1977, 1979, 1980 or 1981 Topps Baseball PSA 9+

SOM

Which one of those sets would be the "easiest" to complete in PSA 9? Does the price of the 77's balance off the fact that there are 66 less cards to find? Does 1979 have the most difficult low pop's? Or, is that true of the 1980 set? Is the 1981 set a complete waste of time? Any secrets you can share with me on any of those years?

I realize that none of these questions have anything to do with the "true" collecting of baseball cards; just assume that I like all of those sets, and want to collect them all...eventually.

But, for today...what is the advice of the Board?

Thanks!!

Nick

downgoesfrazier

1980 by a wide margin would be the easiest. No set is a waste of time if you enjoy it! 77 & 79 would be markedly more difficult than 80 & 81.


dgf

RobE

Nobody has completed the 80 set yet.

jaxxr

Rob E Bass, my good pal, mere total completion is not the only factor. Some collecters only save stars and perhaps their favorite team in graded form, nice raw copies will suffice for the rest of the set.

You do have the finest all-time 1980 set, alsmost complete, but no one has completed the 1987 set either !!!

1980 is considered by many to be the last year of vintage due to Topps' monoply ending the following year.
This makes it more populated than any set issued after. The desire to get a gem Rickey copy also drives the interest. The clean design makes it a bit more attractive to most collectors when compared to 1979 for instance. In 2005 it will reach the general publics' perception of vintage ( 25 or more Yrs old ) and then perhaps more will try to complete the set.

I have some personal experience with over 4000 raw unopened cards from each year 1977 thru and including 1981 ( Topps only for 81). While many of these cards have come and gone, and I did not use grade-ability logic untill the last 4 or 5 years, I can give a unbiased, unscientific, un-provable ranking of the realative toughness in solid 8 or better shape. I believe nines and higher could be affected greatly by the popularity of the set and particular players so just going for high-end 8s and better in my ramble....

All these cards were bought about two years after they were printed. Overall the hardest in consistent solid NM / MT or better shape is the 1979 set. Next hardest would be the 77 one. The 1980 set is in the middle, the 1981 set next and the 1978 set the least difficult.

No set or particular card is easy by any means and there are plenty tough copies in each year. This is just my own opinion , but is based on large quantity "new" or unopened material evaluations. We all have different frames of reference and my idea of degree of toughness should not affecft anyones choice of choosing a set they enjoy.

Best of luck in whichever set you start SOM