Building a set from scratch

[wdwfan]

I have decided to build a 1957 Topps set from scratch, and wanted to invite Net54 members along to watch the progress and support me when it gets tough. I wanted to do this set because it's my favorite vintage set. It was the first one I ever saw completed in a notebook, and I love the fact there's so many HOFers and key RCs.

I didn't have a single card from the set, and I picked up the first 3 on Dec. 27, 2019. The Spahn and Hyde came from a trade with a coaching friend. I traded him some of my extra 1962 Topps that he needed for that set for the Spahn and Hyde. I made another trade at the LCS for the Clete Boyer RC. So those 3 are what got me started on this quest.

I want to chronicle exactly how much it costs as I go to show people whether or not it's cost effective to put a set together or just buy a set (I know what the answer will be, but I want to keep track anyway). I'm hoping to finish this during the 2020 calendar year, but that's just my goal. We'll see what happens. Anyway, lets get rolling.




Through Jan. 11, 2020
Total money spent: $35;
Cards picked up: 50/407 (12.29% complete)
Possible Upgrades: 5 (due to centering)


First pickups to kick off building the set:

[G1911]

Originally Posted by wdwfan

After watching MikeD's venture into set building, I've decided to start my next project: a 1957 Topps set. I had zero, none, no cards prior to today. I traded for these 3 today. The Boyer RC came in a trade for some Rangers RCs and a couple of extra Trout inserts at the LCS while the Hyde and Spahn were obtained in a trade with a friend that also collects and lives just down the road. I traded some of my extra 1962 Topps to him, and I got the Spahn in return.

Anyway, I'll post as I pick them up. Right now, I have 3 cards from the set. I will probably chase Mantle next to get it out of the way (plus, if I ever want to give up or go a different direction, I'll have the key card to move).

But here's the start. I'll be looking for additional cards from the set whether through here or buying on ebay. Thanks for the look.

I have very mixed thoughts on this set. It was the first Topps set I completed, and the design is a classic. Some of the poses are great, and the amount of hall of famers is impressive. On the other hand, the photograph quality is far below 1953 Bowman, and Topps clearly decided to try and cut costs after killing off Bowman and becoming the only game in town. Probably my favorite of their smaller physical size sets though and very fun set to put together, as the SP series really is not that tough. The Brooks Robinson card is harder to fill in than Mantle in low-mid grade sets, no matter what the price guides say. Frank Robinson's rookie still feels like a bargain to me. The Schoendienst pose is my favorite in the set.

If you are not condition conscious, pm me your address and I will send you a few of my dupes (Good - VG range) free.

[Bigdaddy]

I recently completed this set and really enjoyed putting it together. Some of the Dodgers cards are just beautiful, with the 'Dodgers Sluggers' being almost a perfect baseball card. It pictures four of the Boys of Summer, still in their Brooklyn hats, kneeling on the grass of Ebbets field with the long shadows of a setting sun. Little did they know then that the sun was setting not on just that day, but on their time in Brooklyn.

[BillP]

Originally Posted by G1911

I have very mixed thoughts on this set. It was the first Topps set I completed, and the design is a classic. Some of the poses are great, and the amount of hall of famers is impressive. On the other hand, the photograph quality is far below 1953 Bowman, and Topps clearly decided to try and cut costs after killing off Bowman and becoming the only game in town. Probably my favorite of their smaller physical size sets though and very fun set to put together, as the SP series really is not that tough. The Brooks Robinson card is harder to fill in than Mantle in low-mid grade sets, no matter what the price guides say. Frank Robinson's rookie still feels like a bargain to me. The Schoendienst pose is my favorite in the set.

If you are not condition conscious, pm me your address and I will send you a few of my dupes (Good - VG range) free.

Put this set together a couple of years ago. I agree with the Brooks Robinson comment. Seems to command a premium more than book. The Richardson card too. The part I like most about the set was the move to take new photos of every player. In 55 and 56 the photos can be duplicates of prior year shots and that's a bit of a turn off for me. Similar thing happened in 66/68 and 67/69 I think. I find that the challenge with the 57 set is the register of the cards. I took me a while to find a mays and mantle that was clear. Same with card 407. and several commons.

