Set building, what is your way of doing it?

arex

I guess at the end of the day I am a set builder at heart. When I got back into collecting cards I quickly put together, through vending boxes, 83-85 Fleer, 83-84 Topps, and am working on an 82 set. Im also going to be putting together a 79 set thanks to a deal with Burgundy, along with 81 too.

Now, my question is this: In putting together sets from the 70's (but can be earlier it doesnt matter) what methods do you find are the most successful? Obviously you have to buy the cards lol but outside of buying vending boxes how do you do it? Where do you look for the cards? Do you buy lots and then parse out the cards you want and resell the ones you dont?
do you try and find bulk boxes and then work the spares out?

Obviously just going out and buying a set is going to be faster and cheaper, but that isnt what I want to do per say.

Thanks in advance,
Arex

Smuggo

I have very little patience for a lot of unfinished projects, I ususally will buy multi-card lots and begin to assemble or buy a finished set which I believe as long as you are collecting lower end to mid-grade provides the most value.

corvette1340

If you are interested in starting a '78 set I just busted a really nice vending box. I'll probably have around 460+ left after subbing including some stars.

arex

<< <i>If you are interested in starting a '78 set I just busted a really nice vending box. I'll probably have around 460+ left after subbing including some stars. >>


Shoot be a PM!

itzagoner

focus, focus, focus, focus.......blur.

like the ancient Egyptians or the Romans, you must choose your goal and approach it with aplomb.....remember this moment, it may be one of the rare times you see the word "aplomb" being used here.

if a giant boulder doesn't fall on you, then you will remain capable of approaching completion, but you may not begin another project until this one is done......remind yourself that once you've built something, you can get people to live in it and run around in a bathing suit all day or just store stuff there for safekeeping, for instance, contraband.

if you take on multiple projects, you run the risk of becoming scatterbrained, diluted, overwhelmed and frustrated......don't get caught having drinks in a dimly lit club with a sultry stranger just because you want to relieve your stress, it might take on a life of its' own and your fantasies will become realities, be careful what you wish for.

what was the question?

arex

<< <i>focus, focus, focus, focus.......blur.

like the ancient Egyptians or the Romans, you must choose your goal and approach it with aplomb.....remember this moment, it may be one of the rare times you see the word "aplomb" being used here.

if a giant boulder doesn't fall on you, then you will remain capable of approaching completion, but you may not begin another project until this one is done......remind yourself that once you've built something, you can get people to live in it and run around in a bathing suit all day or just store stuff there for safekeeping, for instance, contraband.

if you take on multiple projects, you run the risk of becoming scatterbrained, diluted, overwhelmed and frustrated......don't get caught having drinks in a dimly lit club with a sultry stranger just because you want to relieve your stress, it might take on a life of its' own and your fantasies will become realities, be careful what you wish for.

what was the question? >>


I dont remember the question but I like your answer!

Estil

Well, instead of set building, I take (or took?) on an even bigger challenge; building a run of sets. Though for 1970s sets I try to get all the key cards PSA graded.

PowderedH2O

To answer your original question, I've always done it like this: If it is something that I can buy cheaply enough complete, I do that. If a set is under about $500, I figure with all of the postage I will spend chasing down cards, I am better off just buying it complete. For a bigger set I will buy a large lot. Then another one, and another. So, for example, when I was building my 1971 Topps Baseball set, I had about 2,000 cards. Then I sorted all of these out and kept the very best of each card. Then I went after the cards I needed. In most cases those were the star cards. I think it was about 35 cards. When I was all done, I had a couple boxes of duplicates of about 800 cards each. I sold them on ebay for about what I paid for them, minus shipping. I think I ended up with an Ex=Mt set for around $800. I don't know if that's good or bad, but that's how I did it. At this point I am done collecting raw sets. I am now just going after graded cards, and picking up raw new sets each year (but only Topps baseball and football).

Sam

5714Ks

<< <i>I dont remember the question but I like your answer! >>



no offense arex, but i alway read your posts with the voice will ferrell used for snl harry caray and this worked perfectly.

WinPitcher

Arex

I prefer to make my own sets too. I used to buy lots and pick through them choosing what I wanted

for my set and then listing the rest on ebay. I'd buy the star cards slabbed and crack many of them

depending on the set I was building. In some cases I found it was cheaper buying certain Hi numbered commons

and cracking them as well. Especially when i was doing the 66 set. I once built the 65 set in all PSA but found it too cumbersome.

Now I'll only do an all PSA set if it's 100 cards or less.

Even today, as you know, I'm filling in an 83 set that I started in 1983 with the cards you so generously sent!

In the end I build sets for fun and enjoyment buying one already done does not appeal to me.

Unless of course I can buy it and flip it, with the way Ebay is I don't see that happening anyway.

Good thread.

Steve

Brock21

In the old days...... I'd go to shows and pick through commons boxes for the cards.

Now..... When I was finishing the 71 and 72 sets, I bought big commons lots
on Ebay, and picked through them, usually about 1 in 4 was EX or better.

The low numbers are easiest that way, high numbers usuallly have to be
bought individually.