My pre-war card set brain dump - What set best suits my collecting likes and needs?
NeilDowney
Posts: 840 ✭✭
Hi Guys, I decided to do a pre-war card brain dump of my own. As many of you know, I have been dying to start a pre-war set. I just want to find a set that captures the pre-war era and can be completed in my lifetime on my budget. I have certain things that appeal to me as a collector.
Forget condition for now as I describe what I believe are the best qualities for a card set to have. This is a blueprint of my "Holy Grail" pre-war set. Besides the main player picture, I also enjoy looking at the background and seeing scenes from the time period or other players (like in action scenes). I like the cards to be colorful and bright. I'm really drawn to the "painted card" layout, which are to me - small works of art on cardboard. A colorful back with perhaps comics or trivia about the player is also a plus to make the cards more interesting.
Set size is a factor but a set with as many as 250+ cards is not out of the question based on just size. I want to shy away from a 250 card set with 40-50 name players and 200 guys that I never heard of before or will ever hear of again. It seems that a set size of 75-150 would have a greater percentage of good players vs no name players. I also seem to like a larger sized card versus a smaller card. I tend to think that you get more baseball content on a bigger card.
I am well aware that I have just described major points that the 1953 Topps and 1956 Topps sets have. I do love these two post-war sets. I already have a complete PSA graded 1956 set and a 1953 Topps set at 25% complete. I would be thrilled to find a pre-war set that excites me like these two sets do.
The only other set that has come close is the 1952 Bowman set but it's not pre-war. Perhaps if I never find a pre-war set that grabs me, then I'll give the 1952 Bowman set another try. As of now, I'm not giving up on the pre-war idea just yet.
I have the big book of vintage cards that lists and has pictures of almost all of the cards and sets from 1888-1956. I have looked this book over many times and doing research on all of the pre-war sets that appeal to me and might fit my long-term budget.
It was clear to me that the T-3 Turkey Red and the T-206 sets were the finest sets in the book but way out of my league. The 1933 Goudey set in really nice but it's so expensive to complete in even a PSA 3 or 4.
Three sets seem to have some of the things that I am looking for but none have enough of them to floor me. They are the 1934 Goudey, 1934-36 Diamond Stars and the 1941 Playball sets. The 1934 Goudey is the right set size and has good player content. It has decent player pictures but has really no background to speak. It is also a bit on the costly side even in a PSA 4.
The 1934-36 Diamond Stars are a good-sized set and has a better player content. Nicer player pictures but except for bright colors, most of them don't have a real background either. This set has 12 cards, which are doubled (97-108). That's 11% of the set, which is mostly a waste of time and money to collect. This set is affordable in a PSA 4 but I find that most PSA 4s look dirty or toned. PSA 5s look much better but are a bit out of my range.
The 1941 Playball set is the smallest and least costly set. Cards in the PSA 4 and even the PSA 5 range can be had with a little good timing. However, I found that most of the cards are brightly colored - they do seem somewhat hazy and the colors sometimes blend together. Decent overall player content but that doesn't seem like enough to catch me.
None of these sets have much of a back to speak of. I suppose that I could try a "Hall of Fame" set. I just don't think that I can own 230+ cards from all over the spectrum and feel like it is a real collection. I'd love to hear any thoughts to what I wrote in this post and any ideas that you might have to a pre-war set that I could sink my teeth into. Thanks for your time - Neil
Forget condition for now as I describe what I believe are the best qualities for a card set to have. This is a blueprint of my "Holy Grail" pre-war set. Besides the main player picture, I also enjoy looking at the background and seeing scenes from the time period or other players (like in action scenes). I like the cards to be colorful and bright. I'm really drawn to the "painted card" layout, which are to me - small works of art on cardboard. A colorful back with perhaps comics or trivia about the player is also a plus to make the cards more interesting.
Set size is a factor but a set with as many as 250+ cards is not out of the question based on just size. I want to shy away from a 250 card set with 40-50 name players and 200 guys that I never heard of before or will ever hear of again. It seems that a set size of 75-150 would have a greater percentage of good players vs no name players. I also seem to like a larger sized card versus a smaller card. I tend to think that you get more baseball content on a bigger card.
I am well aware that I have just described major points that the 1953 Topps and 1956 Topps sets have. I do love these two post-war sets. I already have a complete PSA graded 1956 set and a 1953 Topps set at 25% complete. I would be thrilled to find a pre-war set that excites me like these two sets do.
The only other set that has come close is the 1952 Bowman set but it's not pre-war. Perhaps if I never find a pre-war set that grabs me, then I'll give the 1952 Bowman set another try. As of now, I'm not giving up on the pre-war idea just yet.
I have the big book of vintage cards that lists and has pictures of almost all of the cards and sets from 1888-1956. I have looked this book over many times and doing research on all of the pre-war sets that appeal to me and might fit my long-term budget.
It was clear to me that the T-3 Turkey Red and the T-206 sets were the finest sets in the book but way out of my league. The 1933 Goudey set in really nice but it's so expensive to complete in even a PSA 3 or 4.
