What helped you decide

[Bwstew]

Curious as to how/what helped you decide on which sets and players you wanted to collect. Been looking at other things since the T206's dont really drive me crazy. Guess just wanted to get some info from others. Thanks for looking.

BW

[Leon]

I am into diversity and uncommon things. I love baseball. Baseball card Type collecting is perfect.

[glchen]

I started off by collecting a few of the more popular sets (e.g. 1933 Goudey) and picked up a few other cards. I ended up focusing on the cards and the players that I liked the most. These were the cards that I would keep going back to and enjoying the most. The cards that I rarely ever looked at, I sold.

[nolemmings]

Well I'm sure you know the main factors, but here is what I believe is typically considered.

1. Color vs. B&W-- some greatly prefer one over the other and in pre-war that translates to lithograph vs. photograph, as there really weren't color photos then.
2. Size of set-- some focus on smaller sets that are generally easier to complete, while others like the larger set as being more representative of the year/era.
3. Availability--some are far more patient than others. Announcing you are going to put together an e107 or Just So set is great but it almost certainly will never happen. Some don't mind waiting months before adding a card or two to their set while others need a fix far more often. For this reason many chase more than one set at a time.
4. Condition--some must have a certain condition met for their cards that is next to impossible to satisfy in some sets.
5. Your favorite team/where you grew up--this is highly important to some.
6. Price--again, some may just be unrealistically expensive, or at a price that you would prefer to complete two or more different cheaper sets instead.
7. Investment return--motivates some, not me, although no one wants to be too speculative and take a bath on resale down the road.
8. Overall attractiveness-- beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
9. Player selection-- some sets are gorgeous but contain only or mostly players whose names are known only to the harder core baseball fan. Others are more mainstream but still miss some major stars of the year/era for some reason.
**10 (added). Portrait vs. Action. Some prefer to see depictions of the player's faces to them in some less-defined action shot. Others vice-versa.

These are not listed in any particular order and there are others that will be mentioned no doubt.

Personally, I like the black and white sets, or black and white with colored backgrounds or borders. Nothing too easy, nothing too hard. If you told me it will take me 10-15 years to complete a set with cards of the condition I like (mid-grade or better) on my budget, I wouldn't flinch. I will say, as will many others here, that several card set projects have been started that are jettisoned in favor of something else--there's nothing wrong with that. BTW, there's nothing wrong with type collecting either-- I like it actually, as you do not feel enslaved to a particular set and the sometimes ridiculous price demands it places on what seem like common cards.

[auggiedoggy]

Originally Posted by Bwstew

Curious as to how/what helped you decide on which sets and players you wanted to collect. Been looking at other things since the T206's dont really drive me crazy. Guess just wanted to get some info from others. Thanks for looking.

BW

The prices of T206s are insane if you want to build a high-end collection. Same thing with the C56, C55 and C57 hockey cards from Imperial Tobacco of Canada. So for myself, cost determines what I will collect. Now I buy more C46s than cards from some of the costlier sets. I've built two complete C60 and C61 sets (Imperial Tobacco Lacrosse) over the last decade or so. Much more affordable, quite scarce in comparison to American issue sets. I like the more affordable T212 Obaks. Great colour and the designs are superior to the T206 IMHO. If money was no issue then I'd stick to T206.

[blackandgold]

Originally Posted by Leon

I am into diversity and uncommon things. I love baseball. Baseball card Type collecting is perfect.

+1 Also, I tend try to focus on Pirates, especially catchers. I love the tools of ignorance.

[abothebear]

I chose the few things I focus on by nostalgic connection and feasibility. I like there be a story that is relevant to my experience as a fan attached to what I spend money on. And it needs to be financially completable (even if it takes me forever).

I gravitate toward popular players that I have some ready knowledge of, particularly of teams I follow, as well as players and cards from when I collected as a kid. I am slowly putting together a RC collection of the 1984 Tigers, a Topps run from my birth year til 10 yo, any affordable and nice pre-war hofers, pre-war Cardinals greats and team items as well as Musials, Reds, Marions, Gibsons, and Brocks. I am also working on an auravisions set, not rare, but very unique, with great photos and packed with stars.

[AMBST95]

I would say get a feel for what you like by looking over past "pickup threads". Or look through past auctions to see what kind of stuff is listed. The more variety of cards you see, the easier it will be to make a decision. The other thing is, don't feel imprisoned by what you choose to collect. If you decide it's not for you, sell it and go for something else.

