Modern day collectors, question on SPs and SSPs

[AGuinness]

With the release of 2019 Topps Series 1, I'm seeing them hit eBay and am noting the SPs and SSPs. I put together a Topps team set for the Red Sox every year, and once again I'm questioning whether or not to include SPs and SSPs.
One one hand, the base team set is just too easy, as anybody with $10 or less can put one together. I like adding a little challenge to the endeavor.
On the other hand, and especially in recent years, some of the SSPs are selling for a couple hundred dollars each, when they hit the market. With a few each year, I can't help but think of the nice vintage cards I could be looking for instead of tracking down SSPs.
It looks like there's at least four SSPs for the Red Sox just in the 2019 Series 1, and while some of the prices might drop over the coming months, it makes me question how to proceed.
Anybody else in the same or similar boat? What did you decide?

[Jim65]

I collect Topps Heritage Mets and I feel like the team set includes eveything except Relics and autographs.

I usually buy the SP and SSP cards in a year or 2 after the prices come down.

[AGuinness]

Originally Posted by Jim65

I usually buy the SP and SSP cards in a year or 2 after the prices come down.

I like to wait, too, for the price drops, although I'm still on the hunt for a couple of SSPs from the 2016 Topps Update set that still sell for hundreds when they are available (which is almost never). Has me re-thinking some of the waiting part, which is why I took an early look at Series 1 from this year.
And this year's SSPs annoy me, in part because the Red Sox have a bunch: 4 out of the known 24 at the moment, just behind the Yankees, coming in with 5 (I would think that Topps would want to spread the wealth a little) - and that's just for Series 1, who knows how many the total for the year will be. Also, I'm not a fan of an SSP for a card that doesn't share the same team as the player on the base card (card #344 is Max Scherzer, SSP is Pedro Martinez). And while many times the SSP image variation is a pretty nice shot, sometimes it can be pretty lame (the Boggs this year) or even completely lazy on the part of Topps - the Pedro SSP this year is the exact same image as an SP from last year's set.

[swarmee]

Did you buy all 10(?) SSP versions of the 2017 Topps David Ortiz card?

https://www.comc.com/Cards/Baseball/...r,+350,ot,i100

I would have thought that would make you quit. I think the SSPs are reasonable enough that if you are only buying one team per year, it's affordable (notwithstanding when they do the Ortiz thing).
Maybe not if you throw in Heritage Throwback SSPs because those are nuts, especially right after release.

But it's your money and your collection, you get to choose what you want to collect.

[frankhardy]

I have 21 albums full of Cardinals Team sets from 1948 to present. I get all SPs and SSPs. I recommend waiting a little bit on the SSPs, but not too long. I wait about a month. If you wait a year, they have a tendency to dry up. Topps started doing variations in 2009. Try finding some of those older ones. If you wait about a month they always come down a little.

[Jim65]

You have to draw the line somewhere, with the 1/1s, a true master team set is impossible.

[frankhardy]

I agree 100%. I don't do all of the color parallels and the different color refractors. I only do base, variations, Chrome, Regular Refractors, and Minis.

I also did not do the sparkle variations a few years ago. Like was said..... You have to draw the line somewhere.

You have the same problem with vintage variations. You have to make a decision on how far you take it.

[AGuinness]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Did you buy all 10(?) SSP versions of the 2017 Topps David Ortiz card?

I would have thought that would make you quit. I think the SSPs are reasonable enough that if you are only buying one team per year, it's affordable (notwithstanding when they do the Ortiz thing).
Maybe not if you throw in Heritage Throwback SSPs because those are nuts, especially right after release.

But it's your money and your collection, you get to choose what you want to collect.

Actually, those 2017s are pretty sweet cards (the Comerica Park one is the only one that really isn't a good photo). And those have sold around $100 apiece, give or take, when they become available and sometimes quite a bit lower (I got my BGS 9.5 one for just over $10, although I needed to persuade the seller to send it, which they did). That said, I haven't seen one pop up on eBay for a while. But I've got 4, will continue buying the ones I don't have as they come up.
Since this thread could use a photo, I'll post one of those cards...
Collecting absolutely is what I choose it to be, but I seem to revisit the SSP debate whenever the new set comes out. I think it's good to reevaluate any collection/habit/etc. from time to time to see if it still fits. I'm curious if others have had this debate with their collection and how they ended up getting to a final decision.

Originally Posted by frankhardy

I have 21 albums full of Cardinals Team sets from 1948 to present. I get all SPs and SSPs. I recommend waiting a little bit on the SSPs, but not too long. I wait about a month. If you wait a year, they have a tendency to dry up. Topps started doing variations in 2009. Try finding some of those older ones. If you wait about a month they always come down a little.

I've got just about all the image variations from the 2009-2015 (ish), but it's more of the SSPs that have come out in recent years that have changed the dynamics a bit. First, because there seem to be more SSPs each year, and second because they're hitting prices that are surprising (multiple hundreds). There are at least 3 in the past couple years that I need, all with price tags at least $200 apiece. And just like everyone, I've got a limited budget overall and shelling out that scratch for a modern SSP cuts into my pre-war collection, etc.

Originally Posted by frankhardy

I agree 100%. I don't do all of the color parallels and the different color refractors. I only do base, variations, Chrome, Regular Refractors, and Minis.

I also did not do the sparkle variations a few years ago. Like was said..... You have to draw the line somewhere.

You have the same problem with vintage variations. You have to make a decision on how far you take it.

Definitely draw the line. I don't do color variations. The sparkles from 2010 and around then did not really strike a chord with me. I got one or two, to have as examples, but didn't try for all of them. Same with the "Boston Strong" cards they put out in 2013, in no small part because the print run was so limited. I've got one, and would buy another if the price was pretty cheap, but am fine with the single example in my collection. I'll probably circle back for the red-lettered 2007 cards, since they're not expensive, but I don't feel like I have to get those.
I do like the image variations, and better than some of the older "variations," such as the 1968 3rd Series Checklist with Yaz that I think has three versions with slightly different text or the 1991 Topps Dwight Evans that can have either tied or lead the league in games played during 1982.