Building Your Collection

[Archive]

Posted By: peter chao

Right now it's taking me about a month and a half to add a card to my core collection. By core collection, I'm talking about cards that you would only let go if there was a financial emergency. It seems like as you become a more advanced collector it takes longer and longer to add to your core collection or is it simply my imagination?

Let me know how long it takes you to add to your core collection of prewar cards.

Peter C.

[Archive]

Posted By: Dave F

Well on my stupid run here of E cards E90-E107, in two weeks I've done the follwing (a couple payments on the way to folks)-

E90- None yet
E91- None yet
E92- Bemis SGC 10
E93- Gibson PSA 1
E94- Lobert PSA 4
E95- None yet
E96- Murray PSA 1
E97- Birmingham SGC 40
E98- Lajoie PSA 3
E99- None yet
E100- None yet
E101- Jennings PSA 1
E102- Shean PSA 2
E103- None yet
E104- Seymour SGC 30
E105- None yet
E106- None yet
E107- None yet

My "core" changes...as some cards I'm upgrading, and some downgrading...

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Posted By: peter chao

Dave,

That's a lot of progress in 2 weeks. Congrats.

Peter C.

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Posted By: Phil Garry

Peter:

Every time I add a card to my core collection, I have to sell another one to make up for the outlay of funds.

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Posted By: Jason L

This is an interesting question.

I would say that historically, it has taken me very little time to add cards to my core collection, but that is because this was during my building phase. This has since slowed, and the cards are becoming a little more difficult to come by (mostly because of cost). I chose the commons-first method of set collecting.

Going forward it will only take longer and become more costly as more expensive cards are needed.

However, I also feel compelled to say that I am nowhere close to owning a collection that could be liquidated and actually satisfy any financial crisis!
If I had to fire sale my collection, it would only cover a few months' worth of lunches at Wendy's!
(my palate is loving their new twisted chooclate Oreo frostys, by the way!)

[Archive]

Posted By: ItsOnlyGil

And Jason, that is the formula required for you to have a collection. Once your assembly of cards becomes of financial significance to you, your collection is gone - off to where it can not be damaged nor stolen.

And yes, conjugal visits are permitted. And in between there are scans. But before long the visits become less frequent ... you drift apart ... and suddenly you are looking at coins, and you wonder why?

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Posted By: anthony

my core collection is all that's left...all 12 of them...except for the last one i need, a cracker jack joe jackson which i expect to add sometime in the next 6 months

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Posted By: peter chao

Anthony,

It seems like you have a manageable and interesting collection. I'm planning to pick up a '34 Diamond Stars Lefty Grove (green back) in the next week or so and my core collection is expanding and now at 225+.

Peter C.

[Archive]

Posted By: anthony

peter, here's my current collection

1.zeenut weaver
2.e90-1 cy young
3.n162 king kelly
4.n300 cap anson
5.willards choc. ty cobb
6.mino cigarettes
7.red sun cigarettes
8.mello mints
9.red cross tobacco
10.turf cigarettes (sisler)
11.wd hd wills tobacco
12.soon to be joe jackson

i actually have 2-3 others to be used to trade at a later date. 6-9 will help finance jackson when i find one i can afford

[Archive]

Posted By: leon

It's very difficult to fill an ACC#'d hole in my collection but I find other ways to fill the time in between. Since I will be getting an H813-2 (I am crossing my fingers but it looks good) and the D32, I think I am down to needing N338-1, N370 (sold mine), and a D355....So it's slim pickings for the type set...On the set front I picked up Zimmer of D303-General this week...(still in the mail)...and I am adding an orange border single player card that I didn't have.....Plank....Upgrading (not grade but player) is a lot of fun nowadays too...... There are many things for cardoholics to add to our collections if we try....

[Archive]

Posted By: steve yawitz

It's been taking me longer and longer to add to my core collection, or what I call my "rotating" collection. (My T206's are my "permanent" collection.) I used to buy whatever random card struck my fancy, which was cool, but decided earlier this year to cap the number of cards in my non-T206 collection. So cards rotate in and out of it to raise money for other hobby buys, to deal with real-word demands or to stay under the cap.

The nice thing is that it makes me a little more choosy and patient as a buyer. In fact, I set my limit at 33 cards, but still have quite a few slots available since I only average about one new card a month but also sell stuff along the way.

http://imageevent.com/yawie99

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Posted By: Steve Murray

My “core” collection is complete with the following exceptions:

1906 Sporting Life Postcard Set, 15/16, need Detroit. Haven’t added for at least five years.

1906 Ullman Giants Postcard Set, 9/12, need three. Haven’t added for at least five years.

1911 Zeenut Set, 114/122, need eight. Reasonably expect that I might add a card a year going forward though one or two will likely never to be available.

E100 San Francisco Sub-Set, need the Weaver but unlikely I will ever complete.

1911-1938 Zeenut run. Need 1934 and 1935 to complete. Very difficult since you need to find them with the coupon attached as that is the only way to determine the year.

1909 Rose Postcard Springfield Team. Have 10/13, need three. The three are in another collector’s permanent collection and will never see the light of day.

Then there are miscellaneous sets, type cards, etc., numbering 300 items or so, that I am not actively seeking to complete or add to but will remain in my permanent collection for the time being.

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Posted By: Frank Evanov

Excellent question. My "core" consists of my Ruth, Gehrig, Matty and Mantle cards. I add about one a month.

Frank

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Posted By: peter chao

Frank,

That's quite a core collection of New York World Series stars.


Peter C.