The hardest thing about building sets is...

Buccaneer

THe hardest thing about building sets is...

determing which ones to focus on (and trying to keep your focus). I started back into collecting (i.e., set building) last year after a 15 year hiatus. I have learned a lot of things since then and the hardest thing was to figure what to do. Most (some?) of us, me included, have limited funds to devote to this hobby but it is so very easy to start grabbing everything you want. I started off that way last year and made quite a few mistakes. I then figured out that I had to focus my funds on a limited number of sets - and to keep that focus. When I started I knew I wanted to work on the Topps bb sets of the 1950s and 1960s (most the 1970s ones were done 20 years ago). Since I will be building sets with raw commons and graded stars (I still can't fathom paying for graded commons), I obviously couldn't be building all of them. The hardest part was to eliminate the sets that I love to build and only focus on those sets that I really love to build. For me, that will be the Topps bb sets of 1957, 1961, 1963, 1964 and 1965. That meant I had to eliminate the sets of the late 1960s (particularly the gorgeous 1967 set) and a few from the 1950s. I see deals all of the time on cards from those eliminated sets but I just can't because those 5 sets will be hard enough to do as they are. Can anyone relate?

Just sharing some thoughts...

regeden

I can sure relate. I am trying to put together the hardest set in the world. The T206 set. I have made many changes since I started, and I still just don't know how to build it. I started with just any of the cards in a 3 or better, but have since decided to go for 6s or better. I know I will never finish the set, but I sure have a great time doing it. I would love to start some other sets, but this set is just so much money. I just don't have the funds to start anything else.

Good luck with your sets!


My T206 set

Vargha

Most of us can relate.

perkdog

Buccaneer,
It's funny you started this thread cause I was going to start one on this subject as well. I have EXACTLY the same problem. I have started a 56 Topps baseball set and have been going out of my mind trying to stick with it. I am on a limited budget and spending binges are few and far between, that being said I should stick to the task at hand but I am a SUCKER for vintage football and baseball from various Topps and Bowman sets..ie..1952 football, 1953 football, 1954 football, 1952 Bowman baseball, 1953/54 Topps baseball, 1954 Bowman Baseball Oh yea 1956 Topps set.........It has been the most difficult thing for me. I dont know if I can ever have the strength to just collect ONE set. Veterans how do you do it?

67standup

I'm trying to build a run of OPC BB sets from 1965-1980. If I'm particularly fond of other issues (and there are many), I will try to obtain a sample, rather than go for the whole set. For most of us with limited funds and time, a little focus goes a long way. For quite sometime it was buy and buy with no finish line. I've got my Dahlen Brooklyn that I got for $6 as a kid, that's all I need to represent T206.

As Clint (and someone's signature line) states, "A man has got to know his limitations."

I'm impressed with the Player Set Registry, because it sets parameters, it creates a goal. Try collecting every Ryan, Yaz, Rose, etc., and you'll get into locks of hair and jock straps.

I enjoy the scarcity of Topps Venezuelans, but will no longer simply bid because there's one listed. Moreover, I will not attempt to complete a set. There are a number of sets that were part of my collecting youth - 1976-1979 football and baseball - so I do have complete sets of those.

I've been liquidating more recently and using funds for OPC and home improvement. I do have a very short list of big cards that I'll shoot for when they appear.

Lastly, I've found it to be quite exciting to build some of the OPC sets card by card, rather than to have purchased them complete.

magellan

As vargha said "most of us can relate". I started out the same way Buccaneer , all willy-nilly but have finally settled into 3 regular sets and 1 player set. For some of my other collecting tastes I do just as 67standup does & just buy 1 example from a set. It's working better that way but still far too much money going into this right now. If I'd only had more children when I was young.........

Dave

RayBShotz

Great post. My number one focus has always been my 1969 PSA Baseball Set. Over the past five years I have dabble briefly in other sets from the 40's, 50's 60's, and 70's. I have typically built up those efforts to anywhere from 5% to 25% complete and then bailed; mostly to raise finances to fund my continuing 69' effort.
Recently I find that the end of the challenge to complete that set will be near and I will defintely need a second set to get serious about to feed the need. I have found the set and will probably spend the rest of my mortal days pecking away at it.... the 1951 PSA Bowman baseball set. I really love this issue.

Bottom line is focus. It's hard to stay focused on just one or two sets with so many great opportunities to explore others. I did that. I held in my hands fine examples from some really nice issues; got the "touchie feelies" I would call it, and then cycled them back into my collection's collective focus. Turned cards into cash to buy the cards I came to buy in the first place.
Nothing wrong with that. In fact, I feel that those lttle foray's gave me a unique education about each issue I dabbled in. I find I know more collectively about different sets and can talk a decent game with other collectors about them because of my brief exposure and the research I did to absorb the nuances of each set along the way.

I find myself a little more focused now, but, but, .... oh yeah did I mention about my recent fascination with T-218 Champions :-)
Buccaneer - Collect what makes you happy.

RayBShotz

MorrellMan

Great post me bucco - I've found that while I am concentrating on completing this that or the other set, I am picking up little odds and ends that become the next set to focus on when I've completed what I'm working on now. Focus is absolutely necessary, but I find that if I don't stray just a little, I get bored. Straying, for me, means picking up little odds and ends, like this, that have nothing to do with what I'm building at the time, but will eventually become something I'll want to complete. As I'm not a rigidly disciplined guy, neither is my collecting pattern - but both serve me well!