Three sets seem to have some of the things that I am looking for but none have enough of them to floor me. They are the 1934 Goudey, 1934-36 Diamond Stars and the 1941 Playball sets. The 1934 Goudey is the right set size and has good player content. It has decent player pictures but has really no background to speak. It is also a bit on the costly side even in a PSA 4.
The 1934-36 Diamond Stars are a good-sized set and has a better player content. Nicer player pictures but except for bright colors, most of them don't have a real background either. This set has 12 cards, which are doubled (97-108). That's 11% of the set, which is mostly a waste of time and money to collect. This set is affordable in a PSA 4 but I find that most PSA 4s look dirty or toned. PSA 5s look much better but are a bit out of my range.
The 1941 Playball set is the smallest and least costly set. Cards in the PSA 4 and even the PSA 5 range can be had with a little good timing. However, I found that most of the cards are brightly colored - they do seem somewhat hazy and the colors sometimes blend together. Decent overall player content but that doesn't seem like enough to catch me.
None of these sets have much of a back to speak of. I suppose that I could try a "Hall of Fame" set. I just don't think that I can own 230+ cards from all over the spectrum and feel like it is a real collection. I'd love to hear any thoughts to what I wrote in this post and any ideas that you might have to a pre-war set that I could sink my teeth into. Thanks for your time - Neil
0
Comments
thanks for your thoughts. i am in nearly the same situation. I have tried several pre war sets, but have never stuck to one and have always sold them off at the end. i tried the diamond stars set....33 goudey....and then the 41 double plays (which was a cheap set...fewer cards...and had a lot of the top stars from that era (not to mention the rizzuto rookie)).
I am actually in a tight situation in terms of money. I am entering grad school this fall...so, i dont have the time or money to spend on cards. So, i have liquidated some of my cards (a lot were really hard to let go) and have focused on solely getting the cards i find most valuable to me (my recent and probably last purchase for the time being...unless i can get my hands on an affordable t206 cobb red or bat on shoulder card....was the aaron 54 rookie).
Given the above and after doing some research, I have decided the following:
Continue to pursue my 51 bowman set
Not pursue a prewar set for the moment. The two ideal sets i would like to start collecting are the t206s and the e90s....two very popular sets with continued increases in market price. Once i get myself situated financially, i can then pursue these two sets. At the moment, i am only pursuing a t206 cobb.
Now, in your case...it seems like you're situated financially and ready to pursue a pre war set in a low condition.
If you're looking for sets that typify the pre war era that match some of your conditions, these sets come to my mind
T206
T205
Cracker Jacks
33 Goudey
39 Playball
but, all of these are likely out of your price range.
Check out some of the E-cards. Those cards are in small to medium sets, are beautiful to look at..and contain some of the top players of that era. They are in the t206 design....but do not carry as much prestige or monetary value. The Obaks (not cabinets, but the later ones) are also attractive and are of larger size.
Personally, i think diamond stars are the way to go. Just my opinion.
Good luck.
even though you are obviously a set collector...type sets really give a nice sense of history, different artwork, players etc.
you could aim for commons instead of HOF and spend a little bit on condition that way you get nice clean examples.
its a fantastic way to find out more about all kinds of sets and eventually settle with the one you prefer the most.
Its also a safe way to balance put money in cards without risking too much since you have so many different cards you can weather a couple of cards going down on value.
Groucho Marx
how about a nice non-sports set...great artwork, decent prices
Groucho Marx
I was in this same predicament when I started back into collecting baseball. Like others I started a few sets and lost interest and sold them. Then I finally took the plunge and started a HOF set and tried to get cards from as many different sets as possible. It has been a lot of fun because I can collect the set any way I want.
Like you, I also wanted to collect a complete pre war set, but I could not make up my mind, so I decided on 4 different sets, all from 1936.
The sets are 1936 Goudey, Goudey Wide Pen Premiums, National Chicle Fine Pens and R311 Premiums. All have great B & W photos, which I love. The Wide Pens and the Fine Pens are postcard sized and the photos really show the character of the player. The R311s are 6 by 8 inches and have great backgrounds, especially in the team photos. The regular 1936 Goudey is a small set with a great selection of players.
Both the Wide Pens and Fine Pens feature Joe DiMaggio's rookie card. The player selection across the board is awesome with the aforementioned DiMaggio, Rogers Hornsby, Pie Traynor, Dizzy Dean, Mickey Cochrane, Hank Greenberg, Al Simmons and Jimmie Foxx. There are even some "Old-Timers" cards in the Fine Pens set like Connie Mack, John McGraw and Honus Wagner. Overall these sets are loaded with HOFers.
These sets are relatively inexpensive, the photography is great and I really love collecting them. If you want, you can see some of them at my site: Collectible Paper
When you get there, just click on the bottom right hand button in the photo album to see the full sized photos with captions.
Walt
The T201 set was the first one that came to mind. Plenty of action shots, HOFers, no real toughies, readily available, unique design, only 50 to complete, and ya got 100 players + action shots (and lots of color).
Keith