My last Mantle

[Bestdj777]

Originally Posted by sflayank

great job...like any collector though cant figure out your thoughts
i get that maybe cards that werent available to public u dont count
but
53 and 55 stahl meyer count but 54 doesnt?
1 pittsburgh exhibit counts but not the other?
meadowgold milk? not rare at all?
star cal decal...certainly not rare?
rawling glove box card not rare?

to each their own as they say

Hi Larry,

I am not sure I understand the criticism. To the extent anyone cares though, here is the mental gymnastics I went through to get to a place where I felt that my collection was complete:
1. Test issues/Likely test issues: Even the most dedicated collector in the 50s and 60s likely wouldn't have gotten a Dice Game, any of the Topps Plaks or Punchouts, a Mascot Dog Food, or a Yoo Hoo card (I don't think this was officially distributed), so, given that I have a limit budget, I'm okay not getting these.
2. Non-cards: There are a ton of non-card items out there. There are those everyone would agree don't constitute cards (Star Cal; Tip Top Breas; Misssion Soda; assorted premium photos) and those that are debatable (Rawlings Glovr Box; Meadowgold). The collection would be never ending if I went after all of these, and the goals was to someday complete it. So, I picked up as many as I could afford/find along the way.
3. Variations/near duplicates: I wanted to make sure I had a fair representation of everything in my collection, but I didn't need to spend a fortune to get near duplicates: the minor 52 Topps variation (I had both but parted with one to pay for a down payment on my house); the 59 Venezuela variation; the 54 Stahl Meyer, which is indistinguishable from the front from the 55 Stahl Meyer; the difference back variations for the Exhibits; and the Pittsburgh Exhibit number variations. At the time I was going after the Pittsburgh Exhibits, the version I had at the time was a 1/1, but I traded it to a friend for a different so he could complete his set.
4. Briggs, American Oil Portrait, etc.: I have no justification apart from the price tag and the availability.

I wish I could go after everything ever made but finances are what they are. I started collecting with that goal of getting everything imaginable but life changes. This past year, I had my first kid, switched jobs (approximately a six figure paycut) so that I could be home and be a better father, and bought a house. Now, money just isn't there. So, I decided what I really wanted, wrote out a list, and got them. I've got everything I need now to feel like my collection is complete, so it is to me. Sure, there are what others would consider holes, but there are many ways to build a collection and to approach it.

Good luck in finding the remaining items you need. I am always on the lookout for the Armour coins you still need and hope to one day help you check those off your list.

Chris