Very interesting reading. As someone who has never in 32 years of card collecting ever really been a set builder - I'm now going after '67 Topps. I can totally see how it's easier to save money on sets at a time, but I'm probably going to go the piecemeal route just because it will be more gradual and interesting. I suppose I could save and wait, but that's not normally how my collecting impulses work.
I did just buy a 20 card lot of low-number commons, which for me is a huge step. Normally my head gets turned far too easily on HOF singles or random Cubs cards - even when I'm trying to be disciplined for the short term on something else. For me right now lower grade on some of the commons is totally acceptable. This lot I just got is probably VG-EXish. I had forgotten how fun it is to read the backs of some of these cards with complete stats - guys who toiled in the minors in some pretty interesting places in the middle 50's.
Anyhow, thanks for the advice and we'll see how far this goes. To keep up my star power interest along with the commons at the moment I have complimented them with Clemente, Mays, and Mantle - so there is that. Yay '67!