until subs pop,
How do you pass the time in collecting? I’m planning on working a secondary set if I can find the right one at the right prices. My 2nd biggest interest I think would have to be 1960 Fleer; prices seem fairly decent based on what I’ve found for what I’m going for as far as raw.
I also have a decent chunk of ‘81 and ‘82 I’d like to submit, but am planing save up for a bulk shipment. Then there’s the B word to deal with: BUDGET. I find it incredibly easy to tap the buy or bid button and then realizing: “I spent HOW MUCH?!” Lol.
So, how did you manage (or control) yourself from going hog wild and buying anything and everything? Did you give yourself rules to follow? Advice going forward?
Well, if you made it this far, way to go! Thank you for taking the time to read this 🙂👍

I’d be happy sharing my 1960 Fleer too if anyone wants to see 👍

Thanks!

Blaine

Stone193

Hiya Blaine

Congratulations on narrowing the field - aka FOCUS.

Now BUDGET - I'm going to guess it's time to cool your jets a bit and make sure you aren't getting deep in debt.

On the 81 and 82T? I would check eBay - you might find it cheaper to buy the cards already graded than chance sending in cards and paying the grading fees? Just a thought.

On getting 10s? That's really tough - so I agree - temper your enthusiasm and just hope for the best buddy.

edit: remember "There's a thin line between a Hobby and Insanity"

Also, those cards look righteous!

lightningboy

Hi Blaine

As far as getting 10's on those 70 Basketball, that is gonna be very tough, as Stone said. One thing they do all have going for them regardless of the numerical grade they end up receiving, is great centering. If you are going to buy raw off Ebay, make sure you zoom in on scans to try and really determine what the card may grade ( will take trial and error - experience) and try to keep your bids to the going price of about 1 grade lower than that. You may not always win the auction, but it will give you a little cushion on the auctions that you do win.

I never saw the back side of those leaders cards for the 1970 basketball before. So that's where the idea for the backs of 72 baseball leaders cards came from.

Stone193

I never saw the back side of those leaders cards for the 1970 basketball before. So that's where the idea for the backs of 72 baseball leaders cards came from.

Me neither.

Had no idea - but then again - I don't collect Bkb.

slum22

Blaine, thanks for sharing and those are some beautiful cards. I collect basketball as well primarily and it is good to see how many basketball collectors are posting on here these days. You have received some sound advice from Mike and Matt above. Absolutely set a budget and stick with it (easier said than done). Take your time and learn. I promise there are plenty of cards in the sets that you are building to be purchased. If you miss an auction here or there in the name of staying on budget and learning then I think it will be worth it in the long run. I would definitely consider buying some already graded cards of the sets you are building to use as guides on how PSA grades those cards.

countdouglas

Undertaking a complete graded baseball set is an endeavor that can be fun and rewarding, but it does need to be a set that you love, as it will most likely be a many years' pursuit.

I aggressively pursued the 1975 Topps baseball set in all PSA 8 or better, having alerts set, checking eBay listings multiple times a day. And it still took me roughly 3 years!

As side projects, I undertook several sets from the 70s and 80s, devoting much more attention to them once the 75 set was complete. As it happens, my 2 sets that I'm furthest along with are the 81 and 82 Topps baseball, trying for PSA 9s or better. Those are much bigger sets, too, than the 75, with checklists of 726 and 792 cards. I'm at roughly 60 percent complete on the 81 and 33 percent complete on the 82. I'm probably 6 or 7 years in on both...so buckle in if those are the 2 that you decide to pursue.

One bit of advice on starting such large sets, is that I tend to break it up into smaller focus groups, so I can feel some small sense of accomplishment along the way. Otherwise, you could be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of what it is that you STILL don't have. Achieving little milestones along the way helps me not feel like the task is too big. I may focus first on the team checklists, or the All-Star cards, or league leaders and record breakers and highlights. Maybe my favorite team. Maybe the 2 World Series participants. Every player with the first name of Bill...make it whatever you want. I certainly do keep an eye out for deals on other cards in the set, in the meantime, but whatever "subset" I'm working on at the moment gets the most attention.

