Sets or stars, which brings more enjoyment for you?

akuracy503 · March 17, 2010 12:50PM

I was thinking about this topic the other day.
Do you prefer purchasing and working on sets or buying high value HOF singles?

Although I've never tackled a vintage set, the idea sounds rewarding yet risky in terms of being liquidable.

As I grow elder the hobby perspective is taking a back seat to the liquid value aspect.
It's a double edged sword I guess, can't stop collecting

ShawnyD · March 17, 2010 1:06PM

flipping through vintage sets brings back great memories. so i vote for sets.

SDSportsFan · March 17, 2010 1:08PM

When I was a kid in the 1970s and 1980s, I was a die-hard set collecter. In the late 1980s, when the floodgates opened and Topps, Fleer, Donruss, Upper Deck, Score and everyone else basically flooded the market with cards, I lost interest in sets, as they just became too difficult to assemble.

Since coming back to the hobby (I never really left, I just scaled back my collecting for a few years), I've concentrated on PSA-graded hall of famers, with an emphasis on pre-WWII HOFers.

I have found a lot of satisfaction in this, as I just can't really get into paying so much money for the "commons" you need to complete a set.

Having said all that, I have made one exception.....I'm at 52% completion on a PSA-4-graded T206 set, as I've always loved the set.

Steve

cwazzy · March 17, 2010 1:20PM

I can't stick with anything long enough to complete a set. Maybe it's an undiagnosed case of ADD but I get bored with sets too easily to finish one. For me I would much rather collect single cards that interest me than trying to find a bunch of commons that don't.

akuracy503 · March 17, 2010 1:23PM

<< <i>I have made one exception.....I'm at 52% completion on a PSA-4-graded T206 set, as I've always loved the set.

Steve >>

Nice exception, that is quite an accomplishment.

PowderedH2O · March 17, 2010 3:12PM

I love sets. Sometimes it is smaller sets like team sets, but I enjoy that much more than just the stars.

fkw · March 17, 2010 3:26PM

Neither

I like the rare cards. I like to know that only a few collectors have an example of a card I have, or better yet I am the only one (unique cards). I have dozens of cards that are only known examples (unique).

EXAMPLE

front (Davenport) is only known with 2-3 examples total, the back makes it unique (only a single card of ea. player is known with this back)

lsutigers1973 · March 17, 2010 3:32PM

More modern raw sets that sit in boxes drive me nuts. Running out of places in my house to store them.

nearmint · March 17, 2010 8:24PM

Sets! Anytime I get a card from a vintage set that's new to me, I have to get the rest, too.

72skywalker · March 17, 2010 9:24PM

I enjoy putting sets together. i love to cross out cards on my checklist andit feels good when I look at the list and see where I was and where I am now in completing the set.

italianstallionyankees · March 17, 2010 11:04PM

I like to build vintage sets one by one ... Great entertainment and once I get done I feel very satisfied with myself for having the motivation of completing it.

Ryan

itzagoner · March 17, 2010 11:09PM

it must be sets.

i spent almost the entire day looking through a 1968 Topps baseball set with the intention of fishing out the NM or better cards, but wound up examining almost every card to re-absorb the ancient memories.

it was a very good day.

Indy78 · March 17, 2010 11:33PM

I do both and am very satisfied with my collection. Lately, I have been working on partial sets of commons and minor stars from the 1950's. I don't have the energy to chase after and I don't want to pay for higher dollar star cards, semi-stars, rare variations, rookies, etc. from this era. I've somewhat made an exception to this rule for Ernie Banks, though.

OckhamsRazor · March 17, 2010 11:38PM

I only collect star cards. I hated when I got a Rich Nye card (or any other non-star card) in 1969 out of a pack, and 41 years later, I still hold the same opinion.

RonBurgundy · March 17, 2010 11:44PM

A year ago it was all about sets. Now it's about HOF'ers.

alifaxwa2 · March 18, 2010 12:19AM

Basic Player sets!

akuracy503 · March 18, 2010 1:37AM

For the set guys do you find it a losing proposition if you decide to sell a set? Or is it just a long process breaking it up and piece mealing it out for sale?

sagard · March 18, 2010 1:45AM

<< <i>For the set guys do you find it a losing proposition if you decide to sell a set? Or is it just a long process breaking it up and piece mealing it out for sale? >>

Every card you buy is a losing proposition. If you care about the loss you need to buy right and sell when you can.

digicat · March 18, 2010 1:52AM

Depends on the set. There's a few sets from when I was a kid that I like having in compelte form. I've ended up breaking down the other sets into stars and RCs and putting the commons in the junk box.

Morgoth · March 18, 2010 4:42AM

Stars definately. I would love to have the sets too but only after I have all the stars first.

I have built some moderately large PSA sets and spending big money on commons (even 20 a pop gets expensive) just didn't give me much satisfaction.

Once I have all the stars from a set, I am now going to buy cheap graded cards 7 or above or nice raw to fill out a set. I feel in the future graded common commons will not be worth much more than their raw counterparts.

akuracy503 · March 18, 2010 4:54AM

I've always been in the mindset that if I ever built out a vintage set i'd purchase my favorite stars in graded form and purchase the rest of the set in raw form.

I have enjoyed building modern A&G, Goudey and Heritage sets since it gives me the opportunity to rip packs vs just pluck out lots and singles from shows/auctions and this forum.

Have most of you found that it's a losing proposition to break up a set and sell it on the market, whether it be as a set/lot/singles?

Ahmanfan · March 18, 2010 5:28AM

<< <i>For the set guys do you find it a losing proposition if you decide to sell a set? Or is it just a long process breaking it up and piece mealing it out for sale? >>

I have had good luck building sets online then selling locally or online.
John

CNote · March 18, 2010 5:39AM

PSA team sets, and I have one player set I'm waiting to go online

Sets or stars, which brings more enjoyment for you?

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