Anybody ever tried to put together a complete Topps Refractors set?

frankhardy

This thread will be sort of two fold. One, to discuss Topps Refractors and the difficulty of putting together a set/team set. Second, to show my list of cards I need to complete my Cardinals team set run.

Anybody ever tried to put together a complete Topps Refractors set or a team set run? I am finding the 1996 to present team set run to be very challenging. Have any of you ever tried to put together a complete set from one year or a complete team set run from 1996 to present? My quest has been especially complicated since I had 3 Pujols rookies to get (the Traded green border, the Traded w/ Ichiro, and the Late Addition Gold Holofoil). Plus, it makes it extra complicated/expensive when I have tons of McGwires to get from the late 1990's and they are always overpriced. Don't these sellers on Beckett and Ebay know that McGwire took steroids and his values have taken a hit? I finally found someone willing to part with what I needed for a reasonable price

I am also finding that the 2001 Topps Retrofractors are especially tough to find. Not sure why they called them Retrofractors either instead of just regular Refractors.

If anybody has any, please let me know. Here is what I need to finish up my run of 1996 to 2010 Topps Chrome Refractors Cardinals Team Sets.

2001 Topps Retrofractors

#146 Fernando Tatis
#211 Rick Ankiel
#302 Mark McGwire Golden Moments
#325 Will Clark Highlights
#424 Placido Polanco
#648 Cardinals Team

vladguerrero

I'm a big fan of the 1995 Bowman's Best Refractors (Topps Product). It has a awesome player selection (RC and Stars), is very condition sensitive (centering and refractor lines), and offers a challenge to complete even though it's only 195 cards. I have multiple sets and I'm always working on more.

CDsNuts has done a lot of Refractor sets in the past.

Yeah, I just paid $30 for a McGwire '95 Bow Best Refractor off the Beckett Marketplace, I think technically it 'books' $40 but was hoping to get it for a less.

Like a bird attracted to a shiny piece of foil, i think collectors will always be drawn to refractors. Bump for Refractor love!

jivan

the only refractor set i put together was football..2005 topps all american set of 91 cards..have 3 of these sets and were real tough to do as there are tons of team/college collectors.....

cadets68

There is a guy that I have traded with on another site that has been building master sets of of the Bowman Chrome refractors. I believe he does every color except the 1/1's. I am pretty sure he has completed a bunch of them over the years.

His user name is pfosset

Not sure if this helps. But there is at least one person that does refractor sets.

Shawn

PS The retrofractors have a cardboard back, like heritage cards. That is the difference. The were very tough at the time. I have Joel/Irvin Guzman the former Dodger prospect. It still books at $100.

CDsNuts

I've completed some and I'm working on others. They are definitely tough, but not impossible. For example, in 94 Finest FB I've been waiting on 2 cards for over a year (Art Monk and Derrick Thomas). I know they will eventually pop up so I'm not stressed, but if someone put them on ebay with a $20 BIN for each I wouldn't think twice about pulling the trigger. 93 Finest baseball and basketball have a bunch of SP's that are tough. The rest of the 1994-1999 base sets (Finest, BBest and Chrome) are fairly plentiful, it's just a matter of monitoring ebay, beckett, checkoutmycards and sportlots.

TheCARDKid

I've been thinking about putting together a 93/94 Topps Refractor set. Reason being,

-I like early 90's basketball inserts (team leader, total d)
-Good mix of rookie's and sp's
-Good design (I prefer it over 94/95).

So far I have the wilkins, worthy and a few commons, not much of a start. I think it'd be interesting to put it together through card shops, ebay, private transactions. I don't know. I wish I bought more boxes last year for $40 from BBCE. Now, they're $80-100 on ebay. Are there many condition issues with 93/94 basketball?

frankhardy

I actually have not even thought about the Finest or the Bowman Refractors. Mine are simply the Topps Chrome Refractors which started in 1996.

CDsNuts

So far I have the wilkins, worthy and a few commons, not much of a start. I think it'd be interesting to put it together through card shops, ebay, private transactions. I don't know. I wish I bought more boxes last year for $40 from BBCE. Now, they're $80-100 on ebay. Are there many condition issues with 93/94 basketball?

$40 is cheap for boxes, but you're still only looking at 4 refs per box on avg, so $10 per refractor. And from what I heard, some of the tougher SP's were never inserted into packs, rather they were either backdoored or sold in aftermarket 'assortment' packs to retailers. There are only a handful of refs that go for over $15, so I think it's still cheaper to piece it together by buying lots and singles. I don't think you really missed out, although it definitely would be a fun rip that would take you back in time.

It's a fun set and probably the most challenging of the 93-96 early refractor era due to the SPs. Plus it sells in the $700-$800 range right now so it'll actually be worth something when you complete it (as opposed to something like 94 BBest or 95 Finest football).

saucywombat

I've go the 93 and 94 baseball done. Very close on 95.

