Do you collect complete sets or individual cards?

RonBurgundy

This is the eternal debate with me. Do I go for complete sets or just limit my pursuits to certain cards? I've been on a complete set kick for awhile but am thinking about changing directions, just doing a couple sets and focusing on individual cards in other years.......

Curious how you all approach your collections.

akuracy503

For me there is always a lure to having a set, however my collecting style or personality doesnt allow me to finish what I start.
I get caught up in having key individual cards that make the most sense $ wise, easier resale, easier storage and what seems like less risk $.

I am generally most satisfied owning key cards vs sets.

Thought is if I can dump $3k on a specific card vs a set, i'll take the single $3k card.

hookem

Individual cards. Have not bought a complete set in about 17 years.

JeffD27177

With few exceptions, singles over sets.

I'm with akuracy503, I just have trouble spending $100's-1000's on common players, some of who I've never heard of before.
It's nice to have a complete set, but I've never been able to justify the time and cost to have so many cards I care so little about on their own.

lightningboy

Changed directions myself late last year. Started selling off complete sets of baseball/football from mid 70's along with partial sets from the 60's and tons of graded/raw rookies and Hall of Famers from the 1960's on to focus on key vintage cards. So far I have a Leaf Robinson rookie SGC 86, a T206 Cobb (bat on) PSA 4, Ruth Goudey PSA 4.5, 1951 Bowman Mantle PSA 5, 1958 Jim Brown PSA 7, 1986 Jordan PSA 8 and I have a 1933 Sports King Bobby Jones PSA 7 in transit. My goal is simply not to use any of our family income (this way our kids still get to eat every day).

Having fun zeroing in on a few cards at a time and trying to get an Ebay steal/deal.

daddymc

From a return on investment standpoint, key cards are probably the way to go. From a fun and challenge standpoint, I prefer set building or player collecting. I try to do a little of both.

Edit to add: There is a certain personal satisfaction I get from sitting down with a self-built raw set in a binder and leafing through it on a quiet afternoon.

halosfan

For me the decision to do a complete set, or just a few singles, depends on the size and nature of the set.

BunchOBull

I'm a player collector mostly. Between my Thomas and Clemente collections, my hobby funds are pretty much tied up. I do enjoy collecting unopened wax runs and raw, low-mid grade vintage sets.

If I'm purchasing vintage singles, I lean toward graded. If I'm building sets, it's raw.

Estil

Everyone here knows I do complete sets.

leadoff4

Whatever the best deal is at the time... I think investment-wise that both can be good decisions.

ymarea

Complete sets all the way for me. I recently bought a 1957 Klusewski, just because it looked great for the grade and was priced reasonably. Well, that's all it took. Now I'm building the complete set and incurring much debt in the process. I'm very weak.

mccardguy1

I am a complete set guy and also have gotten into grading the last 10 years. I compromise so I don't spend a stupid amount of money on commons. I keep the commons raw and go for the HOF'ers or the key cards in graded form. That way I have the fun of collecting the full set without the expense of the graded commons but still protect my "investment" with the addition of the graded stars and keys.

I am doing one set in full graded form because its the 1st set I put together as a 9 year old and thats the 1973 Topps baseball set all in PSA 8. Fortunately that set does not have a huge amount of expensive cards and I have been picking up commons at 2 bucks each. This set has really put the fun back into collecting for me, brought back a huge amount of memories and has not killed me on cost. It will take me 5 years to finish but its going to be fun!!

hobart4281

I'm kind of all over the board....I have been working on completing/upgrading my Dallas Cowboys team sets but have recently been adding other key cards to my collection.

Additionally, I am only 90 cards shy of completeing a raw set of 75 Topps FB in Nm condition...

Sportsamerica

I am more of a complete set guy.. I currently have all sets from 1975 to current baseball (raw). Working on some graded now. I don't have "favorite" players, so player collections doesn't do anything for me.

