If you were to start 1 set today what would it be? Made up my mind.

wrighty

I'm thinking of starting my first Topps PSA graded set. What year would you start with and in what grade?

I'm going with the 1971 Topps Baseball Set graded 8 or better. Wish me luck and thanks for all the input. Jeff

augustaman

How 'bout one of the following baseball sets:
1971 PSA 7
1973 PSA 8
1974 PSA 8
I can start you out with over 20% of any the sets
listed above and you would be well on your way.
Let me know if interested.

hankcaddy

depends what sets you find most interesting and can afford
i would def. try to start with a bulk purchase to save funds, those early 70's sets are all nice choices, reasonable prices on classic cards.
they are large sets though, need to have the commitment to them

hank

mmsportscards

1981 topps in hi-end meaning buy the card not the hoder......

1954

Depends on your budget and what you like. For the best value in building a set I would suggest buying a complete set that you can work on. You will save a lot of money doing it this way.

Shane

calaban7

If you are looking to get a nice return on your money , buy rare vintage that doesn't lose alot of its value. Normally this requires being in the right place at the right time. It also requires working knowledge of what you are looking for ( rareity , value , condition , etc... ). It also normally requires "Deep Pockets " , as there are always others that are looking for the same find.

If you are collecting for fun , pick a set that you have always liked. Then look for the grade you can afford . I am collecting sets for my 5 sons. I have a great feeling that theses sets will mean nothing to them , when it becomes theirs. I , at this time , try to buy the highest grades available , which is usually 10's and the harder 9's. I have a 1966 Topps baseball and a 1970 set that the 9's are VERY pricey . I'm okay with 8's and the 9's I can afford for those two sets.

All in all , its really about having fun , with a goal in mind , trying to keep in your budget.

Good luck with what ever you decide---- Sonny

PoppaJ

It would definitely be a VINTAGE set, especially since there are some nice affordable mid-grades out there. My personal favorite is the '53 Topps set, but I'd probably go with something much smaller like the 48-card multi-sport 1933 Goudey Sports King set that includes HOFers like Ruth, Cobb, Thorpe, Grange, Tunney etc.

I always question whether any of the 70s, 80s, or 90s sets will be worth the investment down the road? I'm not sure about the 70s or the low 80s stuff, but rest assured the 90s stuff is all future landfill. Yes, there will be a few exceptions, but not many.

Everybody seems to be ripping mid to late 70s, 80s and 90s stuff, which will probably result in higher POP counts of cards that are currently POP 1s, thus bringing their prices down significantly.

If you're NOT concerned with the grading cost of a modern set, versus what you'll get from it if you ever decide to sell it in the future, then I'd say go with a high-grade set that interests you. Maybe the year of a child's birth, or if you're young enough yourself, maybe your birth year.

My intention here is not to bash modern card collecting in its purest form, a hobby. I feel everybody should have a hobby and collect what they love. That's the way it was when I was a kid... for fun, not for profit. It's just that in the almost 60 years that I've been collecting sportscards, I've seen tons of people pay ridiculous prices for cards that are now garbage. How many threads have had modern collectors in their 30s and 40s talk about how much money they lost over the years on cards that they thought would be worth a bunch down the road? Many are still doing it today! Ask the vintage collectors the same questions. Vintage on the other hand has and will hold it's own over time.

Unfortunately, there are too many collectors out there today that do it for the money 1st, and as a hobby 2nd.

JMHO,
Good luck which ever road you choose!

PoppaJ

wrighty

Thanks for the input. I'm still in the "research" stage. Looking at SMR, E-Bay, pop reports, and recent auction realized prices at Heritage, Mile-High, etc. The three I like so far are 1957, 1962, and 1971. My collection currently is all raw and I don't trust my grading knowledge for submiting my raw cards for slabbing and very few would come back at the grades I would want anyway. Would love to complete in 8 and above but the wallet will most likely not allow. Keep the education coming.

hankcaddy

a great way to start a set also is do a team set from your fav team and year
good way to feel out your grading skills as well

JBKirscht

If I was to start a set today I would collect 1957 football. Because they hold there value have several HOF's, stars, Heisman winners, RC's in that year. 1957, 1962, 1971 are the years you like. What sport? Baseball, basketball, football or hockey?
I have extra football cards in some of those years. And very little baseball.
I personally like the older vintage, also. I guess it goes to personal interest of the individual and the availability of the cards. Some cards are rare and hard to get and takes time and is like a big challenge to find all of the cards you need to complete the set especially in high grade PSA 8,8.5,9 and sometimes a super rare PSA 10 in the 50+ year old vintage cards. Fun, time consuming, challenging and sometimes pure enjoyment. Sometimes expensive for the low pop high grade cards.

