Set Recommendations

[Niko]

Hey all,

A few months ago I was very much attracted to the monster (like everyone is). Fortunately, I took time to think about it and realized it just wasn't at all doable at this time in my life. I am looking for recommendations on a nice set to complete in the 5-6 thousand range. Condition doesn't really matter to me (I'm okay with all PSA 1's). I would ideally like to have a PSA set (despite having low condition cards). One idea I've recently had was to attempt a low grade 1933 Goudey. If you have any other ideas, feel free to post scans or leave a comment - I'm looking for something somewhat challenging, a decent sized checklist, and in the approximate price range I posted.

Thanks guys,
Zach

[bbcard1]

my T205 is pretty lousy, but I'll bet I got it all complete between 3K and 4K, mostly raw...probably closer to 3 K. If I did not have any skins in the set, it would probably be closer to 5, but still doable. Some of the SPs are challenging, but there's nothing that is impossible. I will probably end up spending the most for an upgraded Joss, but for now, Wilhelm is the only card I paid over $300 for, a nice Collins mouth open and Johnson were the only I spent more than $200 on, but I got the Cobb a long time ago. The nice thing is that even if you only have $25 to spend one month, you can still probably find something to add.

[Leon]

Hi Zach,
Depending on what kind of cards catch you fancy some of the early caramel sets would be fun. I think you could get a E92,E93,E94,E95,E96 or E98 set in lower grade, for the 5k-6k range. Maybe some others will have other suggestions too. Since I am not really a set collector I don't have a lot of experience building them. That being set you could also pick a doable "type" set of things you like. In that realm the possibilities are virtually unlimited. Whatever you decide just make sure it is because YOU enjoy it. Good luck in the quest. I think part of the fun could almost be figuring out what you want to do!! regards

[Niko]

The T205 set for that price range seems quite tempting, however I personally am just not a fan of the design. I love the look and the allure of the t206 cards. This is the second time this has happened to me. I'm considering just making a SLOW run at the t206 set. 5k now won't get me that far but if I go for it in very low condition, I'll make decent progress and over time I'll have more money to put into it. It would make completing it all the more special. It's the monster after all, it's not the type of thing that almost anyone completes in a short amount of time.

Keep the suggestions rolling guys, thanks!

[bbcard1]

I am looking for my next set. I am thinking about Tattoo Orbit...not all that well appreciated but it has some funk.

I have enough of the T206 to start a run. For some reason, a few years ago I bought 100 different for $100 (lower grade, but so what) which included a few HOFers and Southern Leaguers. I am going to continue to chip away and will get serious at some point...actually, I am thinking about starting with the T206 players who are not in the t205 set.

[matthew]

Originally Posted by bbcard1

I have enough of the T206 to start a run. For some reason, a few years ago I bought 100 different for $100 (lower grade, but so what) which included a few HOFers and Southern Leaguers. .

Crap. That is a deal! Can't beat T206s for a buck.

[Niko]

Originally Posted by bbcard1

I am looking for my next set. I am thinking about Tattoo Orbit...not all that well appreciated but it has some funk.

I have enough of the T206 to start a run. For some reason, a few years ago I bought 100 different for $100 (lower grade, but so what) which included a few HOFers and Southern Leaguers. I am going to continue to chip away and will get serious at some point...actually, I am thinking about starting with the T206 players who are not in the t205 set.

Did you type that correctly? A buck per? If you want to move them, I'd very likely be interested.

[bbcard1]

Originally Posted by Niko

Did you type that correctly? A buck per? If you want to move them, I'd very likely be interested.

It was 25 years ago or so...have been building on it slowly but surely.

[Niko]

Awesome pickup.

For those of you with knowledge about t206. If I were to go for PSA 1/2, would it be cheaper to buy lots of beater commons and slab them myself, or to buy them slabbed straight out. Also, is the re-sale value on the PSA 1s or 2s? Say I put an entire set together in PSA 1-3 - would it sell alright if I were to ever sell it? Better idea to buy raw? I like the idea of slabbed more personally.

[bbcard1]

My experience with T205s was As 1s and 2s were cheaper to buy in the slab...but I busted them out.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Niko

Awesome pickup.

For those of you with knowledge about t206. If I were to go for PSA 1/2, would it be cheaper to buy lots of beater commons and slab them myself, or to buy them slabbed straight out. Also, is the re-sale value on the PSA 1s or 2s? Say I put an entire set together in PSA 1-3 - would it sell alright if I were to ever sell it? Better idea to buy raw? I like the idea of slabbed more personally.

For this grade set, 1-2 range, I might skip the grading on all but the HOF'ers (and maybe them too). You can put the money towards more cards. Just a thought....

I have 98% of the value of my collection slabbed but probably only 60% of my cards. I tend to not get the lower valued ones graded. The only reason I get them graded is to them from myself and to get a 3rd party opinion on alterations. I have saved way more than I will ever spend on grading by having a few high end cards get rejected, and subsequently returned for a refund. After the alterations were pointed out I could see them but I didn't beforehand. best regards

[Niko]

Thanks for the advice.

How much extra do you think it would come out to per card for raw/psa 1/2

I feel like PSA 1/2 would run about 20+, whereas raw would run about 15 per. Does that seem accurate?

[glchen]

I'm a set collector and a big fan of the 33 Goudey's, so I think that set would be a worthy goal for you. And right now the pricing on Goudey's is really good, so other than the Ruth's, you can get a good deal for most cards. The Lajoie will still be out of reach, however.