I try to have a few sets going at one time, so as I get "tired" of looking for, I can switch up every once in a while. With older sets (pre-1970) I lean more to having them graded, since buying online for condition is very risky..

wrongleg

I have always been a set collector. I quit in the mid 90's but started up again about 3 years ago. Finished 64,65,67,70-73 in that time. I have 64-67,70-95,04-08 complete sets. Also recently completed an all PSA 1978 Topps set. Only about 50 cards from completing 68 set and 60 or so high numbers from completing 52 set.

hammered

In my personal collection, I have lots of raw sets, most of them I built myself, and I am always upgrading them
I also collect single cards of future and current HOFers (raw and graded) and try to focus on value

mittec

I have fought with this for 30 years of collecting and it all comes down to what I like at the time,recently have been into auto cards,certifed and some TTM which I have great success with.Focusing more on vintage cards as they will probably hold their value over time compared to the mass produced shiny cards of today.The autographed cards even commons give a more personal touch and sending them out to players to sign in the mail for only the cost of a stamp or 2 gives me something in my mail box all time to get excited about.

Brock21

My current collecting interest is collecting cards of the top 15 St. Louis Cardinals at each position all time plus
the top 50 starting pitchers and top 15 relief pitchers.

I am also finishing up a Lou Brock collection, but there are almost none of his cards left I do not have.

bigwilli

I like to have both . I feel even if there isnt money to be make on a complete set , I feel I am not done until the set
is complete. I do pick up a few player cards however . Chipper Jones , Ozzie Smith , Manny Ramirez and Cal Ripken Jr.

PoppaJ

Collecting sets never appealed to me at all. Back when I was a youngster, most kids only collected cards of their favorite player or idol. I was pretty lucky to have had friends, to trade with, that preferred players like Williams, Berra, and Ford, instead of the Mick. I've been a Mickey Mantle card collector since 1955. Over the past 55 years, I've only parted with one of my Mantles. In fact, it was an autographed 1958 Topps #487 Mickey Mantle that I recently sold to a board member, Mike Farson. The card was graded a PSA 7, and the sig a PSA/DNA Authentic Signature.

This hobby has endured because of the many diverse and interesting reasons why people collect what they do. Whether it's a favorite player, a favorite team, or maybe all players that wore the same number; card collecting has endured generations after generations.

Great thread, Ron!
PoppaJ

SDSportsFan

I was a staunch complete-set collecter until the early 90's. At that point, due to all the different sets coming out, each one with their own serial-numbered inserts, I switched to collecting certain players, although with no hope of having a complete collection of any of the players I did/do choose to collect


Steve

sdkcp

Personally, I like to collect both! Of course I like the junk stuff for the most part so it is very easy to have a complete set of something like 87 Topps Baseball and have key singles from it as well.

One of my goals is to complete a Master Set of 1989 Pro Set Football because of all the errors and variations, and because I loved it so much as a teenager. I am very close, but there are still some errors that are a bit hard to find. But then of course, I have a lot of the key singles in my individual cards boxes.

On top of that, I also look for team sets of my favorites, so I have a blend of all 3 in my collection: complete sets, team sets, and individual cards.

Recently I just bought a complete set AND a random lot of Three's Company cards from the same eBay seller. I'm keeping the complete set in an Ultra Pro case, and then I cherry-picked some individual cards (especially some stickers) to put in my individual card collection. I know it's a non-sports set, but that's the mentality of how my recent collecting has gone.

frankhardy

I just don't get it. You guys collect little cardboard pictures of ball players. So, so childish. When are you guys gonna grow up?



My collection is mainly Cardinals team sets that fill up 16 albums. I also have complete Topps base sets from the present back to 1975. I have a bunch of singles that I accumulated, but none that I actively collect.

flatfoot816

I collect way too much stuff. I used to collect rookie cards (like everyone else)...no longer do. Mainstream sets are way to big for me to collect card by card...I need it done NOW! So I collect the smaller sets...'64 Stand Ups, Greatest Moments, '69 Supers, etc.

