NonSports Forum

Net54baseball.com
Welcome to Net54baseball.com. These forums are devoted to both Pre- and Post- war baseball cards and vintage memorabilia, as well as other sports. There is a separate section for Buying, Selling and Trading - the B/S/T area!! If you write anything concerning a person or company your full name needs to be in your post or obtainable from it. . Contact the moderator at leon@net54baseball.com should you have any questions or concerns. When you click on links to eBay on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. Enjoy!
Net54baseball.com
Net54baseball.com
T206s on eBay
Babe Ruth Cards on eBay
t206 Ty Cobb on eBay
Ty Cobb Cards on eBay
Lou Gehrig Cards on eBay
Baseball T201-T217 on eBay
Baseball E90-E107 on eBay
T205 Cards on eBay
Baseball Postcards on eBay
Goudey Cards on eBay
Baseball Memorabilia on eBay
Baseball Exhibit Cards on eBay
Baseball Strip Cards on eBay
Baseball Baking Cards on eBay
Sporting News Cards on eBay
Play Ball Cards on eBay
Joe DiMaggio Cards on eBay
Mickey Mantle Cards on eBay
Bowman 1951-1955 on eBay
Football Cards on eBay

Go Back   Net54baseball.com Forums > Net54baseball Postwar Sportscard Forums > Postwar Baseball Cards Forum (Pre-1980)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 08-31-2017, 02:59 AM
jasonc's Avatar
jasonc jasonc is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 492
Default Near Sets vs Starter Sets

Thought this would be appropriate to post on the postwar side.. Anybody else find that when they purchase near sets of 80 to 90 percent of the set, there is a good possibility of you sticking with it and completing the set? But starter sets seemed to be abandoned?

I've noticed the last handful of times I've purchased starter sets, let's say about 20 to 30 percent of the cards, I've chipped away at it, but in the end, gave up and sold or traded off what I was working on. But, when I purchased near sets, that are almost complete, I went right to the end to complete it.

I think the giving up happens more often when it's a large set as well.

I suppose the benefit of a starter set, is you can work away at it and most of the set, is customized to your liking.
__________________
Excellent people to deal with: bnorth, Republicaninmass, obcmac, marcdelpercio, Michael Peich, dougscats, jimivintage, mybuddyinc, Luke, Bocabirdman, ncinin.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 08-31-2017, 07:09 AM
savedfrommyspokes's Avatar
savedfrommyspokes savedfrommyspokes is offline
member
Larry More.y
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,984
Default

IMO, this depends on the set's size. With my regular Topps sets (containing mostly 500-700+ cards) that I have built, I have found that near sets gave me a much better chance of finishing. However with smaller sets, 300 cards or less, a starter set worked just as well.

Likely because when you start with 80% of a 600 card set you still need 120 cards to complete. If you begin a 200 card set with a "starter" set/lot containing 40% of the set, you need the same 120 cards to complete. It is a lot easier to find 120 cards for a set versus 300-400, no matter it's size.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-31-2017, 07:22 AM
bnorth's Avatar
bnorth bnorth is online now
Ben North
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 9,788
Default

I don't have a problem finishing either. I more regret just not buying a complete set and save the ton of cash it takes to build a set. Even if you find the cards at a decent price all that shipping adds up real fast.

As an example I am 8 cards from a complete 55 Bowman set. I received 1/3 of the set including most of the star players for free from a very nice fellow member. I have made some amazing purchases of small to medium lots from fellow members. Even with that I still have more into the set than if I just bought a complete set in similar condition. On the upside it has been fun putting it together.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08-31-2017, 02:49 PM
kailes2872's Avatar
kailes2872 kailes2872 is offline
Kev1n @1les
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Pittsburgh Area
Posts: 759
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by bnorth View Post
I don't have a problem finishing either. I more regret just not buying a complete set and save the ton of cash it takes to build a set. Even if you find the cards at a decent price all that shipping adds up real fast.

As an example I am 8 cards from a complete 55 Bowman set. I received 1/3 of the set including most of the star players for free from a very nice fellow member. I have made some amazing purchases of small to medium lots from fellow members. Even with that I still have more into the set than if I just bought a complete set in similar condition. On the upside it has been fun putting it together.

This!!
I have found that I really enjoy getting a nice lot or a set minus the stars and then I go and buy the specific star card that I like - as I find that the stars are normally 1-2 grades below the rest of the set when I buy it complete and I have to upgrade anyway.

