What Set Would You Collect?

Cyphilissb

Im trying to decide what set I want to collect after I finish my 96/97 Topps Chrome Basketball Set. Ive got it narrowed down to three sets, but i want to hear what set you would collect and why.

Basketball - 1986/87 Fleer - My Reason Would be the Awsome Rookie Line-UP
Basketball - 1971/72 Topps My Reason Would be that this set has the best design of any Basketball Set
Baseball - 1956 Topps- Great Card Design and I think it has just about every major star

I would be collecting the 86 Fleer in PSA 8 the 71 Topps in PSA 9 and the 56 Topps in PSA 7, if that matters to you.
I just want to hear your opinions so don't hold back.

RobE

In my dreams I collect 51B 52T 55-6T 61T 67 to 71T all baseball.

brucemo

The problem with doing '86 Fleer in PSA-8 is that shipping charges assume a lot of importance. If you can get a bunch of cards at once from a seller who will combine shipping, you can save a lot of money. It should be possible to do some major bottom feeding. Another problem is that the stuff doesn't have any inate value, with commons booking at like $2 raw, and lots of these are being graded all the time, so this is not a real good investment, if *that* matters.

'56 Topps baseball in 7 is very popular now. It will take much longer to do this than it will to do '86 Fleer. The populations are much smaller (you get 20-30 of each 7, as opposed to 120+ of each 8 in the '86 Fleer set). There are also 340 cards (354 with team variations) versus 132, and the commons cost more per card. If you get stuck and need to send some in yourself in order to complete the set, it will be harder to find good cards to send in.

It's a distinctly different challenge. Assuming you can afford it, if you do both simultaneously you will finish up the '86 Fleer much sooner, so if you are going to do both, you might want to do them simultaneously.

bruce

mikeschmidt

'56 Topps -- a vintage Near Mint set is something absolutely beautiful to behold.....

Plus, large card design, great players included, etc. makes the set all the better.

aconte

56 Topps in Psa 7.

aconte

mohiba

I've been reading the message boards for a couple of months, decided to join and its has been informative and fun. Thanks to all those who I've traded with so far. As sets go, if I had the major coin to drop, it would be in this order: '55 Topps, '56 Topps, then the '60 Topps, in my humble opinion, nothing presents better than the horizontal cards in true NM condition. As mikeschmidt stated it is truly something to behold. The 55 and 56 sets being oversize just makes it that much better.

PROMETHIUS88

stay away from the 86/87 fleer basketball!! there are enough of us doing it already!! lol! no, the 86 fleer is a great set, but i have to agree with brucemo...psa 8's will be readily available but maybe not worth much in the future. that is why i deceided to do mine in 9 or better. you'll pay at least $5 per for commons(psa 8) from most dealers and the 9's can be had for $10-12 right now. the 71/72 topps basketball set is a great looking set and the interest has really increased as of late...might still be some good buys out there and i'm sure there are lots of raw cards availble. 56 topps would be a great set! more $$$ but worth it in the long run. if i had the money and the patience, it would have to be the 58 topps set. (would be the 52, but i'm trying to be a little bit realistic!). the 58 with all it's variations and problems with centering would be a tough nut to crack...but fun. whatever you choose to do...good luck!! tim

mcdee2

I, like Mr. Promethius, am doing the 86-87 fleer set... I am in my mid-30's and grew up loving the NBA and those players featured in the set are players from my childhood.. my goals are a bit different then Promethius's... I am going for 9's in the "key cards" and 8's for the commons..but if I can pick up a nice 9 for a reasonable price.. then I will of course.. Also, my more favored players I am going for in 9 as well.. Clark Kellogg attended Ohio St. Univ. and I am a big buckeye fan.. therefor the couple extra bucks for a 9 is ok by me personally. I am doing this set because I LIKE the set... actually LOVE the set... no other reason really... aside from the Jordan it is fairly affordable and the set is smaller and I consider that to be an advantage in that sometimes its hard to keep focus on long term goals... Bruce makes a great point about combined shipping and bottom feeding.. use ebay to your advantage.. I just picked up 5 psa 8 commons for 8 bucks dlvd when I asked a seller for specifics regarding multiple items won.... As much as I would like to put together a 61-62 fleer set graded.. its not realistic for me.. a wife.. 3 young kids.. 2 dogs.. 2 car payments and a morgate put it out of my league... you have to decide for yourself if its reasonable to put together a high end set where you may find yourself competing for low pop. commons against multi-millionaires...

