Set building 101...
oaktown
Posts: 366
I've been surveying the boards for some time now, and have finally decided to get involved. I'm looking at starting a set and I was just curious what's the best way to begin. After choosing the set to build, do most people go out and try to get any card (regardless of grade) just to fill the set, or focus on only getting higher graded cards? And as far as star/HOFer cards...would you leave those to the end due to abundance of them or get them earlier due build your set's "strength"??
Any help would be greatly appreciated...
Any help would be greatly appreciated...
0
Comments
1) Which set you want to build
- How large a set do you want to go after
- Which set within that set size is your favorite
- Can you build that set within your budget
2) Determine what minimum grade you'd be satisfied with (keeping budget in mind)
3) How patient will you be in building your set? Typically, the more aggressive you are in completing the set, the more you'll need to spend to get those cards.
The most challenging cards are usually the low pop commons. With a few exceptions, you can usually find the star cards through eBay, dealer inventory or card shows. So I would recommend being more patient on finding the star cards and more aggressive when you see a rare common for sale. This assumes that you are building a high grade set. If you are building a lower grade set (NM or worse for pre-1972), EX or worse for prewar), then even the tough commons should be easy to locate. If you are building a low grade set, you may have to submit cards yourself as the larger submitters usually don't bother grading out mid to low grade cards.
By the wya, if you are most concerned with accelerating up the set ranking quickly, then focusing on the star cards early will help you race up the charts. Just be advised that the last 10% or so is usually the most difficult, so you're set progression may stall for a while as you try to find the tough cards.
Good luck with your set.
I collect 1966 Topps baseball. About 10% of this set is PSA 7 or higher. I'm 28 cards away from total completion. Once I complete the set, I'm going upgrade it so all cards that have a $25 or higher price tag are in PSA 7 or higher with no qualifiers. This includes all the star cards, league leader cards and the entire high card series. When I accomplish this I will register my set. Then I'm moving on to 1963, but that is another story...
I am also working on a Pete Rose Basic set in PSA 8 or higher. Everything from 1977 to present must be PSA 9 or higher. Everything earlier than that must be PSA 8. I think I can complete this set in all PSA relatively quickly so this is the my main PSA set that I have registered and enjoy watching my set go up in the rankings (I'm number 11 right now). I think starting with a player set is challenging for someone new like me but not too challenging. I'm thinking about collecting Stan Musial and Ernie Banks PSA Basic sets because they have the most awesome smiles in baseball.
cheers,
minibeers
1963T Dodgers in 8s
Pre-war Brooklyn 5s or higher
I gotta give some credit to the marketers at PSA. The Registry service is a stroke of genius really. I believe it brings in collectors that wouldn't necessarily be interested in completing an entire set. To be ranked among other collectors across the country adds a little drama collecting.
Oaktown,
Welcome to the boards!!
I would echo the advice given above.I would also say that you could save money by taking advantage of the large auction houses to buy in quantities.You can buy 10-30% of your set at a discount if you have the capital and are patient.If you are looking to go PSA 8 or high and collect pre 60's,be prepared to spend at least 20K+ if buying already graded.You may want to try grading yourself,but be careful as most raw cards that are selling on e-bay are overgraded.The definate key to building a set is be patient.Don't get caught up in the"gotta have it"mentality.
Vic
Welcome to the boards and good luck with your set! The '55 set is
one of the best baseball sets of all time (in my book). If you don't
already have access to it, I'd suggest that you get access to the
complete population report for this set. This will help you figure
out which cards are the tough or low pop commons. If you have no way
to get this info, just drop me an email and I can send it. The pop
report is a useful tool.
gemint said:
> Just be advised that the last 10% or so is usually the most difficult,
> so you're set progression may stall for a while as you try to find the
> tough cards.
This is so true. I am going through a "stall" myself w/ 7 cards to go...
Chuck
loth