John

Brick

There are several variables to consider. To collect for personal enjoyment, perhaps purchasing the cards you had as a child is very different from collecting to turn into a profit one day. For me it is a hobby although one day I may sell my collection or my heirs will. If you want to complete a set you must take into account your budget. Some vintage sets have key cards that can be expensive and make that set hard to complete in a high grade. If cost is not a concern you can go for whatever floats your boat. Personally I enjoy buying the same cards I bought 50 years ago. I have completed 1955 Topps Baseball and am 90% with 1960 Topps Baseball. If I was to start another set it would probably be 1954 Topps PSA 3 to 5 or maybe 1957 mid grade, or has been suggested putting team sets of the Indians and Reds for the different years in the 50s. GL with whatever you decide.

PowderedH2O

If you are looking for PSA 8 or above, 1971 would be a challenge to say the least. As far as modern sets go, this has to be about as tough as it gets. Figure on spending quite a bit to achieve that one. You might be better off going for the 62's.

cougar701

Vintagecardprices.com can also be helpful for your research in pricing before you start out.

I personally do not have the pockets for ANY complete set in graded form....or the storage space in my house, However, it is a lot of fun in itself to attain an entire set raw in as nice of condition as you can find. I am currently working on a 1979, 1980, and 1981 Topps Baseball Set now in NM-MT+

The centering issues with those make it a challenge all by itself. Once you can gather all the cards together, getting them to NM-MT+ for each is another story. Even straight out of the packs, they are not always the desired condition with dinged corners, wax, gum, print marks/dots, etc...
To me, this is the hobby part of the game where the set in RAW condition is easy to leaf through in a binder and most easily accessible and fun to enjoy. This is also usually much less expensive and more work then just locating and buying a PSA 8 or 9 card for sale on ebay/auction house.

Something else to consider... In the holders, its tough to just look through 700+ cards. I have a couple of high ranking Basic Player Sets(Schmidt and Carlton) and those are far fewer cards then an entire set would be. I don't even get those out very often to look at them because of the storage hassles and they are frankly a little cumbersome to just pull apart and look through to enjoy. I have to enjoy the 'thought' that I own a 1965 Steve Carlton Rookie Card in PSA 9 and 'could' hold it in my hand anytime I want. I've thought about a display case that would mount on the wall, but even that is a tremendous amount of space to display the entire set, not to mention, a lot of money to build something that is customized/engineered to your suit your needs. Anytime I go to look into it, I end up using the money to buy another nice card that I feel is worth much more then a case to hold other cards. Gonna have to break down one day, but been avoiding it due to the obvious quandry.

Anyway, hopefully that gives you a little more to think about prior to beginning your endeavor into the sets you wish to collect.

You really can't go wrong on what you decide as the experience will have its pleasures either way.

Good Luck!

mcadams

1) I'd pick a set that you can afford to build in high grade. If you pick a vintage set that you can only afford in PSA 3,4 or 5, you'll always be tempted to improve it and thus destroy your budget. I like some of the 70's ideas that were expressed earlier that you perhaps you can target in 8's and above.
2) Get a set with some key RC of players that you love. There is nothing worse than investing a ton of cash in a set, but having the key cards in the set be of guys that you're not close to. If you're a George Brett guy, then work on 75 Topps. Build the sets that the key card is something you'll like to show off. I had this same discussion with a friend of mine recently who has always collected Warren Spahn, so he is now working on 48 Bowman as a result.
3) Pick a set that you may already own some of the key cards so your incremental cash outlay will be relatively less.
4) Consider RAW instead of grading if you really love the set, but $$ is a concern.


-Michael

bobsbbcards

Pick a set where the cost of the graded set (in the grade you choose) isn't significantly more than the cost of the raw set in similar condition. For example, putting together a nice '57 set in PSA 7 wouldn't be too hard and '57s in PSA 7 sell for close to the price of an accurately graded NM raw set.