BobS

I'd like to start the 1956 set myself, so that gets my vote. The only problem is I'm already working on other sets I'd like to complete first. PSA 7/8 seems affordable, anyone out there care to estimate the outlay for a straight 7 and a straight 8 set?

This lot would have been a sweet start!!!!

AlanAllen

While the '86 Fleer BK set is a modern classic, I'd stay away from it in anything less than 9. There are just so many of them out there in mint or better; would you really be happy with a modern set in less than mint?

The '56 Topps is a great set too, but it's so large and so popular and so vintage that it would be the toughest of the three, monetarily and financially. OTOH, like 14 people have it in GPA 7.00+ 97%+, so your competition for the 7's could be less than otherwise expected.

I'd go with the '71 BK. It looks like basketball is your favorite sport, and you stated the '71 set has your favorite design. Plus, no one has a 100% set registered, and your 7.00 100% set would be #2 overall .

Joe

Cyphilissb

My dad and I work at the same company and when we went to lunch i started talking to him about this, he definetly said go with the 56 set, which is no surprise considering he was 11 when this set came out and was no doubt in the height of his card collecting. He liked the idea so much in fact that for the next 20 minutes he recapped every world series from the 50's and 60's. After he calmed down we went back to work. (Ain't Father Son Bonding over Baseball Grand?)

robstar

Although I am mainly a hockey collector, I have to say that 56' Topps Baseball is truly a classic.
In my opinion the set contains one of Mantles top 3 cards. Go for it.

Rob...

KING KELLOGG

56 Topps is a great choice....

But if you want a real challenge..Try the '71 Kellogg's BB in PSA 9. That'll keep you busy for a while.



Larry.

Cyphilissb

How did I know that was coming?

jaxxr

You of course must make the final and actual choice based on whatever your personal thoughts are at the time.

I do have an ungraded 56 Topps BB set in around ex + to NM raw grades. It's the last set in "odd' size ( are there any Penny sleeves available, not tall boys which don't work?? ) and is truly vintage by almost all standards. First set without Bowman competetion and last of the bigger size cards. The colors, the stars, the cardbacks, variations, checklists, and so on , things which were inserts in a chewing gum product, make this set a noble goal to collect in graded form, even PSA 6 would be quite nice, this set is just outstanding. I only wish I were dollar endowed so as to assemble one in graded form.

ngfred

I do agree that the 56 Topps is a great set. It has just about all the stars. I'm not a fan of horizontal cards, but that was a great design, and I don't mind the horizontal so much since the whole set is horizontal, except for the first 2 cards + checklist.

I brought this up before about the 56 Mantle, since the 56 Topps is a topic, does anyone get the impression that the Mantle portrait of the 56 Topps doesn't look like him (at first glance)?

Cyphilissb

Well guys thanks for all of the replies, and I think that I have gotten my list down to two with your help. I think I will hold off on the 86 fleer, now i have about 3-6 months while I finish my current set to think about the pro's and cons of the 71 bkb and 56 bb sets. When i start collecting one or the other I will let you guys know.

Guffy

King Kellogg is right about 71 Kelloggs baseball. Someday more collectors will take on the ultimate Kellogg's challenges: 1971 Baseball and football.

As for my vote in the 86 Fleer hoops vs 1956 topps baseball, it's 56 Topps in a landslide.

Cyphilissb

No no no, its 71 basketball vs. 56 Baseball. I have just recieved word from our Judges that 86 Fleer has just been mathematicaly eliminated.

Guffy

I don't think I could stand to look at the haircuts on the 71 basketball.

Tipem

Straight PSA 7 set went for $11,000+ on E-Bay about two weeks ago.