What's the best way to build a set?

minibeers

Hi all,

I'm getting ready to move to a new set to collect in raw and graded form and just wanted to hear your thoughts on building sets. I'm moving from 1972 to 1971. I finished 1966 when I was a kid and I just finished it again a couple months ago. I plan on collecting all sets, one at a time, from my birth year (1966) to 1977 when I went beserk as a kid with BB cards. This was a dream of mine when I was 11 years old and I just decided to fulfill it over the coming years. I'll probably just buy everything in set form from 1973 through 1977, btw.

Anyway, I'm not rich or patient enough to go completely graded in my set building efforts, although I like picking up stars and high cards to protect my investment to a degree. Last year, I was appropriately "schooled" on building my 1966 set. Here is how I built it. I bought so called "NRMT" lots off ebay like crazy with varying results. I "cleansed" the set about 8 times before I finally got it to my minimum standards and then hand-picked the stars and high cards. Needless to say, I paid a hefty tuition for learning what today's grading standards are!

Please share your set building approaches, especially 1971 (yes, I'm an idiot, I know, I know)

mb

MorrellMan

MB - good topic. I started a 1956 Topps set a couple of months ago, and my strategy is pretty much the same. Buy commons in lots in the desired grade; for me, that's ex/mt or better. I buy the stars in PSA 6 as I can find them, making sure to be leisurely about it. I built my '63 set the same way. I found that I usually got the commons in the grade I wanted; but (and especially with mid '50s sets) star cards, from the same sellers and with the same grade description, didn't measure up - so, for me, PSA 6 stars.

perkdog

I am speaking from expierience here. I have NEVER completed a set either, so my advice to you is to think it over and then think it over again. Make sure your ready to commit to it through good times and bad, ie: buying that star player and buying lots and lots of no-name guys. I started a 56 set earlier in the year and got about 25% through it, buying about 85% of the HOF's and New York Teams, THEN I got tired of it and sold all of them and took a small sized $$ loss. Right now I am still floating around trying to figure out what I like best and stick with it....Im realizing I like everything!

Best of luck

helionaut

When you're talking about building a large Topps set that is fairly heavily traded, I think it's best to start out buying large graded lots first. I don't look at 1971s very often, but I imagine there are occasionally lots of a few dozen graded cards with high pops up for auction. These are good because they can jump-start your set with a nice completion percentage quickly, and usually for a bare minimum cost, saving the trouble of winning that many single auctions (and paying a lower postage charge), but it's really a mental thing. Next I go after low pops when they come up. With a well-defined set, the low pops are usually going to be trouble, so grab them when you can, but don't go nuts overpaying. Sooner or later you'll find one in your price range, but I just like acquiring them sooner. Stars are usually the highest pops, so they can usually be acquired at your leisure and at a price you're willing to pay. But if you're not going after a whole set, you probably would just stick with the stars to make a "skeletal" set. Maybe you'll get addicted enough to start adding musculature to the armature.

WinPitcher

the best way is whatever way works for you.
I have done (or should say am doing 2 sets graded) 65 topps baseball and mars attacks. I did my 55 topps set mostly raw but did the stars in graded form. my 52 bowman, 61, 75, 80 thru 91 (topps) are all raw. I also have a few non sport card sets that are for the time being raw but will one day have graded. doing sets that have 600 plus cards in them in graded form takes patience. as helio stated above i have tried to do exactly what he said. good luck to you in whatever approach you take.

Basilone

The one way NOT to build a set is to try an win every auction on eBay. You will be sorry later on when you get a true feel for the market price of the set. A good start is to low ball for the first 3 months (you may only win a few cards..but that is okay). In the meantime, take some time to study ebay prices for the rest of the cards. This will help you realize which cards are the toughies and who your competition in the set will be and their bidding patterns.

MorrellMan

<< <i>The one way NOT to build a set is to try an win every auction on eBay. You will be sorry later on when you get a true feel for the market price of the set. A good start is to low ball for the first 3 months (you may only win a few cards..but that is okay). In the meantime, take some time to study ebay prices for the rest of the cards. This will help you realize which cards are the toughies and who your competition in the set will be and their bidding patterns. >>



John makes a very good de facto point here - as someone stated in a different thread, eBay has changed the way we collect. The point of John's post that I picked up is that set building is no longer done at card shows, card shops, trading, etc. The source of all is eBay. Ditto what he says regarding patience. 3 months of diligent research is a minimum. Bottom feeding bids is good way of watching ebay action; you may even pick up some bargains.