Have the complete 94 football.

If anyone is building a set let me know I can probably help.

PhilG

I’ve collected a few 93 Finest refractors. At last count I have 2844 of them.

Phil

VitoCo1972

I would think a set like 96-97 Finest basketball would be pretty close to impossible to put together in refractors. The Silver and Gold SPs are hard enough to find (one of the most fun and challenging sets I've done). If I had to find the refractors I'd probably go nuts. What year did they actually start numbering them? I remember seeing the 93 BB ones once and if I wasn't really looking I think I could have missed them very easily when sorting.

TheCARDKid

<< <i>So far I have the wilkins, worthy and a few commons, not much of a start. I think it'd be interesting to put it together through card shops, ebay, private transactions. I don't know. I wish I bought more boxes last year for $40 from BBCE. Now, they're $80-100 on ebay. Are there many condition issues with 93/94 basketball?

$40 is cheap for boxes, but you're still only looking at 4 refs per box on avg, so $10 per refractor. And from what I heard, some of the tougher SP's were never inserted into packs, rather they were either backdoored or sold in aftermarket 'assortment' packs to retailers. There are only a handful of refs that go for over $15, so I think it's still cheaper to piece it together by buying lots and singles. I don't think you really missed out, although it definitely would be a fun rip that would take you back in time.

It's a fun set and probably the most challenging of the 93-96 early refractor era due to the SPs. Plus it sells in the $700-$800 range right now so it'll actually be worth something when you complete it (as opposed to something like 94 BBest or 95 Finest football). >>



Yeah, $40 was a bargain. I'd like to pull a Jordan or Bird refractor (or Webber or Hardaway). I gave up on 92/93 Stadium Club Beam Team...trying to pull a Shaq or Jordan. Much easier just to buy those individuality.

I don't know much about the SP refractors. The set was way too much money for me in 94 or 95 when it was really hot. What did the set peak at? I think the Jordan and Hardaway use to be $300 or $400 a piece. The 94/95 Jordan use to be $800?

It'd give me a reason to go to more card shops, esp on vacations or something. And say, I pieced the whole thing together. I think a lot of those early 90's sets will hold their value. Aren't there two different types of boxes for 93/94 topps finest? One of them is 24 packs a box, 6 cards a pack? Then there's a jumbo box.

Does anyone own any of the 95/96 orange border refractors? Weren't there less than 100 each of those, or 300?

vladguerrero

My impression has always been the orange bordered were back doored, cool for player collectors but a set doesn't get me terribly excited.

I just picked up a 1995 Finest Refractor #228 Hideo Nomo RC which does not have the designated REFRACTOR marking... more rare or less rare? The Nomo Bowman's Best and Finest Refractors sell for quit a bit on Ebay...

RoarIn84

I am 3 cards into my 1993 Finest Refractor set and I think I may abandon it!! These cards have never cooled off and are too expensive for me. The demand is shockingly high for this old set and seems to be climbing by the day.

frankhardy

HELP!!!!

I found the 2001 Will Clark and the 1998 and 1999 McGwire. The problem is with 2001's.

Can someone help me find those Refractors I need from 2001? I am beginning to wonder if these cards exist!

yankeeno7

Im sure you have already done this but I will suggest it anyway.....did you check sportlots.com, checkoutmycards.com and beckett marketplace?

frankhardy

Yes, I have checked them all out and have been checking for a while. I have not checked checkoutmycards.com in a while, but the other 2 I check all the time.

frankhardy

I just got a 2001 Topps Chrome Retrofractors Gold Rainbow Holofoil Albert Pujols off an Ebay auction.

I still need those others listed at the top. Does nobody collect these?

frankhardy

Can anybody at least point me in the right direction? I am having no luck finding these.

alnavman

I have had refractors graded here and there over the years but have only completed one set. I am in the process of having them all graded and here is my recent submission that just popped with several of them in it. I currently have the #1 set on the registry for this set and my goal is to have the rest of my already in hand refractor set graded and completed by the end of year. al.

