Sets to start??

robr1967

I wanted to ask the opinion of everyone and see what you come up with.

I have been thinking of starting a new set. I am having a hard time trying to figure out what I want to do though, and in what grade. The minimum set grade I like to put together is PSA-8. In some cases though, I.e. a set in the mid 70's, I would only think of doing it in PSA-9.

So now my questions.

Would you rather do a set from your growing up years....i.e...ages 10-20.

Or would you rather do a set from the year you were born?

In my case, I have been thinking of doing a set from 1975. Just thinking though, that doesn't quite fit into my 10-20 year range though...lol. Anyhow, I have been thinking of doing these years. 1975 (mostly PSA-9).....1971 (PSA-8) 1967 (PSA-9 & PSA-8) Then I think of doing another set from like the 1950's? Maybe 1955 or 1956.

Your thoughts?

Rob Ruth

Vargha

Rob -- 1975 Topps isn't as easy (or cheap for that matter) as one might think to do in PSA 9. I do have over 250 remaining duplicates from Mike Castaldi's 1975 Topps set in almost entirely PSA 8 if you are interested, though. You or anyone else should e-mail me or PM me as several Registry members have laid claim to close to 100 of my duplicates so far.

mcastaldi

Rob> Here are some things to keep in mind that will generally apply to whichever set you build, regardless of the year. . .

* Make sure you really like the set. Any Topps issue from the 60s or 70s is going to be upwards of 600-700 cards. The 71 and 72 sets are closer to 800 cards. So regardless of what grade you decide to build it in, it's going to be a long haul. If you're not committed, you're going to have put a lot of money into it, get frustrated and give up. That doesn't sound like long-term enjoyment to me.
* Make the goals of your set challenging, but obtainable. Consider your budget, your level of persistence, your willingness to learn about the nuances of the set, and your willingness to submit your own cards. These will all affect what consititutes a "reasonable" goal for your set. Again, if your goals are unrealistic you're going to end up frustrated and disappointed.
* One of the first things to understand is that the other people building the set are your friends - not your enemies!!!! I don't care how many times someone may outbid you or compete for cards with you, these same people are your potential trading partners and the people best able to provide moral support along the way - and you WILL need moral support along the way.
* Of course you should set a GPA goal for your set - but - COLLECT CARDS AND NOT HOLDERS!!!! Anyone can go onto eBay and throw a lot of money around on PSA9s and 10s. It's a different matter to build a set with cards that meet YOUR criteria for the grade REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT SAYS ON THE HOLDER! Obviously, this won't show up in the registry standings but if you collect cards and not holders the fact that you know what you have is enough.

As David mentioned, the 1975 set is certainly doable but don't underestimate the undertaking. It took me nearly 2 years to assemble the set containing cards I was happy with. And if you're considering it in all PSA9, you should talk to Frank Smith and ask him how easy it is to build in PSA9 AND have every card truly worthy of the PSA9 grade.

Good luck with whatever set you decide to pursue. Completing any set from the 60s or 70s in all PSA8 or better is truly an accomplishment to be proud of.

Mike

qualitycards

MIKE - That was very well done, concise and informative. Every set builder should read this before they take the plunge...jay

ABBAdad

I agree with Jay. Very well said Mike. I think any set collector would benefit from Mike's post. I know I sometimes find myself collecting the grade on the holder rather than the card and when I receive it, I wonder why the card got the grade it did.

murcerfan

how about the 1955 topps all-american football set?

ABBAdad

Or how about 1971 Topps baseball in PSA 9+

CW

murcerfan suggested:

> how about the 1955 topps all-american football set?

Heh heh, I don't think Rob could handle that set.

Seriously, though, I personally like the '55 set -- a nice size
at 206 cards, the killer trio of RC's in Clemente, Koufax, and
Killebrew, not to mention the great set-ending Snider card.
The '56 set is a true classic, too, but obviously will be
more of a challenge at 342 cards. '56 has Mantle.
1967 is a fine choice also -- bigger and more of a monster set.
'67 has some of the finest photography topps ever produced.

Let us know once you decide, Rob! Judging by your killer AA
set, I'm sure your next set will be just as nice.

just collecting cardboard,
Chuck

robr1967

Murcerfan. hmmm....well the 1955 AA set is a really ugly set I think. Why anyone would want to collect that set is beyond me....lol

Chuck, I will keep ya posted at what I do. I am still unsure as to what I want to do though. Who knows, maybe I will just keep status quo.