And of course, both as a positive and a detriment, I have many other things I like to collect, too. It definitely helps break up the monotony and frustration if things are going slow on your main set, but also takes away some of your budget that could have been allocated to that. Sometimes, though, breaks are necessary to avoid burnout. Whatever you decide to collect, and however you choose to pursue it, have fun with it, and as the cliche goes, it's not the destination that matters, it's the journey!

softparade

It took me four solid years to get to 99.8 % complete on my 1978 Topps baseball PSA 9 or better set. And that was going balls to the walls busting packs, multiple submissions , and purchasing already graded. This is a 726 card beast. Great advice all around already but I’d like to echo the thought that actual LOVE for the issue is a huge plus because that set is gonna be your 2nd wife for some time LOL. I don’t have the ambition to do another graded set. My goals have vastly changed since.... but it was so much fun, a great journey and I still upgrade the set when it makes sense to me!
Good Luck!

alifaxwa2

I budget by buying everything on a CC with a $2000 limit. Since I can only pay off a few hundred dollars a month without hurting the family budget, It controls my spending.
Of course, I have controlled by developing and sticking to my narrow focus.

kerryville

Stick to it and enjoy. It takes great focus to complete. Good luck.

nam812

You're off to a great start, and that Jerry West looks like a very sharp card.

Rofles

@Stone193 said:

Sage advice my friend!! Thanks so much!
@nam812

Thank you! I frickin love it 😁

@slum22
Thank you for the advice! Yeah staying on budget is an absolute challenge for a

@countdouglas
Thanks, I like the ideas! I like the 1970 set because it’s only (LOL) 174 cards, and since I’ve ripped a ton of 81 and 82 I’ll just submit what I find a few at a time. Or a bulk submission. I dunno. Lol. What are some key cards you’re looking for?

@softparade
Haha thanks! I’m definitely loving the journey thus far!

@alifaxwa2
That’s a fantastic way to go about it! That would work for me as well, now to convince the wife! LOL

@kerryville
Thanks! Loving it so far!

Thanks everyone! This is been a lot of fun and I enjoy seeing you all work on and pursue your collections!

sayheywyo

Very nice pick-ups. It would appear that you would be attempting to assemble a "high grade" PSA 8 or better set of the 1970 Topps basketball tall-boys. You've received some very good advice from members of this forum. I'm a newbie also but will offer my 2 cent input. First off, good choice for a set to build. Very doable in PSA 8. I believe basketball is under rated and under valued. Purchase a couple 8's and a 9 of commons to compare your raw cards to prior to submitting. Submit a "bulk submission" as nearly all cards would qualify for this level of service. Remember that 1970 is "vintage" and check the population report to realize that PSA 10's are popped at approximately 1/2 of 1%. Purchase or grade the "star" cards first----- there will always be a market for Maravich, Alcindor and Chamberlain if you loose interest in compiling the set. Budget: just like a 401K-- discipline, pay yourself first, patience and stay within your means without sacrificing "the family". Finally: collect what you like, like what you collect and enjoy the ride. Good luck and happy hunting.

jordangretzkyfan

Gorgeous cards and a great set to focus on...congrats on the new challenge and good luck on the upcoming sub!

doubledragon

@Rofles said:
I started out wanting to build a perfect 1990 topps traded set to get graded, but something just felt missing. It finally dawned on me when I pulled out my ‘81 and ‘82 Topps Baseball I’ve ripped: I love the older cards! So I went through some eBay auctions and bought some vintage common raw cards, from the 50’s to ‘75, of the 4 main sports. Then, I came across the 1970 topps basketball Tallboy cards, and THATS what I wanted to collect! For some reason I just think the cards look awesome! So, here are my pickups from this past week:

My big splurge card:

I am so fricking excited for these cards!!! Especially the West!! I know, I’m hoping for at least 1-2, or maybe even 3 10’s from this, but if it’s one thing I’ve learned from everyone here: don’t get my hopes up!

So, now what?
Well I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit. I’m planning on subbing these Tuesday, and I’m quite thrilled!