Buccaneer

I was going through some old threads and came across this one and chuckled. It is amazing how in the past 4 years, collecting goals have become a moving target. I think I understood what I was trying to say here and despite several diversions down a different path (mainly building slabbed sets), I took my frustrations here and acted upon them by not having to choose - but to build everything. For the price of what it cost to build one graded set, I could build 3-5 raw sets. That whay I don't have to choose (except to prioritize a little).

MCMLVTopps

Good post.

I'd sum it up with two words...money - patience

You can go for months on end without those few elusive cards showing up, then suddenly there they are. I am one card away from completing my 55T set (Teddy Ballgame in the Registry), and there are 66 of this particular card in PSA 7 somewhere out there. Haven't seen one in many months. I guess I'm closer than I was.

The other "criteria" is deciding to go for a PSA 7 or PSA 8 (this is prevalent in my situation), and may not apply to all sets. However, the money gap between a 7 and an 8 is in some cases thousands of dollars. For the life of me, I cannot discern the difference in some of the examples I've seen between the two grades. Must be some microscopic corner ding that the normal human eye (IMO) cannot really see. Thus, are we buying the slab for the extra few points in the Registry, feeding our ego, or just tossing money away?

When you have definitely decided to "go for it", I'd shoot for the most difficult cards in the set and get them as quickly as possible. Many commons will always remain as commons, although there are some exceptions. The tough ones get tougher.

Create a spreadsheet to track what you are doing and definitely join VCP, this will allow you to receive notifications when that elusive card comes up. You can also have various running totals of expenditures, and create formulas for Registry purposes. I did this with all 206 cards in the 55T set. When I won a card I simply colored it blue, this told me I had a card(s) coming and when the card arrived and I completed feedback, I colored the card back to black. Works for me.

GL all in collecting!!

Al

Flintboy

I am in the same boat....I have lost intrest in the 63 graded baseball I have been putting together. I am down to under 40 cards needed for the set. I want to try and put together a set from the 50,s for a change of pace. I am thinking about selling my 63 set to fund my new project. Anyone want a 1963 92% graded PSA set for about 70% of SMR ?????

MeteoriteGuy

I have focus...only it is limited to about 30 sets, a few player registries, and the odd ball here and there.

K

I just try to set limitations for myself. I put aside a certain amount of money every paycheck and if I don't spend it I roll it into the money from my next paycheck. Biggest problem I think when I started was not trying to buy everything that I saw. I can remember a few bidding wars on Ebay that I had been in where the price had jumped like 3 times as much as it should be. I just try to remember that there is always gonna be someone with more money then me and I can't try to outspend people that do.

Also I realized that you don't have to finish a set imediately. Part of what makes the hobby so fun is that you can go at it for years and always have room for improvement. Just because that POP 1 PSA 10 evades you doesn't mean that in a year or 2 from know there won't be another one.

Someone put it best already. It all comes down to Time and Money

Yankeeefan

I've lost interest in building large graded sets also. In about a tear's time I built a little over 1/2 of the 1960 Topps baseball (graded 7 and up), but have recently lost interest in the set. I'm about 95% complete with the 60 set raw and have decided to finish the set raw , sell off my graded 1960s and maybe start a small graded set and take a shot at a raw 1967 Topps set.

I noticed that I rarely take the graded cards out to look at them, preferring to look through the raw cards instead. So now I find myself looking for a small set or two to build in the Registry (of course I better buy quickly...if the wife sees my Paypal flush with $$, I'll be taking the us to DisneyWorld )

KalineFan

As 67Standup says.........OPC Baseball for me is tough as well.

Not only are there now people collecting the sets, but, now, all the Registry
Player sets list the OPC (and Ven's which are even tougher!) and those people
go after them with a vengence!

I am very glad I bought these early in the game:

1965 OPC
#099 Gil Hodges PSA 8 $10!
#134 World Series Game 3 Mantle's Clutch HR PSA 8 $150
#155 Roger Maris PSA 8 (Although I bought this raw) PSA 8 $65
#160 Roberto Clemente PSA 8 $165 (this is THEEEE biggest rip off ebay ever of any 1965 OPC already graded!)
#170 Hank Aaron PSA 8 $330
#176 Willie McCovey PSA 8 (Ok, it was an SGC 88) $50
#187 Casey Stengel PSA 8 $35
#198 Smoky Burgess PSA 8 $30 This is a very tough card
#220 Billy Williams PSA 8 $25
#250 Willie Mays PSA 8 $300

And quite a few commons in PSA 8 for $5-$15. Now, even some of the
commons go absolutely bonkers even in PSA 7. World Series cards and
Stars bring MOON MONEY! You never know, I guess that is what keeps
us all in the hunt?

Tony
KalineFan

fattymacs

I lack focus, I started by doing 56 Topps Reds and Tigers, then I switched to trying the whole set so I bought a bunch of those. Then a few 51 Bowmans caught my eye ( I only had one, a Warren Spahn) so I bought a few stars I liked, then started the set. Along came unopened wax, I'm now doing a run of the 70's. Then I got a good deal on a lot of 69 topps commons in nm-m, so I may do that set as well. Then I bought some 33 Goudeys (I always loved those cards, buying a few here and there may do the set minus Nap). I'm always buying Cincy Reds, esp. from the Big Red Machine era.

My focus stinks, but I can always find something to buy, my sig line says it all (for now)

perkdog

4 years ago I posted to this thread and my collecting goals have changed as well. I sold off all of my baseball and put it into Vintage Football. Even after I switched my collecting goals it has once again changed, I have since decided to focus on the 52 Bowman Large Football set instead of just buying every card that catches my eye, to prevent getting bored with going after just these cards I find that picking up a few 51 Bowman Football cards here and there helps when I get frustrated in not being able to find cards for my set.


Still alot of fun for me, and I strictly stick with PSA graded only.