[ALR-bishop]

My favorite Topps set of the 50s. But the photography is dark and muddy. In some thread, maybe the never ending variations thread, it was noted that two versions of every card seem to exist, one lighter and one darker in coloring. Many examples were posted. Some believe the Mantle card can be found with various degrees of air brushing of the mystery guy

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by BillP

I find that the challenge with the 57 set is the register of the cards. I took me a while to find a mays and mantle that was clear. Same with card 407. and several commons.

Agree, good registration can be challenging on some of the cards. Good scans are a must if buying online.

[wdwfan]

Thanks guys for all the insight and help. I saw a few at the LCS yesterday that were out of focus, so I passed on those.

I like the set because it was the Dodgers' last set in Brooklyn. I also like that it's the regular size (not small like Bowman and not big like 54-56 Topps). It's one of my all time favorite sets.

I also decided to just focus on building one set that I really, really enjoy instead of focusing on several sets at a time. I love building sets, but I don't like taking a year or more to build a set. I get tired of it and wind up selling or trading it and moving on to something else.

So I wanted to put my finances and focus on one set and then pick up stars/HOFers only from other years (and not doing those sets … not yet anyway).

[G1911]

Originally Posted by BillP

Put this set together a couple of years ago. I agree with the Brooks Robinson comment. Seems to command a premium more than book. The Richardson card too. The part I like most about the set was the move to take new photos of every player. In 55 and 56 the photos can be duplicates of prior year shots and that's a bit of a turn off for me. Similar thing happened in 66/68 and 67/69 I think. I find that the challenge with the 57 set is the register of the cards. I took me a while to find a mays and mantle that was clear. Same with card 407. and several commons.

Bobby Richardson is one of the guys who seems to sell way over book for pretty much every set he's in. I got lucky and nabbed him early at a decent price, but he still cost more than Drsydale's rookie even. Kubek can be a bit more expensive than one would expect. The Brooks was the last card I got to finish the basic 407 card set. Was hard to find under $100 in any condition, even if Mantle books for significantly more he wasn't too difficult to find for $60 for a decent looking low grade example. The Mays card I also find to be difficult to get with good image clarity, even though some other low-number cards don't have this issue. The reversed image Hank Aaron is one that comes to mind from that series which is almost always found with good clarity. The checklists after the 1/2nd series are pretty darn tough too, I still don't have them beyond the 1/2.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

My favorite Topps set of the 50s. But the photography is dark and muddy. In some thread, maybe the never ending variations thread, it was noted that two versions of every card seem to exist, one lighter and one darker in coloring. Many examples were posted. Some believe the Mantle card can be found with various degrees of air brushing of the mystery guy

Nice to see this mentioned. It has always seemed to me the striking difference in hand is not merely the result of having more or less ink in the press that happens in every set over a long production. It seems at least a couple of the series had two different print runs, like some other sets of this period. It's hard to tell in eBay scans sometimes, as everyone uses different scanner settings or lighting, but in hand it's pretty obvious.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by wdwfan

Thanks guys for all the insight and help. I saw a few at the LCS yesterday that were out of focus, so I passed on those.



I like the set because it was the Dodgers' last set in Brooklyn. I also like that it's the regular size (not small like Bowman and not big like 54-56 Topps). It's one of my all time favorite sets.



I also decided to just focus on building one set that I really, really enjoy instead of focusing on several sets at a time. I love building sets, but I don't like taking a year or more to build a set. I get tired of it and wind up selling or trading it and moving on to something else.



So I wanted to put my finances and focus on one set and then pick up stars/HOFers only from other years (and not doing those sets … not yet anyway).

This is a great, great point. Looking back, when I still tried to build 50s and 60s sets, I see now that I made two mistakes. 1. To your point, I took too long (often due to financial reasons) and got bored and didn't finish. 2. I aimed too high condition-wise. This ended up causing the sets to cost me more $, which takes me back to point #1. Ugh....