So, aside from counting the seconds until subs pop,
How do you pass the time in collecting? I’m planning on working a secondary set if I can find the right one at the right prices. My 2nd biggest interest I think would have to be 1960 Fleer; prices seem fairly decent based on what I’ve found for what I’m going for as far as raw.
I also have a decent chunk of ‘81 and ‘82 I’d like to submit, but am planing save up for a bulk shipment. Then there’s the B word to deal with: BUDGET. I find it incredibly easy to tap the buy or bid button and then realizing: “I spent HOW MUCH?!” Lol.
So, how did you manage (or control) yourself from going hog wild and buying anything and everything? Did you give yourself rules to follow? Advice going forward?
Well, if you made it this far, way to go! Thank you for taking the time to read this 🙂👍

I’d be happy sharing my 1960 Fleer too if anyone wants to see 👍

Thanks!

Blaine

I too am guilty of overspending. Budget is a word that I don't get along with at all. Budget and I hate each other!

softparade

@doubledragon said:

I too am guilty of overspending. Budget is a word that I don't get along with at all. Budget and I hate each other!

Budget Smudget YOLO

Not sound fiscal advice but I'm not a financial advisor

Stone193

Hiya Blaine

I did find a couple of 70s that I bought years ago. They were probably part of a lot since I don't collect them - or nobody was bidding and I threw in a min bid and won at an AH.

The weirdness on the right of Bradley's ear - scratch and rub in the holder.

tennesseebanker

@Stone193 said:
Hiya Blaine

I did find a couple of 70s that I bought years ago. They were probably part of a lot since I don't collect them - or nobody was bidding and I threw in a min bid and won at an AH.

The weirdness on the right of Bradley's ear - scratch and rub in the holder.

Senator Bradley Sir......... It is apparent you have been in collusion with a Russian Mole.

Stone193

Senator Bradley Sir......... It is apparent you have been in collusion with a Russian Mole.

Now that's funny.

Rofles

@Stone193 said:
Hiya Blaine

I did find a couple of 70s that I bought years ago. They were probably part of a lot since I don't collect them - or nobody was bidding and I threw in a min bid and won at an AH.

The weirdness on the right of Bradley's ear - scratch and rub in the holder.

![](https://us.v-cdn.net/6027503/uploads/editor/tt/8eso6s4m7eri.jpeg ""

Very nice! They look great! An 8 or better set I’d be thrilled with; I’m hoping to do this submitting all the Cards myself, but then again who knows? I’m half-winging it as I go 😂

countdouglas

@Rofles said:
@countdouglas
Thanks, I like the ideas! I like the 1970 set because it’s only (LOL) 174 cards, and since I’ve ripped a ton of 81 and 82 I’ll just submit what I find a few at a time. Or a bulk submission. I dunno. Lol. What are some key cards you’re looking for?

As for me? I have most of the "key cards". I'm still missing a few HOFers and some of the extremely low pop, but with around 300 cards still to get, I don't feel any urgency to chase specific ones at the moment. I just keep an eye out and pick my spots.

If you're asking which ones you should be looking for within your raw piles? Fernando Valenzuela is famously a top pop 9, with no 10s having been graded. Many of the other future stars cards are also top pop 9s, or very low pop 10s, as the backs are almost alway OC to a degree and the fronts have so much going on in regards to stray ink or out of focus headshots. The PSA 9 Harold Baines rookie jumped roughly 10x in price after the HOF vote, going from a routinely $15-$20 card to $150+. There is likely to be a lot of volatility in that price, and I expect it to come way down eventually, but he will always have HOF after his name which will keep it elevated somewhat. There are a number of cards in this set that are top pop 9s, the toughest being #18 Glenn Adams. For a long stretch, it was only a top pop 8, but I believe in the last 5 years there's been 3 get graded as 9s. You should look through the pop report to get a better handle on the tough cards of the no name players. This set is notorious for mushy card stock, lots of stray ink and PD and OC.

Here is a link to the "official" 1981 Topps baseball thread. A lot of these posts are from many years ago, so keep that in mind when reading about low or no pop cards and some of the stats, etc., but the general info can be extremely helpful if you decide to pursue this set.

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/633304/1981-topps-baseball-quot-official-quot-psa-thread/p1

Good luck!