When I can I try to grab a complete set at auction in reasonably high grade. Last was 2 years ago. Got a really nice '67 BB Set about 70% NrMt/Mt with many graded. Paid a handsome price, which is why I have not bought another one since then.

Sideplate

Sets, sets and only sets. I have a driving force that compels me to complete the set. The grades are not nearly as important as a complete set (within reason). I just don’t have enough admiration for any one player. But the entire year...that’s a different story. To me, the unknown common player is just as important as the star player. I just wish they all cost the same!!

ymarea

Sideplate,

You are a collector after my own heart. I feel the same way. I get just as excited finding a nice looking Turk Lown as I do acquiring a Duke Snider of similar quality.

Kdog08

I just collect cards that I like.

itzagoner

always enjoyed imploding completed sets.

lately, building them has been much more enjoyable.

heritage

I'm a set collector all the way but i do have some singles also.

MeteoriteGuy

I am about 50/50. I guess I would just be a set collector if not for collecting Steve Young (everything) and Tony Gonzalez (Game Used and Low Numbered Inserts).

Brick

Mostly set builder but pick up occasional bargains. 1955 Topps Baseball completed, needing upgrdes. 1960 Topps Baseball about 100 cards short of completion. Hope to finish in the next few years.

zep33

Sets, Red Sox ink and Dice-K singles

Indy78

I'm a set collector all the way. In card collecting, I'm a fan of a set design rather than any particular player. I prefer completed sets, but I also have no problems with having a very nice partial set of a design I really like in place of a completed set that in my view would be too expensive or time-consuming for me. For example, I love the 1957 topps baseball card design, but I don't want to spend the money or physical/mental effort to complete it. Therefore, I'm okay with building that set partially with really nice low series "commons" and semi-stars that I pick up along the way at card shows.

TheHun

When I was a kid, I could afford a good number of packs each season (20 to 30 packs). But I never finished a set. As the Topps sets got bigger - from 500 cards to 700 + cards - it became increasing clear that I would never finish these sets.

I was lucky enough to be gifted a 1971 Kellogg's baseball and football sets. I like the idea of compact sets with many stars. So the only sets I would want are the Kellogg's. (still need 1970, 1972 and 1974 singles)

I have since finished the 1978 baseball and a few sets that I purchased complete in the 1980s.

I have always had had about 15 to 20 star players I collected - mostly players from the 1960s to 1980s.

My tastes and budget have changed. I now actively chase hockey and soccer and now trade from my huge baseball, basketball and football collection to aid my quest.

cheers

Reljac

For me it depends on what I can do with the item after built.

If I build a set, I want it in a binder (which isn't always a good idea), to be able to flip through and see the set is enjoyable.

If the set is just going to go in a cardboard box with a number and maker on the end of it, I'd rather just have the key cards graded.

I like to be able to flip through and see what i have.

I'm thinking about collecting low grade examples of some of the early sets PSA 1-3 ish, just so I can binder them and enjoy them.

cincyredlegs

I like to do both. The problem I run into is whether to spend my money on trying to complete a particular set (since I am always working on mulitple sets at once) or spend it on a nice HOF card. I also like to collect the commons as well but am not willing to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars for a low pop card.

Ron Burgandy doesn't help my set building when he puts his cards for sale on the boards here. Those 55's he has for sale are to die for.

Nathaniel1960

I collect lots in order to build sets. And I collect Clementes.

Beck6

I am a set guy, but have found that by buying lots of commons to start and then looking for the star cards in graded form feeds the player collector and key card guy in me. Something about not having all the cards from a specific year drives me crazy. 1969 football is the only set I keep breaking apart and upgrading to graded.

I still cannot pass up graded rookies of 80's baseball players though. I like busting the packs and finding a 10 as opposed to buying them outright.

smtjoy

I collect both- Clemente cards and working on a complete exhibit set run 1921-1966

VintageCardLover

im a sucker for old sets i think its relaxing to sort cards, put them in the binders and such and they are great to look at.