My '56 Topps set was put together with a lot and then card by card. I am way deeper into it than if I bought a mid to high grade complete from REA, for example, but I really liked putting it together and it is my pride and joy - the one that I get out of the safe most often to look at because nearly every card has a story of how I got it. However, heaven help me if I ever need to move it because I will take a serious bath...
__________________
2024 Collecting Goals:

53-55 Red Mans Complete Set
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08-31-2017, 03:14 PM
Jenx34 Jenx34 is offline
Ch.ris Jenk.ins
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Birmingham AL
Posts: 383
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kailes2872 View Post
This!!
I have found that I really enjoy getting a nice lot or a set minus the stars and then I go and buy the specific star card that I like - as I find that the stars are normally 1-2 grades below the rest of the set when I buy it complete and I have to upgrade anyway.

My '56 Topps set was put together with a lot and then card by card. I am way deeper into it than if I bought a mid to high grade complete from REA, for example, but I really liked putting it together and it is my pride and joy - the one that I get out of the safe most often to look at because nearly every card has a story of how I got it. However, heaven help me if I ever need to move it because I will take a serious bath...
Feeling stupid.... what is REA?
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 08-31-2017, 03:19 PM
bnorth's Avatar
bnorth bnorth is online now
Ben North
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 9,788
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jenx34 View Post
Feeling stupid.... what is REA?
Robert Edward Auctions http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 08-31-2017, 05:04 PM
jasonc's Avatar
jasonc jasonc is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 492
Default

Nice to hear how you guys build your near or partial sets!

I agree to what's being said here, it is more enjoyable piecing together a set rather then buy it complete, even though it would cost more when it is all said and done.
__________________
Excellent people to deal with: bnorth, Republicaninmass, obcmac, marcdelpercio, Michael Peich, dougscats, jimivintage, mybuddyinc, Luke, Bocabirdman, ncinin.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 08-31-2017, 06:58 PM
vintagebaseballcardguy's Avatar
vintagebaseballcardguy vintagebaseballcardguy is offline
R0b3rt Ch!ld3rs
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,512
Default

[s QUOTE=jasonc;1696599]Nice to hear how you guys build your near or partial sets!

I agree to what's being said here, it is more enjoyable piecing together a set rather then buy it complete, even though it would cost more when it is all said and done.[/QUOTE]

Jason,

That is the rub of being a set collector, I suppose. I really enjoy doing it and do not worry much about the resale value. It is simply a fun hobby for me. To that end, while I sometimes buy a lot of cards, I like having total control of each and every card that goes into my sets and tend to build sets card by card. This makes it more expensive, but there are dealers who give little bulk discounts, free shipping, etc. These days I am mostly building 1960s football sets which are smaller and less expensive relative to baseball.

Last edited by vintagebaseballcardguy; 08-31-2017 at 06:59 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 08-31-2017, 07:00 PM
seanofjapan's Avatar
seanofjapan seanofjapan is offline
Sean McGinty
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Japan
Posts: 501
Default

I have a couple of monstrous Japanese sets I've been putting together for several years now, both of which I started on after buying small "starter sets". Both of them were issued by Calbee, a potato chip maker which distributes its cards 1 at a time in bags of potato chips, making the sets extremely hard to put together.

The first is the 1987 Calbee, which is 387 cards. I started off with a 60 card lot, about 15% of the set. After years of tracking them down I am just 31 shy of finishing the set (92% there). Its been a labor of love.

The more ambitious project is the 1975-76 Calbee set, which has almost 1400 cards including a lot of short printed ones, which probably makes it the biggest regular baseball card set ever issued (?). I started that one with a 50 card lot and after years of tracking them down now have a little over 500, which still puts me less than half way there. Even with me actively seeking them out this could literally take me the rest of my life to complete.

I think if I had bought a "near set" of either of these (if they were available, I think there are probably only a handful of people who have complete sets of these out there and they never sell them) I would have just put it on the shelf and said "close enough!" Getting them in much smaller numbers created a challenge for me that gave me some incentive to actually try and put them together.
__________________
My blog about collecting cards in Japan: https://baseballcardsinjapan.blogspot.jp/

Last edited by seanofjapan; 08-31-2017 at 07:01 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 09-01-2017, 11:42 AM
SAllen2556's Avatar
SAllen2556 SAllen2556 is offline
Scott
Scott All.en
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Detroit
Posts: 600
Default

From childhood, I had about 300 of the ’73 set with no high numbers. I figured by the time I finished it it would be cheaper just to buy the whole set. So I did - it’s not that pricey of a set anyway. Now that I have it, I realize I have no emotional connection to it. I never look at it. It just sits. It’s nice to own, but I might as well have bought a savings bond. Blah. Never again.

The only way I would buy a complete set is if it was maybe 50% near mint (or whatever condition I was aiming for) and then try to upgrade the other half. In fact, I wonder if that’s the way to go - seems like the best bang for the buck. The only problem is you need a big chunk of change to start with.
Reply With Quote
Reply



Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
sets started..sets finished...sets discarded Archive Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions 15 12-09-2007 11:50 AM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:33 AM.


ebay GSB