1957 Topps PSA 7 (10/11/09 VCP Average) - $10,351.60
1957 Topps NM (2008 Standard Catalog) - $10,000.00
Multiplier (VCP / SCD) - 1.035

1962 Topps PSA 7 (10/11/09 VCP Average) - $9,449.89
1962 Topps NM (2008 Standard Catalog) - $5,500.00
Multiplier (VCP / SCD) - 1.718

1971 Topps PSA 7 (10/11/09 VCP Average) - $5,794.64
1971 Topps NM (2008 Standard Catalog) - $3,000.00
Multiplier (VCP / SCD) - 1.932

In my opinion, paying more than 2x the raw price for a graded card in the same condition doesn't make sense.

summerof68

Lots of great advice thus far from board members. I would recommend giving Poppaj's reply a good readover. His remarks are very insightful.

There is still alot of unopened material out there going back to 1968 resulting in increasing pops and falling prices on many low pop cards.

In this regard I like the '57 baseball set as the best of your three favorites. It offers price stability and will always be a favorite set with collectors because it was the first year of the modern sized card--not to mention those Brooklyn Dodger cards.

jeff8877

Bob,

Very interesting advice and analysis. I have looked at many ways to assess value but never the one you showed as an example.

Couple of questions...

What makes a raw set like the 57 set so close to the PSA 7 value versus the others??

Also, could you do the same analysis for the 54, 55, 56 sets. These are the three that I collect.

Thanks so much for the insight!

Jeff

leadoff4

I haven't been a VCP member in over a year. So, they do prices for sold NM and graded complete sets now?

wrighty

All great insight and advice. To respond to one comment I think you can collect as both a hobby and possible increase in value or at least hold in value. Looking through my current collection brings back fond memories of my mother who helped me collect cards as a kid. I would save all my paper route and lawn mowing money and my mother would drive me to local card shows held at the mall or in hotel meeting rooms. Every Easter she had packs of cards in my Easter Basket and every Christmas my stocking was full of cards. She would sneak my want lists out of my room to copy them and attend card shows on her own to get me the cards I needed and wrap them up for my birthday. Putting together a high grade set would not only be fun, a challenge, but I think something that would bring me back to those nights opening packs of cards with my mother at the kitchen table looking for those last cards needed to complete a set. Boy collecting was a lot easier back then.

Beck6

Here would be my sets per sport

Baseball: 1960: Started this one, but changed my mind. Alot of star power and reasonable in psa 6 or 7
Football: 1972: Very clean looking set, but the high series might make it almost impossible to complete in high grade
Basketball: 1977: Small set size and very easy and affordable to build with a fair amount of hall of famers. Robert Parish biggest rookie

Honorable Mention: 1968 Topps Baseball, 1969 Topps Football, 1953 Topps Baseball, 1981 Topps Basketball

Make sure you find a set you really enjoy and try and buy graded commons in lots of off ebay.

bobsbbcards

<< <i>I haven't been a VCP member in over a year. So, they do prices for sold NM and graded complete sets now? >>


No, the "set" prices I listed are just the sum of the average VCP prices for each of the cards that comprise the set (leaving out the scarcer/more expensive variations).

The fact that the 1957 set is very close in PSA 7 vs. raw is probably due more to the fact that the Standard Catalog price of raw '57s doesn't accurately reflect the market (i.e., they've priced them too high). Here's the same analysis for '54 through '56.

1954 Topps PSA 7 (10/11/09 VCP Average) - $14,639.08
1954 Topps NM (2008 Standard Catalog) - $9,250.00
Multiplier (VCP / SCD) - 1.583

1955 Topps PSA 7 (10/11/09 VCP Average) - $15,740.66
1955 Topps NM (2008 Standard Catalog) - $8,000.00
Multiplier (VCP / SCD) - 1.968

1956 Topps PSA 7 (10/11/09 VCP Average) - $12,345.28
1956 Topps NM (2008 Standard Catalog) - $9,000.00
Multiplier (VCP / SCD) - 1.372

bobsbbcards

...and here it is for 1958 through 1961:

1958 Topps PSA 7 (10/11/09 VCP Average) - $10,585.82
1958 Topps NM (2008 Standard Catalog) - $8,500.00
Multiplier (VCP / SCD) - 1.245

1959 Topps PSA 7 (10/11/09 VCP Average) - $10,849.80
1959 Topps NM (2008 Standard Catalog) - $6,500.00
Multiplier (VCP / SCD) - 1.669

