"best" set from the 20's and 40's

[tonyo]

Hi Everyone,

As part of my collection I'm chosing one set per decade and collecting all of the hall of famers in those sets. I'm closing in on t-206's and 33 Goudeys. I have 56 topps, 67 topps, 78 topps.

I want to choose a set from the 20's and a set from the 40's to start on next. 40's I'm leaning toward 41 Play Ball or 48/49 Leaf. 20's I have no clue really.

Can I get some recommendations on sets to check into? Which 20's and 40's sets are the best combination of: most hall of famers/available/relatively affordable.


Thanks for any input!

Tony

[Matt]

The 20s have a ton of tougher issues. I think the first decision is do you want a larger set or a small 20-30 card set. If it's a larger set, the E121s probably are you best bet in terms of HOFers and availability. You can even decide if you want to go for the set of 80 or 120 (different backs) or 1 of each player/pose regardless of back.

In the 40s, the Leafs are a nice set, but you might get frustrated waiting/paying for some of the SPs; its very different then the 1933 Goudeys in that respect.

[chaddurbin]

tony the obvious set that comes to my mind is e121. not so bad if you're just doing a run of the hofs, there are plenty. there's also 3-4 different ruths for you to choose from. i always think of it as a mini Sporting News set with older hofs and new 20's guys.

[Matt]

One other thought is the 1921 Exhibits (64 cards). Some great poses and pretty available.

[rhettyeakley]

For the 1920's the E121 Series of 120 (at least 20X easier to put together than the Series of 80) or the 1921 Exhibit Series (some approach this set as a series from 1921-24 together) are both great options. I'm not the biggest fan of the ornate borders but if you like them then the E120 or Neilson's cards can be an option. If looking for a smaller set that still has a ton of HOFers relative to its size the E253 Oxford Confectionery set is a pretty cool/different set.

For the 1940's I would probably go with 1941 Play Ball but that is a small set with few HOFers, but if you already have later sets you might consider the 1949 Bowmn set--tons of interesting cards in there. The 1940 Play Ball set also has tons of HOFers but it is a bit boring to me.

-Rhett

[thegashousegang]

I chose the 1921 Exhibits when I was thinking about a HOF subset a few years ago. Out of the 64 'cards', I believe you get 21 HOFers and 1 Football HOFer. Pretty reasonable prices, and not too much overlap from those in the T206. I ended up collecting the entire set once I started obtaining some of them. Great poses, and oversized too.

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by Matt

The 20s have a ton of tougher issues. I think the first decision is do you want a larger set or a small 20-30 card set. If it's a larger set, the E121s probably are you best bet in terms of HOFers and availability. You can even decide if you want to go for the set of 80 or 120 (different backs) or 1 of each player/pose regardless of back.

In the 40s, the Leafs are a nice set, but you might get frustrated waiting/paying for some of the SPs; its very different then the 1933 Goudeys in that respect.

Thanks for the point about the SPs in the Leafs. I just looked at a list of them and see that those alone will probably rule out Leafs for me!

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by thegashousegang

I chose the 1921 Exhibits when I was thinking about a HOF subset a few years ago. Out of the 64 'cards', I believe you get 21 HOFers and 1 Football HOFer. Pretty reasonable prices, and not too much overlap from those in the T206. I ended up collecting the entire set once I started obtaining some of them. Great poses, and oversized too.

The oversize may push me away from the exhibits, but the poses may draw me back. If they are all as cool as the Walter Johnson that Matt posted, I'm in!

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by rhettyeakley

For the 1920's the E121 Series of 120 (at least 20X easier to put together than the Series of 80) or the 1921 Exhibit Series (some approach this set as a series from 1921-24 together) are both great options. I'm not the biggest fan of the ornate borders but if you like them then the E120 or Neilson's cards can be an option. If looking for a smaller set that still has a ton of HOFers relative to its size the E253 Oxford Confectionery set is a pretty cool/different set.

For the 1940's I would probably go with 1941 Play Ball but that is a small set with few HOFers, but if you already have later sets you might consider the 1949 Bowmn set--tons of interesting cards in there. The 1940 Play Ball set also has tons of HOFers but it is a bit boring to me.

-Rhett

Looks like E121 has 3 votes now.

I'll look up examples of the other sets you mentioned.

Thanks!

[Matthew H]

If the 48 Leaf set is no longer an option, then I'd consider the '41 Playball set. That way you will have Joe Dimaggio, one of Ted Williams nicest cards, Reese RC, etc. This set is flying pretty low under the radar right now. I saw a near complete set including Joe and Ted sell for about 800$ on ebay last year. I picked up a raw vg-ex Ted Williams for 220$. The only down side is the set might be too easy.

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by Matthew H

If the 48 Leaf set is no longer an option, then I'd consider the '41 Playball set. That way you will have Joe Dimaggio, one of Ted Williams nicest cards, Reese RC, etc. This set is flying pretty low under the radar right now. I saw a near complete set including Joe and Ted sell for about 800$ on ebay last year. I picked up a raw vg-ex Ted Williams for 220$. The only down side is the set might be too easy.

Yep, I've been drawn toward the 41 playballs.... If Williams went for $220 in vg-ex and he is the 2nd most expensive card in the set, then it is probably in my price range too.

Someone posted that there aren't many hofers in this set. Does any one know off hand which hall of famers played in 40/41 but are missing from the set?

[thegashousegang]

Originally Posted by Matthew H

If the 48 Leaf set is no longer an option, then I'd consider the '41 Playball set. That way you will have Joe Dimaggio, one of Ted Williams nicest cards, Reese RC, etc. This set is flying pretty low under the radar right now. I saw a near complete set including Joe and Ted sell for about 800$ on ebay last year. I picked up a raw vg-ex Ted Williams for 220$. The only down side is the set might be too easy.