Galveston

I have the one word answer to the dilemna over trying to complete those large Topps sets: "Kellogg's"

minibeers

Great info, gang! I learned a ton on my 1966 set. I'm sure I overpaid on it because I didn't approach it with patience. I also wasn't attuned to grading standards at the time. What a mental shift from 1980s standards!

The Kellogg's alternative is a good one but I have no fire burning to acquire any of them even though I had a ton when I was a kid. Another alternative is the 1963 Fleer set, which I completed in raw form minus the checklist in the seventies. I'm thinking of doing that one again in 8s since it wouldn't be such a long journey. I dunno, though. I love those 71s. Something about those in high-grade I love. I like the skeletal set idea. Where would you make the cut-off? All cards except commons? HOFamers?

I originally started collecting graded cards (PSA only at this point) so people would believe my cards were actually nearmint if I had to sell my 66 set for any reason. Since then, I've learned to appreciate NM/MT cards, especially centered ones.

I guess the reason I love collecting large sets is part for the thrill of the hunt, part for the thrill of a full mailbox every now and then, and partly (with raw cards) for the ritual of sorting and sleeving them. Love those Roop binders...

mb

jparchitectus

I can sure tell you that the last 10% of the set is brutal to finish

sjeanblanc

Minibeers,

Here are some questions you should have answers to for collecting a 1971 Topps set:

1) What condition or grade are you going for?

2) Buy graded or raw?


Info on question 1), if you're looking for graded 71's, PSA 10's are virtually non-existant, PSA 9's are tough to find as well and will run into the $100's for even commons, PSA 8's are fairly easy to find but based on population and who is in need your prices here will vary between $10-$80 for commons and $25-$300 for HOF's, PSA 7's are out there and will run you anywhere from $3-8 for commons and $8-150 for HOF's.

Info on question 2), if you're looking for raw cards, invest in a black light or UV lamp so that you will be able to inspect the cards for recoloring which is the biggest problem out there with raw 71's. Always look at the edges and make sure that there is no black at all on an edge, if there is the card was colored. If the edges don't share the same color shading you have encountered the second biggest problem with 71's and that is trimming. A trimmed edge on a 71 will be lighter in color than any untrimmed edge. 1971's also vary in size, the key again is to check the edges. Buying a nice 71 set on eBay is going to run you anywhere from $900-$2000 based on the overall condition of the set and who is selling it. I've seen 1971 raw lots on eBay and they are mostly crap. My advice is to buy complete sets and only buy from reputable sellers, otherwise you just set yourself up for buying the problem childs of the 1971 universe. Doing it this way your overall cost per card should be between $1.25 and $3.50.

Raw grades: This is subjective but its a guide that I have used for the 300-400 71's that I have had PSA grade.

Mint - centering at worst 55/45, 4 sharp corners, super surface gloss, a minor edge chip will still qualify, a minor fish eye print defect and no white show at any of the corners.

NM/MT - centering at worst 65/35, need at least two sharp corners with no corners being bent and no corner dings, minor touches of white at no more than two corners, edges can be rough, no creases or edge pinches (like from a rubber band) and a few fish eye print defects.

NM - centering at worst 75/25, need at least one sharp corner with no corners being bent but a minor ding is acceptable, minor touches of white at three corners, edges can be rough and a few fish eye print defects.

EX-MT - centering at worst 85/15, can have one bent corner, minor touches of white at all corners, edges can be rough and one edge pinch is acceptable, and the surface can be off black in color with multiple fish eye print defects.


I'll add some graded and raw scan examples a little later for you. Hope this is useful.

Scott J.

NickM

There is one 1971 HOFer who is extremely cheap in PSA 8 - Walter Alston (one of the highest population 8s in the set). Expect to pay less than $15 for him.

If you're willing to take OC cards, some of the sharpest and most beautiful '71s can be found that way - and since edge wear on the short edge (e.g., the 15 of 85/15) is especially noticeable on these cards, they will often present markedly better than an unqualified card in the same grade. High # 8(OC)s will be the cheapest way to get sharp high number cards.

Nick