Sets, piecemeal or as a whole?

[1963Topps Set]

When it comes to complete sets, do you like to put them together or buy them already complete?

I like to build them piecemeal as I have more control over the entire grading of the set and I like to see the set come together. It makes me appreciate the set much more.

I do know it costs more to build a set, but that is the one negative I am willing to live with.

[KCRfan1]

I'm in agreement with you Tom. I am working on a 1973 set, and am buying the individual cards as I go. i know that I will end up paying way more than I should, but it gives me control over the cards and condition I want. I plan on never selling the set once it's completed as it is pure nostalgia for me. The next set I put together will be more difficult ( and more expensive ).

[bbcard1]

I am spending tonight grinding through a 1969 set to pick up a few commons and upgrades at the Moeller show. I am sure I am paying too much because I am piece milling it, I have been going through the set with my 20-year-old home from college...have got to tell him about a myriad of lesser know players...Carlos May, Gates Brown, Mike Kekich, the Alou brothers...guys like that with great stories. Have got to tell him about old wax packs and show him how to use panty hose to clean the fronts of cards. It's been a nice rainy Sunday evening.

[gopherfan]

I prefer to put them together piece meal. I am doing all the Topps sets from 1970 (The year I was born) to present. Sadly, I still put the current sets together card by card. Lucky for me, I am friends with a guy that buys about 20 cases, and he lets me go through the cards and choose what I want for my set, and then just charges the same as he normally charges for a complete set. If I wasn't able to do that, I think I would just start buying the complete sets.

[Footballdude]

I too lie putting sets together card by card, or in groups. I'll usually buy cards in small lots, which keeps the per card cost down a little, and upgrade when I can. It leaves me with dupes to re-sell or trade. When I get to 80-90% complete I start picking off individual cards.

[the 'stache]

I will build any set I own. I want total control over every card. You can buy a set listed as "near mint", but those cards can have centering all over the place, print flaws. I want to eliminate those as much as humanly possible. I realize it will take longer, and cost more, but it's like designing your dream home versus buying one already built. Both can be great, and they both give you a roof over your head. But one is truly a reflection of your passion as a home buyer.

If I had the money to just buy my T206 set in one fell swoop, I'd still keep building it piece by piece. There's just something about looking for that perfect card, and acquiring it. I like opening my eyes in the morning, and having something fun to do. Even if I'm just going to spend $20 to buy a couple of cards, I know that I will find a card or cards that meets my specifications, or I'll just keep looking. I love getting lots of little boxes, and padded mailers. When I hear the mail truck pulling into the cul de sac, I have a Pavlovian response. I'm 43 years old, and I get excited like a little kid.

To me, that's what the hobby is all about.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

I will build any set I own. I want total control over every card. You can buy a set listed as "near mint", but those cards can have centering all over the place, print flaws. I want to eliminate those as much as humanly possible. I realize it will take longer, and cost more, but it's like designing your dream home versus buying one already built. Both can be great, and they both give you a roof over your head. But one is truly a reflection of your passion as a home buyer.

If I had the money to just buy my T206 set in one fell swoop, I'd still keep building it piece by piece. There's just something about looking for that perfect card, and acquiring it. I like opening my eyes in the morning, and having something fun to do. Even if I'm just going to spend $20 to buy a couple of cards, I know that I will find a card or cards that meets my specifications, or I'll just keep looking. I love getting lots of little boxes, and padded mailers. When I hear the mail truck pulling into the cul de sac, I have a Pavlovian response. I'm 43 years old, and I get excited like a little kid.

To me, that's what the hobby is all about.

Bill, I concur with what you're saying. If I ever build another set, I plan on doing so on a card by card basis. I realize it is more expensive and slower that way. I know what i want and what i don't in terms of condition. I am thinking about '53 Bowman Color...160 cards, so that is doable.

I have said that I would probably avoid sets from here on out and just cherry pick stars, but there is something about that '53 Bowman Color set. In looking back at my '53 Topps, they are all little works of art...even the insignificant players. '53 Bowman is a lot like that. Anyway, if I go for it, I like your approach.

I love this hobby and sharing it and talking about it!

[Exhibitman]

Depends on the set. If the price and condition are right I will buy a set and upgrade as needed. Doing that with my 1976 Star Trek set. I got a nice set with 38 cards out of 88 that meet my standards. I will get the rest individually. I bought a near set of 1977 baseball for very little and pulled about a hundred cards then sold off the rest. Heck, half the fun is filling it out myself.

[K-Nole]

For Vintage sets, mark me down as piece by piece.
I do the piece way because it brings me and Zackary (12) together and serves as a father/son bond. We watch MLB Network & NFL Network and he learns about the players, then as we build the sets, he is able to put the card from that exact moment in time, with the player he saw on TV. We watched the story of Lyman Bostock. How sad that is, the other night,
so we had to go thru and find all of our Bostock cards.

For sets 1983 and newer, we bought/buy completed. We only need Topps Football 1999 thru 1994 now.

[PowderedH2O]

I am in agreement with the rest of you. First of all, my budget is limited, so buying sets complete really isn't an option. I can't afford to collect from packs anymore (since I spent nearly $300 in 2003 without completing a set), so the recent stuff I just buy a store set. I am putting together several sets at the same time, and it is a lot of fun finding a particular card at the right price. Will I pay more in the long run? Yep. But it will be a lot more fun.

