When a set gets...Recognized...Respected...Elite Status!!

RayBShotz

Opinion Poll -

Regarding set registry entrants who actively plan to pursue the goal of finishing a set.

At what completion percentage does a PSA set reach the following proportion:

1. Recognized by your set peers? Percentage, why?

2. Respected by your set peers? Percentage, why?

3. Elevated by set peers to "Elite Status". Percentage, Why?


My answers.
1. 5%, shows intent.
2. 40%, Indicates a consistent effort over time, and a love for the issue.
3. 75%, Monster proportions. When you get here you have a patriarchal responsibilty to the plebians of the set to finish. Your leadership and encouragement is key to the participation of the masses just beginning their set endeavor. Besides; how cool would it be to get to 75% and beyond!

I think we all dream of being 100% complete someday. To actually get there sometimes seems surreal. To those who have done it; you help us live a dream vicariously. To those still chasing the dream (yours truly included) we can only hope...and keep having fun in the process.

Look forward to your responses.

RayB69Topps 62%

mikeschmidt

Ray:

I think it is a two-part equation. You can't simply judge someone based on their completion percentage.

A 1952 Topps set, 5% complete at PSA 9 is more impressive to most folks than a complete 1952 Topps set that is 100% complete, all graded PSA 2.

With any vintage set, it takes at least 25% to even get recognized. Perhaps with the more modern day sets (late 1960s, 1970s), 10-15% is a better percentage.

To get respected, you need at least 60% for vintage years and probably 40% for the modern years.

To get elite status -- you need something special. Either 95% completion in 7 or above, or something else that sets you apart -- a large run of PSA 9 1/1 cards -- a completely-graded high number series, something like that.

But it's not just percentages. Imagine hypotethically, for example, if someone came out of the blue and registered a 1968 Topps set, 7% complete -- all PSA 10. That person would probably be given elite status -- just due to the nature of his/her accomplishment.

theBobs

<< <i>To get respected, you need at least 60% for vintage years and probably 40% for the modern years. >>



There are several set collectors that I respect who will not get to 60% for several years. They are people with families and modest incomes who plug away one card at a time.

When I look at some of the top sets, they are impressive. But if I could spend $1,000,000 on cards, I would have an impressive collection too. How tough is it to have your secretary surf the 'net and outbid folks on cards?

I respect the guys that go at it on a limited budget, that have to get creative to stretch their dollar, that beat the bushes and search through a 1000 commons to find three or four to submit. Thats much more impressive to me than somone that can write a $45,000 check at the drop of a hat.

zardoz51

1965Topps is correct.

RayBShotz

1965Topps - Youve'd warmed my heart and made my day! Many of us fit the bill. Well said.
Thank you.
RayB69Topps

Vargha

Nonetheless, I would still like to have that secretary and that bankroll. Unfortunately I was born into the wrong family.

gtbeaker

In my opinion, I guess it all depends on what players certain people have in their collections. That's why I believe the set weighting is so important. As I've looked through certain sets on the registry, I'm generally more impressed by those which contain high grade star cards and ones with low populations. While a high percentage does show a true dedication to a particular set, I think the big dollar and low population cards are far more impressive.

I would also have to agree with those who mentioned that someone who has invested a significant amount of time is far more worthy of praise than someone who can just throw money around. I'm somewhere in between!

invader73

1965topps is spot on.

For me being able to buy cards without having to check my bank balance (or credit card balance) would take the fun out of collecting. The cards i my collection that give me most pleasure are the ones that I have had to save to buy or that I have submitted myself with better than expected results.

Oh, and i respect anybody who has more cards than i do, which is most of you.

carkim

In my opinion, I guess it all depends on what players certain people have in their collections. That's why I believe the set weighting is so important. As I've looked through certain sets on the registry, I'm generally more impressed by those which contain high grade star cards and ones with low populations. While a high percentage does show a true dedication to a particular set, I think the big dollar and low population cards are far more impressive.

I'm generally more impressed by those which contain high grade star cards and ones with low populations.

No disrespect intended, but this sounds more like "Star Collecting" not Set Building. I personally enjoy seaching for a mint example of Hank Aaron and Pepe Frias. To me that is what building a set is all about.

Therefore a mixture of cards no matter the grade above 25% shows intent and passion for "SET BUILDING".

So when Marc said this...
You can't simply judge someone based on their completion percentage.

...I had to respect his feelings but strongly disagree.

Carlos

bccards

hey ms, when are you posting your 55 bowman set, i'd like to see what you have, quantity and esp quality,

fellow 55 bowman collector

bill h

Buckwheat

Anyone who works hard on a set gets my admiration. And no one, unless they buy an already completed set, get to completion without a lot of hard work, I don't care how much money they have.

I have been fortunate to have the money to spend on nice cards. Of course to get it, I had to add to my home equity line, sell 75% of my stock portfolio, and forgoe contributions to my 401K last year. I have spent 20-40 hours per week for the past year working on it, evaluating every 1961 Topps auction on Ebay, bidding against several other avid collectors while trying not to overpay, sending checks and maintaining records of thousands of auctions, buying and going through many thousands of ungraded cards, trading with a dozen other collectors, scouring the inventory of countless online and not online dealers etc. etc... This doesn't even count living with the ire of my wife and kids, giving up sleep and golf, and never being away from my computer for more than 24 hours.

But I have made many new friends, and have had a passion for something like I haven't had in years. This started out as an attempt to complete a colection of the Yankees ungraded, and has ballooned into way more than I ever planned or dreamed of.

But now I am one card away from completion, and that card is at PSA. Assuming it doesn't get a qualifier, I will be done. Except of course for the continuous upgrading.