1960 Topps PSA 7 (10/11/09 VCP Average) - $6,920.34
1960 Topps NM (2008 Standard Catalog) - $6,500.00
Multiplier (VCP / SCD) - 1.065

1961 Topps PSA 7 (10/11/09 VCP Average) - $8,301.91
1961 Topps NM (2008 Standard Catalog) - $7,500
Multiplier (VCP / SCD) - 1.107

weinhold

1957 Topps in PSA Near Mint 7 - to answer your original question. I assume you're talking baseball.

Of the three sets you've indicated some interest in, 1957 appears to be the best bet for a lot of reasons. As many graded collectors are also "collector / investors" since we all want appreciation of our cards, 1957 is smarter because the older issues tend to have fewer populations increases or "finds" of previously unknown cards. Note to the uninitiated: "finds" and POP increases can hinder price growth since prices are dictated on simple supply/demand economics. Poster "PoppaJ" was on the right track here.

1957 is also a popular, acclaimed issue since it broke ground as a Topps issue for design, photography, and standard card size. It's just loaded with stars of baseball's golden era - Ted Williams, Berra, Aaron, Mays, Mantle, Clemente, Snider, Koufax, on and on. That's even besides the key rookie cards of Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Drysdale, Bunning, Colavito, etc. Many PSA 7 commons can be had for a $20 spot.

Graded rather than raw is smart. Besides knowing you're not buying altered or trimmed cards this way, you actually make your set easier to view by placing your scans on the Set Registry. Few will physically flip through the 411 cards of this set manually, but countless hobbyists will flip through them virtually. You can also "view" your cards securely from anywhere, and share the link with others.

Finally, a subscription to VCP at www.vintagecardprices.com will more than pay for itself as you'll have the best information on cards' actual closing sales prices.

Good luck and let us know what you decide! -Keith

eagles33

i don't know much about baseball sets.. but i would go with 86 football.. great looking cards in my opinion. There are several HOF rookies and many other HOFers.. plus a few mid level rookies like andre reed, kosar, and boomer. i think its the best set of the 80s.. driven by the Rice, Young, white rookeis. Plus its fairly cheap to put together in a psa 8

Bunker

If I had to pick one baseball per decade I would do:

1984 Donruss PSA 9 and 10's
1971 Topps PSA 7's and 8's
1960 Topps PSA 6's and 7's
1957 Topps PSA 6's and 7's

cougar701

Good luck, Jeff!

Post your updates to your set on the Official 1971 Topps Baseball Discussion Thread to keep it alive as well as other folks may be able to assist you.

I have found that without many of the active members here, most of us would not be able to accomplish our set collecting goals.

...and sorry, you can't have my 1971 Steve Carlton PSA 8

fandango

collect a set that has NO UNOPENED MATERIAL

UNOPENED MATERIAL = FUTURE LOWER PRICES

benderbroeth

like the t205 set...lol

hammered

<< <i>collect a set that has NO UNOPENED MATERIAL

UNOPENED MATERIAL = FUTURE LOWER PRICES >>




And which set would that be?

Farmkidd

T205 would be my choice to start a new set. Two other sets I really like, but don't think I would like to put the effort into collecting are the 1956 Topps Presidents and the 1956 Flags of the World.

summerof68

"and which set would that be?"

Fandango was most likely making a general statement regarding the availability of unopened material.

From everything that I've seen being sold at all the major auction sites over the last seven years it appears that 1968 is the oldest year that unopened material still exist in (relative) large amounts compared to 1967 and earlier.

Lots of unopened vending and wax from '68 is still out there. Most of it probably can be attributed to Larry Fritsch who appears to have started packing away unopened material back in '68.

So baseball sets from '67 and before should likely see less increases in pops than from sets '68 and newer.

daddymc

From what I understand, there isn't much raw '71 Topps out there. The stuff that is out there is extremely pricey making the risk too high to rip IMO.

gemint

<< <i>I'm thinking of starting my first Topps PSA graded set. What year would you start with and in what grade?

I'm going with the 1971 Topps Baseball Set graded 8 or better. Wish me luck and thanks for all the input. Jeff >>



Congrats on your decision. By the way, I have the toughest card up for auction in PSA 9, #536 Claude Raymond. Ends tomorrow. Sorry for the shameful plug.