Just recently, I sold my partial 1956 Topps FB set that I was working on. It was graded PSA-8, 9 & even a few PSA 10's.

Now I am trying to decide what to do with the money. My initial idea was to buy a different car. But now I am even having second thoughts about that. Hence possibly starting and collecting another set

murcerfan

OK Rob.
just teasing.
It's good to see you talking about something besides the virtues of the '55 AA
and yes, i even started a set, seems to have been "back-burnered" for now though.

I think CW's '55 suggestion is a very good one, I have nearly launched into that set on a few occasions, Mastro always seems to have some nice groups of these (don't know if they go "super-retail" or not).

Personally I look for three things: rarity, managable set size, desireability (however, beauty is in the eye of the beholder here) and lastly, I now look at how much competition there is on the set.
My collection continually moves towards more difficult and rarer sets. That said; perhaps the 1971 Kelloggs (silly error variations bug me on these), 1974 Deckle Edge (eye of the beholder thing again), 1971 Greatest Moments (stiff competition and need to be approached as a PSA 7 set), 1969 Topps Super (over-rated rarity and SMR). I also highly recommend the '62 Topps Football set, I have really had fun with this one, I started out thinking of just a psa 7 set and now My set and new found addiction has a 7.75 rating. Another great set, albeit off topic, is the '54-5 Topps Hockey, not all theat difficult to do in psa 8's (i'm sure there are a few toughies that pose a challenge though)

For my money, those humungous mainstream topps sets are prohibitive to collect in PSA slabs, despite all the found memories I have of collecting them way back when.

helionaut

I've been getting serious about starting a second major ( >100 card) set for over a year now, and still haven't settled on one. For me, there are four criteria of variable weight.

1) Do I like the design?
2) Is it a good checklist, including all or nearly all the major names and rookies that it should?
2a) Can I relate to them?
3) Is it affordable on, say, a 3-year timeframe?
3a) Is there a good chance that I could recoup at least a majority of the money I'll spend on it, if I should ever choose to sell?
4) Does it have hobby gravitas?

I chose the 75 set because it matches all those criteria pretty well. I like the design, it's got some players that started in the early 50s and others that retired in the mid-90s, so for someone like me born in 1970 it covers most of my life. I expect to reach 99% within the next year and then the upgrades begin. And yes, I think it has an important place in the hobby, though certainly nothing like a 51B, 52T, or major pre-war set.

Anything pre-war or from the 50s that I might want to attempt, except for 54 Red Hearts and small sets like that, are too expensive. 63 or 65 Topps were my next choices as they match up just as well in most cases, but they can get kind of pricey quickly, espcially if you stick with 8s, and I have a blank spot in my baseball history for the early-mid-60s. Though I love the designs, flipping through dozens and dozens of anonymous guys with brush cuts and sallow looks isn't always fun. Anything later in the 70s, 80s or 90s and you will have difficulty completing the set because there are very few people helping out, and the lack of resale potential. But that will change eventually. I think the 84F, 84D and 85D sets will one day be highly competitive and popular to complete. Maybe another 5 years. And I love the idea of a 1999 Bowman Chrome PSA 10 set.

I'm always picking up a card or two from various sets to see how I like them, and tracking trends on ebay. When I rule out a set, they are easy to flip, and I get my money back. I've accumulated about 1% from 3 or 4 sets this way, and single cards from several others, just to see what they look like in my hands. I haven't found that next magic combination yet.

RayBShotz

Robr1967 - Helionaut makes an excellent example at the end of his post regarding buying a few cards to get that "touchy;feely" approach going. Often, one of two things happen right away after you get your first 3 or 4 cards. One - you are astonished at just how nice a card from that specific issue can be! It drives you hard to "get entrenched" in that particular set, essentially justifying your initial feelings about trying it in the first place.... or Two- After getting a few cards in you hand it doesnt do it for you the way you thought it would, in which case just flip'em and there is no great loss.
I am currently doing this with quite a few 60's issues...buying up a few commons cheap and judging from there how they grab me. I, for one, love 60's issues. If funds were unlimited I would probably try them all, from 62' to 69' Baseball that is.

One way to vary this theme and taylor it to your needs might be to get the "touchy,feelies" with 2 or 3 issues that you have it personally narrowed down to in advance, and take it from there.
My 66'T Baseball set started this way and now I have almost 100 PSA cards.
Best of Luck.
RayB69Topps