[darkhorse9]

I do my sets piecemeal, but i do them in series. I complete series one first just like kids did when they first came out, then on to series two, and so on. That wsy I'm usually facing only three or four star cards at a time in each series. It gices me a sense of completion and focus as i go along

[1963Topps Set]

Very interesting and unique! I have put together many sets and never thought to put them together by series. I would think that would be less stressful... Until you get to the last series!

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

Bill, I concur with what you're saying. If I ever build another set, I plan on doing so on a card by card basis. I realize it is more expensive and slower that way. I know what i want and what i don't in terms of condition. I am thinking about '53 Bowman Color...160 cards, so that is doable.

I have said that I would probably avoid sets from here on out and just cherry pick stars, but there is something about that '53 Bowman Color set. In looking back at my '53 Topps, they are all little works of art...even the insignificant players. '53 Bowman is a lot like that. Anyway, if I go for it, I like your approach.

I love this hobby and sharing it and talking about it!

Robert,
I hadn't updated my sig in a while, but I'm also building the 1953 Bowman Color set. It's my favorite of all vintage and modern sets, and I struggle trying to decide if it, or the T206 set, is my favorite of all-time. The '53 Bowman color set is perfection, if you ask me. The photography is perfect. I mean, how can it get any better? The greats of the game, from one of the greatest eras in baseball history, with no typography to distract. Just the players in those old uniforms, and with those old, majestic stadiums behind them.

It's one of those I should be able to build in a few years, and continue upgrading for the rest of my life.

The first vintage card I bought was this '53 Bowman Ralph Kiner. It will be replaced, obviously, as I'm now pretty picky as to centering. But it's still beautiful to me. Next to he Brewers and Milwaukee Braves, the Pirates are my favorite franchise, so getting a '53 Kiner was a magical moment for me.



These next 5 I won from a Brockelman & Luckey auction. Nice, mid grade examples with great eye appeal, and really nice centering.



Then, finally, this last one last week. This should grade as excellent, maybe excellent +. I like it, regardless.



A few of my all-time favorite cards are in this set. The Pee Wee Reese is, obviously, a classic. It's unique to the set. But one of the very first cards I go after in the new year will br the '53 Bowman Stan Musial. It really doesn't get much better than that. As a Braves fan, The Warren Spahn and Eddie Mathews are beauties. And, of course, how can one not love the Mickey Mantle? That one will cost a small fortune in a strong grade. But, it will be worth it. That might be my favorite Mantle card.

[VintageBucs]

I'm currently working on the 1959 Topps set, it's my first time going for a full set and I've decided to piece it together card by card. As other have echoed that way I can pick and choose each card. I'm really enjoying the hunt, it gives me something to look forward too. If I just purchased a whole set at once I'm not sure I'd enjoy it even remotely as much

[1963Topps Set]

Good luck! The 1959 Topps set was the very first vintage set I ever completed. That way back in 1993. I already had Mantle / Aaron / Clemente / Koufax and Mays going in, so I did have some sort of head start. I also caught a great break as a dealer was liquidating his 1959 and 1962 cards very cheaply and I got a lot of them there. The Al Kaline All Star card was the last needed and I remember clearly the amazement and joy I has upon completing the set.

[DHogan]

I build my sets piecemeal. It's more of challange. A lot more satisfaction when (if ever) I complete one.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

Robert,
I hadn't updated my sig in a while, but I'm also building the 1953 Bowman Color set. It's my favorite of all vintage and modern sets, and I struggle trying to decide if it, or the T206 set, is my favorite of all-time. The '53 Bowman color set is perfection, if you ask me. The photography is perfect. I mean, how can it get any better? The greats of the game, from one of the greatest eras in baseball history, with no typography to distract. Just the players in those old uniforms, and with those old, majestic stadiums behind them.

It's one of those I should be able to build in a few years, and continue upgrading for the rest of my life.

The first vintage card I bought was this '53 Bowman Ralph Kiner. It will be replaced, obviously, as I'm now pretty picky as to centering. But it's still beautiful to me. Next to he Brewers and Milwaukee Braves, the Pirates are my favorite franchise, so getting a '53 Kiner was a magical moment for me.



These next 5 I won from a Brockelman & Luckey auction. Nice, mid grade examples with great eye appeal, and really nice centering.



Then, finally, this last one last week. This should grade as excellent, maybe excellent +. I like it, regardless.



A few of my all-time favorite cards are in this set. The Pee Wee Reese is, obviously, a classic. It's unique to the set. But one of the very first cards I go after in the new year will br the '53 Bowman Stan Musial. It really doesn't get much better than that. As a Braves fan, The Warren Spahn and Eddie Mathews are beauties. And, of course, how can one not love the Mickey Mantle? That one will cost a small fortune in a strong grade. But, it will be worth it. That might be my favorite Mantle card.

Sweet cards, Bill! Yep, I am ALL about that Mantle! This set will be my 2015 project. Not sure if Mantle will happen this upcoming year or not, but sooner or later it will. Thanks for sharing.

[the 'stache]

Robert,

I don't know if I'll add the Mantle in 2014, likely not, because I have a list of really higher level cards (for me, anyway) that I will be adding to my collection, and while that one is on it, and it is one of the first Mantles on the list, there are others I want first. The first big purchase I was is the 1934 Goudey Lou Gehrig #37. From the '53 Bowman set, I want the Stan Musial first in a pretty nice high-average grade (PSA 7 maybe). The Mantle will be one of the next cards I get from the set.

All things in time.