Rofles

@countdouglas said:

@Rofles said:
@countdouglas
Thanks, I like the ideas! I like the 1970 set because it’s only (LOL) 174 cards, and since I’ve ripped a ton of 81 and 82 I’ll just submit what I find a few at a time. Or a bulk submission. I dunno. Lol. What are some key cards you’re looking for?

As for me? I have most of the "key cards". I'm still missing a few HOFers and some of the extremely low pop, but with around 300 cards still to get, I don't feel any urgency to chase specific ones at the moment. I just keep an eye out and pick my spots.

If you're asking which ones you should be looking for within your raw piles? Fernando Valenzuela is famously a top pop 9, with no 10s having been graded. Many of the other future stars cards are also top pop 9s, or very low pop 10s, as the backs are almost alway OC to a degree and the fronts have so much going on in regards to stray ink or out of focus headshots. The PSA 9 Harold Baines rookie jumped roughly 10x in price after the HOF vote, going from a routinely $15-$20 card to $150+. There is likely to be a lot of volatility in that price, and I expect it to come way down eventually, but he will always have HOF after his name which will keep it elevated somewhat. There are a number of cards in this set that are top pop 9s, the toughest being #18 Glenn Adams. For a long stretch, it was only a top pop 8, but I believe in the last 5 years there's been 3 get graded as 9s. You should look through the pop report to get a better handle on the tough cards of the no name players. This set is notorious for mushy card stock, lots of stray ink and PD and OC.

Here is a link to the "official" 1981 Topps baseball thread. A lot of these posts are from many years ago, so keep that in mind when reading about low or no pop cards and some of the stats, etc., but the general info can be extremely helpful if you decide to pursue this set.

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/633304/1981-topps-baseball-quot-official-quot-psa-thread/p1

Good luck!

Thanks for the Link! Yeah the ‘81’s have some of the worst issues for sure! I ripped a few cellos a while back and I had 4 or 5 cards in a row that were horrendously miscut! I’ve studied the PoP report too, and I’d wager to say 70-80% of this set has a gem mint 10 pop of under 10! (I made a list on my phone lol) so if you ever want to know lemme know! 😂

Rofles

@Rofles said:
@Stone193 said:

Sage advice my friend!! Thanks so much!
@nam812

Thank you! I frickin love it 😁

@slum22
Thank you for the advice! Yeah staying on budget is an absolute challenge for a

@countdouglas
Thanks, I like the ideas! I like the 1970 set because it’s only (LOL) 174 cards, and since I’ve ripped a ton of 81 and 82 I’ll just submit what I find a few at a time. Or a bulk submission. I dunno. Lol. What are some key cards you’re looking for?

@softparade
Haha thanks! I’m definitely loving the journey thus far!

@alifaxwa2
That’s a fantastic way to go about it! That would work for me as well, now to convince the wife! LOL

@kerryville
Thanks! Loving it so far!

Thanks everyone! This is been a lot of fun and I enjoy seeing you all work on and pursue your collections!

One more question; do I’ve exclusively bought these cards from Greg Morris; they’re all NRMT-mt or better; is he pretty spot on with his grades? Because these cards look stunning. I even busted out my loupe and on some of them I can’t find anything. So upon submitting would you say this would reflect his grading? Thanks!

53BKid

Great pickups. The West card is highly desirable. I started many years ago collecting the 70-71 set, buying multiple cards of many of the players. I also picked up some of the '69-'70s here and there, and within a little time began assembling that set as well.

My advice is to start with the short prints. Some of them are available only once in a while. There's one or two leader cards that very rarely appear on eBay, and when they do are either o/c, lower grade or go for top dollar. The prices of the keys steadily appreciated, and in my opinion are apt to continue for years to come.

I upgraded a number of cards through Greg Morris, and then in one night of auctions sold off the duplicates I had accumulated over the years.