I agree with you Matt. This was my choice for a 1940's HOF subset. I'm only a couple cards into it right now, as it's been on hold for a while. I also agree that it is rather easy, just a matter of choosing when you want to buy them. But still fun, though!

[Matthew H]

The set is missing Bob Feller, Paul and Lloyd Waner, Rick Ferrell, Earl Averill, Al Simmons, Lefty Grove, Dizzy Dean. Plus many others I'm sure. A Stan Musial rookie card would have been nice too.

[Exhibitman]

1920s: I am partial to Exhibits. The 1927 and 1928 sets have lots of HOFers without any budget-busters (Ruth, Gehrig and Cobb are in there but all are achievable well under $1,000 each). If you want to get fancy, the 1928s have a postcard back variation and the 1927s are found on rare occasions with coupon backs. I am less a fan of the 1921 set simply because there is no Gehrig, so if breadth of player selection is key, that set is not the best one. The 1925 set has the Gehrig rookie and a few others, but that card will price you out of range unless you are ready to spend several thousand. Forget the 1926's--they are extremely hard to put together. The PC Back Exhibit set also has a ton of HOFers and lots of variations, which will either drive you nuts or pose a fun challenge to collect.

1940s: Leaf is a good one but there are ridiculously expensive short print HOFers like Paige, which puts the endeavor out of range for me. I think the best coverage in the era is the Salutations Exhibit set.

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by Matthew H

The set is missing Bob Feller, Paul and Lloyd Waner, Rick Ferrell, Earl Averill, Al Simmons, Lefty Grove, Dizzy Dean. Plus many others I'm sure. A Stan Musial rookie card would have been nice too.

Wow.....that's disappointing

[glchen]

I think the E121 is probably the most popular 20s set with the greatest supply. There are 4 Ruth's though, which can add up. You can also take a look at the 1923 Willard Chocolate which has a nice supply of HOFers, but scarcer. The 1929 Kashin R316 is also relatively affordable although oversized.

[smtjoy]

Another vote for the 1921 exhibit set, one of my favorites, I just love the Ruth pose too-

[judsonhamlin]

If you're looking for larger sets, I would vote for the E120 and either 1940 Play Ball or 1949 Bowman.
As far as smaller sets, the E126 set has some good HOF'ers not in the '33 Goudey set. '41 Play Ball or '48 Bowman are good small sets.

[Chesbro41]

I do like the E121's... but consider the 1928 F50 series (Harrington, Yuengling, Sweetman, Tharps). Kind of pricey but full of HOF players.

For the 40's I'd vote 1940 Playball... has all of the then current era players plus some neat ones from the past with unique photos (Jackson, Keeler, Johnson etc)

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

1920s: I am partial to Exhibits. The 1927 and 1928 sets have lots of HOFers without any budget-busters (Ruth, Gehrig and Cobb are in there but all are achievable well under $1,000 each). If you want to get fancy, the 1928s have a postcard back variation and the 1927s are found on rare occasions with coupon backs. I am less a fan of the 1921 set simply because there is no Gehrig, so if breadth of player selection is key, that set is not the best one. The 1925 set has the Gehrig rookie and a few others, but that card will price you out of range unless you are ready to spend several thousand. Forget the 1926's--they are extremely hard to put together. The PC Back Exhibit set also has a ton of HOFers and lots of variations, which will either drive you nuts or pose a fun challenge to collect.

1940s: Leaf is a good one but there are ridiculously expensive short print HOFers like Paige, which puts the endeavor out of range for me. I think the best coverage in the era is the Salutations Exhibit set.

Great input on the exhibits.
I looked at the gallery of these sets on oldcardboard.com I really like the photos of the 1921 set. Lack of Gehrig probably wouldn't bother me since I have one in the 33 goudey set. Really most all of the exhibits have cool fronts. I was looking for a post card back on ebay and I ran across a 1921 exhibits Ruth for $50,000. Made my heart skip a beat......
For comparison sake, what is the best price I can hope to see on a recognizable 21 Ruth?

[Matt]

They can be had in lower grade (P/F/G) for under $1k.

[ctownboy]

How about the 1928 York Caramels or the 1928 W502's? Each set only has a total of 60 cards in it and about half are Hall Of Famers. They may be harder to find than the 121's or the Exhibits but then again, because of that, there might not be as many people trying to collect the set.

David

[HRBAKER]

A '21 Ruth Exhibit for $50,000? Now that's a deal.

[smtjoy]

You can get a nice low end 1921 Ruth 1-3's for 1k or less and thats the most expensive card in the set, the Cobb runs about half that and less for the other HOfers with most under $100.

[drdduet]

'49 Bowman--great set with Jackie Robinson, Satchell Paige, Duke Snider, Larry Doby, Richie Ashburn, "rookie" cards in it; or 1941 Playball (beautiful cards!)

For the 1920's-W551, F50, or R316.

Good luck!

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by smtjoy

You can get a nice low end 1921 Ruth 1-3's for 1k or less and thats the most expensive card in the set, the Cobb runs about half that and less for the other HOfers with most under $100.

That sounds do-able for me with the Ruth being a bit of a stretch.


I appreciate all of the responses everyone. I picked up my Lipsett Encyclopedia to read more about the E-cards and have been browsing oldcardboard.com and ebay to learn more about the sets.

The 20's are tough...just in this thread there are 15 different sets suggested!

I'll keep looking and reading............