Personally, I'm collecting 3 different sets, from 3 different decades, with 3 different types (Tobacco, Caramel, and Bubblegum). This gets me a large variety of prewar players as the players cover several years of baseball. In addition, I have set different quality standards for each set. 2 of the sets are easily available and one is more difficult. This variety make the projects I'm working on very enjoyable.

[T206Collector]

If you have the collecting bug, you'll see it is like a journey. Some cards will just speak to you -- compel you to have them. If you force it, you'll end up bored with a bunch of cards you couldn't really care too much about.

My advice would be to enjoy the journey. Buy some things that catch your eye, and see if that leads to a deeper attachment. I didn't know that signed T206 cards were going to be my end-all/be-all until some time in 2007, which was about 10 years after I began collecting T206 cards.

Now, the unsigned ones don't do much for me, and I've been dabbling lately in unsigned 1933 Goudey cards. Not sure if that'll stick, but it is more compelling to me these days than many T206 options.

[buymycards]

My wife and I have been to Louisiana several times and we love it there. I collect the Coupons, Weil, Holsum, Kotton, etc. because they remind me of being in Louisiana. At this time I'm not collecting anything else. I don't care about the condition or any investment value.

[rainier2004]

I think there are a few of us that simply cannot stop thinking about certain cards, and for me the worst ever are Cjs. The obsession actually got worse the more cards I got. Its almost like the set chose me instead of me choosing it, I am 2 cards away and they still consume 80% of my time/energy in the hobby. Seriously, all I can think about are Ted's cards going up for auction this summer...just ask him.

[CW]

Curious as to how/what helped you decide on which sets and players you wanted to collect.

Mostly auction descriptions and puffery.



But seriously, for me it was an ever-changing journey. T206Collector says it ever so well, and these are good words of wisdom, so I'll just quote what he said, while implying a "+1" before the quote...

Yes, some cards just speak to you.

Originally Posted by T206Collector

If you have the collecting bug, you'll see it is like a journey. Some cards will just speak to you -- compel you to have them. If you force it, you'll end up bored with a bunch of cards you couldn't really care too much about.

My advice would be to enjoy the journey. Buy some things that catch your eye, and see if that leads to a deeper attachment. *snip*

[Cooper1927]

I have been like an epileptic cat. I have went from one thing to another, but what I think I have finally focused on is Pre-War NY Highlanders/Yankees so I can have a diversity of type, and for sets that do not have those players, San Francisco Seals, or Texas teams. For major league sets with none of those, I will go with cards that appeal to me.

This will appease my inner ADHD child.

[kmac32]

Chose E121 Yankees and Giants as a distant relative was in this set and he played in the 1921 World Series.

[steve B]

For me it's mostly been random opportunity. I've never really had the available cash to concentrate on one set, so I've bought a bit of everything. Sort of a type collector, but not necessarily stopping at one from each set.

I think doing that for a time could be worthwhile. You'd get a nice asortment of cards and eventually you'll find ones you keep going back to.

Steve B

[ullmandds]

I was a lazy type collector who started type collecting in the late eighties...mainly t206 backs and I always wanted to get a run of caramels and tobaccos like I had seen in the early sport americana price guide...examples of cards from the halper collection!!!!!

I had most of the T206 backs and a nice almost run of E's and T's...and many other types of all kinds. I guess by lazy I meant cheap...i had never spent more than $100 or so on any card until the early 21st century.

I began to feel stuck in that I "had" to have certain types to fill holes in my collection whether I liked them or not! This combined with crazy T206 back prices caused me to sell most of my t206's and many of my types...and I decided to focus only on cards that I loved...and wanted!!!!

I tend to prefer unique combinations...tougher backs...more obscure...rarer issues. I had an e94 experience in my early 20's that I blew...so I decided to go after an e94 set...and I'm also focusing on louisiana issues...mainly the tougher ones...T216, T213-1, a Dots Miller big glove collection...obscure babe ruth and ty cobb cards I like...40's-50's star cards I coveted as a child but could never afford!

I'm much happier now having thinned and narrowed my collection...

[Bwstew]

Thanks for the info! Being from Louisiana I would like to get a few of the cards for sure! I can only focus on lower grade cards, so I'm searching hourly on here and ebay. Haven't tried many AH's, pretty sure way out of my budget any way. Love the action shots in b/w of the zeenuts and t210. I keep looking and I'm sure something will get my attention! Thanks everyone for your time!

BW

[jimhopkins82]

I started collecting only t206s at first but thanks to this forum I discovered other sets that interested me and now collect whatever pleases my eye and my wallet can handle. I'm an A's fan so I place an emphasis on those players. Love the look of Cracker Jacks so that as well.