1 1 18602338 GEM MINT 10 1989 FLEER 21 MICHAEL JORDAN Card US
2 1 18602339 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1967 TOPPS 120 JOHN HADL Card US
3 1 18602340 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1967 TOPPS 98 JOE NAMATH Card US
4 1 18602341 MINT 9 1995 BOWMAN'S BEST BB14 BRIAN LEETCH REFRACTOR Card US
5 1 18602342 MINT 9 1995 BOWMAN'S BEST BB15 PAUL KARIYA REFRACTOR Card US
6 1 18602343 MINT 9 1995 BOWMAN'S BEST BB18 ERIC DAZE REFRACTOR Card US
7 1 18602344 MINT 9 1995 BOWMAN'S BEST BB17 SAKU KOIVU REFRACTOR Card US
8 1 18602345 GEM MINT 10 1995 BOWMAN'S BEST BB12 SERGEI FEDOROV REFRACTOR Card US
9 1 18602346 MINT 9 1995 BOWMAN'S BEST BB11 JOE SAKIC REFRACTOR Card US
10 1 18602347 MINT 9 1995 BOWMAN'S BEST BB9 ALEXANDER MOGILNY REFRACTOR Card US
11 1 18602348 MINT 9 1995 BOWMAN'S BEST BB4 SCOTT STEVENS REFRACTOR Card US
12 1 18602349 MINT 9 1995 BOWMAN'S BEST BB8 MARTIN BRODEUR REFRACTOR Card US
13 1 18602350 MINT 9 1995 BOWMAN'S BEST BB27 CORY STILLMAN REFRACTOR Card US
14 1 18602351 GEM MINT 10 1995 BOWMAN'S BEST BB6 MARK MESSIER REFRACTOR Card US
15 1 18602352 GEM MINT 10 1995 BOWMAN'S BEST BB30 TODD BERTUZZI REFRACTOR Card US

frankhardy

Just bought the Garrett Stephenson. Now, I just need these -

2001 Topps Retrofractors

#81 Will Clark
#146 Fernando Tatis
#211 Rick Ankiel
#302 Mark McGwire Golden Moments
#325 Will Clark Highlights
#424 Placido Polanco
#648 Cardinals Team

handyman

I hope to some day. Refractors were the first real insert that I ever enjoyed as a kid. But that was ovetaken by many different and confusing inserts to come. I will always have a place for refractors pre 1995. 1994 FB ref. will be the set for me later on.

CDsNuts

I need a 1994 Finest Derrick Thomas refractor to complete my set if anybody has one.

vladguerrero

CDs I thought for sure I've seen the Thomas card pop up on my searches for 1995 Bowman's Best Baseball, is it rare or you are looking to get one for under $1.75 shipped!?

frankhardy

Just got the #81 Will Clark. Now I just need these below. I'm am slowly chipping away, but I really would appreciate any help in finding these.

2001 Topps Retrofractors

#146 Fernando Tatis
#211 Rick Ankiel
#302 Mark McGwire Golden Moments
#325 Will Clark Highlights
#424 Placido Polanco
#648 Cardinals Team

hhmag70

I just finished this years Finest BB #/549 refractor set, about half way on a second one also.

alnavman

I'm still working on my hockey set, unfortunately money has been tight and haven't had chance to get any more graded.....al.

gecko109

Im working on a 100 card set of gold refractors from 2011 Topps Finest UFC. They are numbered to 88 so they arent too hard to find, but still a modest challenge to complete a set.

jfkheat

I almost completed the 1996 Finest Football set. I found all the bronze and gold cards but never found all the silver ones. I still have the bronze cards but sold all the silver and gold ones.
James

prthd

LOVE REFRACTORS

I build rookie refractor sets mostly, Im currently working on a 1999 Topps Chrome football PSA 10 refractor RC set. 2010 Finest football RC sets of all of the refractors. Base refractor, xfractor, black, gold and red refractor sets.

everything new i send to PSA is a refractor, i dont even send in base cards anymore.

prthd

I did attempt back in the day the 1997 Finest baseball refractor master set. All the embossed cards, embossed refractors, golds, gold refractors, it it such a beautiful set of cards. To this day i find myself looking for lots of the cards on eBay just thinking is it worth it to do all over again.

alnavman

<< <i>I did attempt back in the day the 1997 Finest baseball refractor master set. All the embossed cards, embossed refractors, golds, gold refractors, it it such a beautiful set of cards. To this day i find myself looking for lots of the cards on eBay just thinking is it worth it to do all over again. >>


while you are searching find the Browns a running back.....we need one!!!! what a sorry situation. I know this is OT but had to say it.

DavidPuddy

<< <i>while you are searching find the Browns a running back.....we need one!!!! what a sorry situation. I know this is OT but had to say it. >>



When you have awesome receivers, and an O-line that could block a freight train you don't need no stinking running back.

/sarc

DavidPuddy

Shane, glad to see you're chipping away at the Retrofractors.

I sent in my Sizemore Retrofractor in a group sub, kinda interested in how they grade the chipping on the backside.

prthd

<< <i>

<< <i>I did attempt back in the day the 1997 Finest baseball refractor master set. All the embossed cards, embossed refractors, golds, gold refractors, it it such a beautiful set of cards. To this day i find myself looking for lots of the cards on eBay just thinking is it worth it to do all over again. >>


while you are searching find the Browns a running back.....we need one!!!! what a sorry situation. I know this is OT but had to say it. >>



I found us a perfect RB but hes currently sitting on the bench in Buffalo. (C.J.Spiller)