PROMETHIUS88

Good choice of sets. I wasn't a huge basketball fan but I loved the tall boys. Realized I couldn't afford the 69's in PSA 8 at the time so I decided to build the 70's in 8 or better. Didn't realize how many years it would take. I sold my entire graded set off maybe 7 years ago now and regret that I did. The prices on some of those have continued to go up and up. There are some good suggestions here. First off, I would suggest looking at just buying some of the cards in 8 or 9 already slabbed. While I haven't followed the prices recently, I'm sure that you can still get a lot of the commons at good prices. As far as you thinking about subbing and getting 10's......I wish you the best of luck, but it's not going to happen. I'm not saying this to be an a-hole, I'm saying this so you don't get your hopes up. Even some of the sp's in 8 are difficult much less in 9. I think I waited for about 5 years to find a #4 card in PSA 8 and at the time it cost me more than my Maravich 8. Buying raw on Ebay is always a crap shoot and I'm always a skeptic and figure if they are that nice and not altered, there's probably a reason why they aren't already in a holder. I would agree with another member above....slow the roll a little. Send some in to have them graded then see what happens when they come back. If all is good, hit it a little harder. Keep your eyes open for those sp's because there are going to be lots of others doing the same. If you overpay, who cares.....those cards are hard to get and they won't get easier down the road. Remember, while it's great to have the set completed, enjoy the ride....that's the best part. I mean, if you rush to complete the set, then it's a total let down because you have to find something else to obsess over, lol!!
Best of luck with the set. You will enjoy the ride!

Rofles

@han_soto said:
@Rofles

curious as to what you are using for the blue background on the front scans. i think it really makes them pop and thinking i need to use a similar/brighter background for some of the modern scans.

my black background setting drowns out alot of the color chromed cards.

Alas, they are not my scans; they are from the auction; I have them in my possession, I just gotta figure out how to use my scanner. LOL

Rofles

@PROMETHIUS88 said:
Good choice of sets. I wasn't a huge basketball fan but I loved the tall boys. Realized I couldn't afford the 69's in PSA 8 at the time so I decided to build the 70's in 8 or better. Didn't realize how many years it would take. I sold my entire graded set off maybe 7 years ago now and regret that I did. The prices on some of those have continued to go up and up. There are some good suggestions here. First off, I would suggest looking at just buying some of the cards in 8 or 9 already slabbed. While I haven't followed the prices recently, I'm sure that you can still get a lot of the commons at good prices. As far as you thinking about subbing and getting 10's......I wish you the best of luck, but it's not going to happen. I'm not saying this to be an a-hole, I'm saying this so you don't get your hopes up. Even some of the sp's in 8 are difficult much less in 9. I think I waited for about 5 years to find a #4 card in PSA 8 and at the time it cost me more than my Maravich 8. Buying raw on Ebay is always a crap shoot and I'm always a skeptic and figure if they are that nice and not altered, there's probably a reason why they aren't already in a holder. I would agree with another member above....slow the roll a little. Send some in to have them graded then see what happens when they come back. If all is good, hit it a little harder. Keep your eyes open for those sp's because there are going to be lots of others doing the same. If you overpay, who cares.....those cards are hard to get and they won't get easier down the road. Remember, while it's great to have the set completed, enjoy the ride....that's the best part. I mean, if you rush to complete the set, then it's a total let down because you have to find something else to obsess over, lol!!
Best of luck with the set. You will enjoy the ride!

Thank you for posting this; I DEFINITELY needed to read this! I definitely can get carried away lol. I am absolutely loving this too! I honestly haven’t been this happy in such a long time! I just have to be patient now 😎

Rofles

@han_soto LOOL
Maybe tape a piece of blue construction paper to the inner lid of your scanner perhaps!

NGS428

@Rofles said:

@han_soto said:
@Rofles

curious as to what you are using for the blue background on the front scans. i think it really makes them pop and thinking i need to use a similar/brighter background for some of the modern scans.

my black background setting drowns out alot of the color chromed cards.

Alas, they are not my scans; they are from the auction; I have them in my possession, I just gotta figure out how to use my scanner. LOL

I have a scanner guide and in my signature. It covers Epson scanner primarily, but the techniques apply to all scanners.

Good luck!

DBesse27

Alot of strong advice on this thread. In my experience, narrowing your focus will exponentially increase your enjoyment of the hobby. And it's friendlier on the wallet too.