So knowing what it takes to build a set even with an adequate budget, my respect goes out to all of the people who have registered their sets, and continue to work on them, plus all of the great guys that share their knowledge and experience on this board.

Buck

#1 1961 Topps set



The McBride Gold Collection 1961 Topps

pinhigh

Amen Buckwheat, amen! Congrats on completion. Even with a qualifier, the set is complete

invader73

Buckwheat, congratulations that is impressive.

Are you going to stop now or carry on upgrading or do you have another set that you are going after?

Matt

mikeschmidt

bccards -- Make that trade with me, and I will happily give you a quick overview of what I have (though I don't plan on posting my set for about a year or so....)

Buckwheat

Are you going to stop now or carry on upgrading or do you have another set that you are going after?


Right now I will continue to upgrade, and will work some on my PSA 7 set. I haven't planned beyond that. I will also continue to buy sell and trade cards in the 1961 set.

Buck

bccards

mike schmidt,

lived in philly for 15 yrs, just moved to pittsburgh, i miss my teams, i grew up idolizing mike schmidt, i'm startin' to warm up to that trade,

warm and fuzzy 55 bowman collector,

bh.

p.s. you were selling some 9's a little while back, how come?

FB

Buck,

I have to admit, that I occasionally check out your set with a hint of envy. Don't know why I'm drawn to the 61, but I think that its one of the sweetest sets from the 60s. Congrats on completion!

All in all, I'm not that impressed by completion percentage or by GPA. The sets that I admire are generally those owned by the people I respect the most on the board and on eBay. I've found a few that really go above and beyond to help whenever they can. Two that come to mind are Mike Castaldi and the Dude himself - Dan Markel. They're never cutthroat and are always a pleasure to deal with. Set completion is great, but its how you got there that really matters in my book.

psa1965topps - I completely agree with your statement "I respect the guys that go at it on a limited budget, that have to get creative to stretch their dollar, that beat the bushes and search through a 1000 commons to find three or four to submit. Thats much more impressive to me than somone that can write a $45,000 check at the drop of a hat." I could write those checks, but my wife would kill me!! So, I've scrounged high grade cards whenever and wherever I can find them. I did a little checking this morning and since June of last year, I've submitted just over 1000 cards from 72. Of those cards I've put 281 PSA 8's and 167 PSA 9's in my set. After factoring in the 550 cards that I've sold off or traded, my cost is $250.00 for a little more than half of the set. And it looks like in total, my 72 set should run right about $12,000 invested with only 20 more cards to go. If I had only started submitting my own cards at the beginning!!!!!!

Oh well... you live and learn...

Cardsg12

Congratulations Buck,
I can't wait to get mine done and I haven't even started yet. I admire collectors who stick with building their sets. I've got a bunch of '76 Kellogg's coming. Hopefully I can get the set built in PSA 10. As far as respect goes, I respect the guys who, like me, have to purchase one card at a time in the best condition they can afford. As it is with all things, there's a Business side and a Personal side. Unfortunately, I think it's become more business with most people. Ball cards represent a part of my life, not a margin of profit or loss. Oh well, I'm through venting.

mikeschmidt

BH:

Amazing to find two people that grew up in the Philly area, both idolizing Mike Schmidt and 1955 Bowman set builders to boot.

You're right -- I did sell four PSA 9's a few months ago. Quite simply, they were all doubles, and it was a liquidity move for me. I kept those four PSA 9 doubles in the hopes that I would be able to find another collector with whom to trade even up for some PSA 9's from the set that I needed. Such an event did not materialize after two years.

One card went out West, with the other three now in Charlie Merkel's collection. I obviously kept what I thought were the stronger of each pair of 9's in each case -- but I still hated to part with them, even as doubles! What an horribly difficult set to collect.

I'm sure you noticed on Ebay the Repluski PSA 8 that sold for $290 and the Brosnan PSA 7 that sold for over $65. According to my files, these are both new records for PSA 7 and PSA 8 commons in the 1955 Bowman set. The only other example that even comes close is >$400 being paid for the Pavlica variation -- but I don't think that counts, as that was 1/1, and, being a variation, isn't really a common anymore.

mcastaldi

I'd agree with Frank and Brian. For most of the sets I'm collecting, there's no way I could just plop down $15k or $20k and expect to complete the graded set - even if I had that kind of cash to throw around. The cards just don't exist in sufficient quantities in graded form yet. Especially for the 1970s sets, I think you pretty much have to go and hunt down ungraded cards. And sometimes that's darned tough. But I also think that pursuit is the fun of the whole thing.

I know a few people who don't look for raw cards and don't submit on their own. And that's one technique for building the set. However, when I was a kid and was building a set I didn't just sit back and wait for my friends to get duplicates of the cards I needed. Sure, I'd trade for those cards but I'd also buy my own packs until the new year's cards showed up or I finished the set.

And I also agree with Frank. . .in light of the friends I have made in building my sets, the completion percentage and GPA are pretty meaningless. And when the goal is set completion, looking at %age or GPA prior to that is just a highway marker along the way.

Mike

dude

FB,

Thank you for your kind words. Clearly, you are also one of the greatest guys to deal with.


All,

As for the topic at hand, I find it interesting the way people collect and what resources they use. Some people collect only one set and will others like me are trying to build too many sets at the same time. There are also people who try to get the set finished as quickly as they can while others are extremely selective in which cards they purchase for each given set. I don't think there is one correct way of doing it. I agree with mcastaldi: the "hunt" is the most challenging part of the hobby. Finally, I really enjoy meeting some really fun people which also makes this a terrific activity.