Good luck!!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by wdwfan

After watching MikeD's venture into set building, I've decided to start my next project: a 1957 Topps set.

Awesome! I feel like my hanging out around here is validated!

[wdwfan]

Dec. 30 Update
Cost: $20
Went to the LCS and picked up a notebook and box of pages to put this set in as I work on it.




Jan. 3 Update
Cost: $15
Got 2 nice lots today. The first 10 cards came via a trade on here. The second lot, about 45 cards, came by purchasing a lot from a member on here. Paid $15 for that lot.

Lot 1:



Lot 2:

[wdwfan]

Jan. 11 Update
Cost: $0

Decided to pull the creased cards out and put them into my trash pile. But I also traded for 5 more cards pictured today at the LCS. So my overall number dropped by a couple from the last update, but I added some value to the set.

[wdwfan]

I have only gotten 1 new card for this set in the last 2-1/2 weeks. It's going very frustratingly slow right now. I don't know how you guys continue to build sets. I'm already ready to give up on this one because it's taken nearly a month for me to get about 1/10 of the way in, and I can't find anyone that wants to trade with me or sell to me on here. But I will continue to chip away on it.

[commishbob]

I finished the set in December. My last additions to the set were the Kubek and Richardson rookies. Very much a fun build. I did it in about a year having had a head start... I owned the Orioles, Frank Robinson, and a few others.

When I build my vintage sets from that era I go for what I suppose is VG+ as an average. There is a 'sweet spot' for me that is determined by cost and the condition I can live with. I avoid obvious creases and cards with paper loss and writing on the front. An ink mark on the back, a 'checked' checklist, soft corners are generally fine.

I added a few cards from that tough 4th Series that were a bit more off-center than I'd prefer simply for pricing reasons. The one rule I have is that as long as a neighboring card on the sheet isn't visible I can live with it. That's mostly for tougher cards. With commons, I'll just pass on very off-centered examples since a better one is likely at the next table.

I don't buy very low-grade examples of star cards just to have them. I try to keep to cards that are at least as good as my standard for the rest of the set. And I do buy mid-grade slabbed cards of stars if I don't get one raw from a dealer I know and trust. They always get cracked out and go in the binder.

My rule on variations is simple. If my 9-year-old eyes would have noticed the difference then I will add it to the set (think '62 green tint/alt photos). Something as small as added or missing 'Traded to' lines of text or corrected stat errors? I don't bother in most cases.

I always like adding some 'spice' by including a wrapper and the inserts when I can afford them. The checklists in the '57 set (at least a couple of them) are a pain to find in decent shape at a cost that is not budget-busting. At least that was my experience. The contest cards are easier and make a fun inclusion.

It's a wonderful set. Build it in a way that makes YOU happy and enjoy the journey.

[jgannon]

Hey, I'd say don't rush things. Enjoy the journey and take your time. Take the time to enjoy the ones you already have too. I keep a lot of my cards on top of the piano, and every now and then just go and look at them, sorting through them looking at the photos and reading the backs. Getting new cards is always fun, but savor the ones you already have too!

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by wdwfan

I have only gotten 1 new card for this set in the last 2-1/2 weeks. It's going very frustratingly slow right now. I don't know how you guys continue to build sets. I'm already ready to give up on this one because it's taken nearly a month for me to get about 1/10 of the way in, and I can't find anyone that wants to trade with me or sell to me on here. But I will continue to chip away on it.

Trading can be a serious PIA. I have found the first trade with someone is always the hardest. After that then you know what to expect. I would think anyone on here would sell to you.

Don't give up so early. I did a complete set with cards only from Net54 members. It took a few years and cost a fortune because of shipping. I only bought and traded for cards I needed. If you buy big lots and sell off the extras you can end up with a complete set for next to nothing. Mainly depends on how much work you want to put into the project. Good luck.

[1963Topps Set]

Are you going for the base set? Or the complete set with contest cards, lucky penny card (and lucky penny!) as well as the EIGHT checklist cards (there are two variations for each checklist) Good luck in whatever you decide.

[Gpaal]

Good luck with your set I look forward to following your thread.