One other idea that I've come across recently is to try to build sets around specific cards that I really like. For example, I'm a big fan of the E103 Wagner, E98 Cy Young, and E93/94 Cobb. These can be expensive cards. However, many of the rest of the set isn't that bad, so I'd like to obtain one of these cards some day. Along the way I've been looking to pick up the rest of the set if the price looks particularly appealing.

For that reason, I think you should avoid T205 if you don't like the look. I'm a firm believer that you should collect cards that you love looking at. When you're bored, you just feel like taking out your collection and looking at the cards. That's the best.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Niko

Thanks for the advice.

How much extra do you think it would come out to per card for raw/psa 1/2

I feel like PSA 1/2 would run about 20+, whereas raw would run about 15 per. Does that seem accurate?

I haven't submitted cards very recently but say they are $8 each to be graded, for an estimate. If you have a $20 card then that makes it $28....which is almost 30% more. That is quite a percentage increase for these type cards. Now, if you get into the more expensive ones then it probably makes more sense. Again, just my opinion, and if you like them all slabbed then by all means go for it. The main thing to do is whatever makes you happy. best regards

[Niko]

Thanks for the advice. In theory, T205 is perfect for me - it's affordable, it's got a nice checklist, it's a relatively small size - I just don't like the way they look, especially compared to the beauty of the artwork on T206 cards. I'll take a look into some E cards and see if any of those strike my interest more.

[Niko]

Originally Posted by Leon

I haven't submitted cards very recently but say they are $8 each to be graded, for an estimate. If you have a $20 card then that makes it $28....which is almost 30% more. That is quite a percentage increase for these type cards. Now, if you get into the more expensive ones then it probably makes more sense. Again, just my opinion, and if you like them all slabbed then by all means go for it. The main thing to do is whatever makes you happy. best regards

I would wait for PSA's $4 or $5 bulk special if I were to do this. It would come out to about 6-7 dlvd per card so the costs wouldn't be that much higher. I would like all PSA graded.

The problem with this is my problem when I attempted the 1955 topps set. I was buying mid-grade cards to add and then grade myself, but I realized that grading out at 5 was like an average grade for the 55 cards and if anything it wouldn't help the value at all - I felt like it was a waste to have an entire set graded as PSA 5 when the average grade is like 5-6. However, I feel like due to the sensitivity of the T206's, an average grade of 1-2 or even 3 is much more respectable. Even if they're all 1's, I think it would hold it's value well. With this said, I would never plan on selling, but we all know other things come up in life that could take precedent if need be.

[Robextend]

Originally Posted by glchen

I'm a set collector and a big fan of the 33 Goudey's, so I think that set would be a worthy goal for you. And right now the pricing on Goudey's is really good, so other than the Ruth's, you can get a good deal for most cards. The Lajoie will still be out of reach, however.

Shhh!! I don't need the extra competition!

In all seriousness I totally agree with everything Gary said. 1933 Goudey in mid-grade condition was the first set I started working on. I am at about 75% and I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is a great set for many reasons. The monster is great as well, but will obviously take you much longer and will cost more money. Whatever you end up doing I wish you the best.

[glchen]

The grading specials for PSA constantly change. However, the best deals that I've seen for PSA for prewar cards is $5/card with a declared value < $100. There is often a minimum card requirement here like you need to submit 50 or more. Note with PSA, you have to have a membership. For SGC, the best deal in the past year is $6/card with a declared value < $250. Unless you have a high value card from ebay that you need to authenticate, you can usually just wait for these deals to re-appear before submitting.

[drdduet]

Niko,

Sounds like you really like the T206's. May I suggest that that is what you go after. Building subsets of the Monster (Southern Leaguer set, team sets, HOF sets, portrait sets, back sets, etc) can be very rewarding. No need to tackle the beast all at once.

Good Luck!

[Niko]

I like 33 goudey but I feel like besides the multiple Ruth's and Gehrig, the set is pretty boring(Lajoie too, of course). Also, I feel like I can easily find almost all commons in poor condition. While it would be a fun set to build, I don't think it poses the challenge that T206 does, except for the Lajoie.

With my budget being slim, perhaps I shouldn't be trying to take on the Monster as my first set ever. I'm not sure how prepared I am for it, but this is the second time it's lured me in and with the checklist, the artwork, and the stories, I can't find a better option than the t206.

If I were to go with it, I'd need to decide on condition (raw vs PSA, PSA 1 or 2? 3?), how to start, how much to budget myself at a time, etc. I realize that organization is key but I feel like the best way would be to pick up a big lot of say 100 or so, to get the ball rolling.

Zach

[FrankWakefield]

Pick a team...

If you like the white border tobacco cards, and you like slabs, then collect that. If the entire set is too many, then focus on a team. Obvious one's to avoid would be Pittsburg, the Athletics, that way you avoid the frustration of having a Wagner hole or a Plank hole. Both the Giants and Cubs are fun, but there are a LOT of those cards. Detroit has those expensive Cobb cards, Cleveland has Young and Lajoie. The Boston Nat'l's are manageable. The Sports Collector's Bible lists the cards by team, the old way they were collected. If you collect just one team you can sort them by series and see the uniform progression.

[glchen]

I think I agree with the others. After seeing your posts, you should just go with T206. You can break it down into subsets to make it more manageable if you want. There are a lot of options on how to break it down. If I were to try to tackle the monster, I would start with HOFers, and along the way, pick up any irresistible bargains or lots on commons. There are many, many ways to do it, however, and a lot of experience on collecting this set by others on this board.

[tonyo]

If there is one thing I've learned reading this board, it is that The Monster will try to get you to quit, but you shouldn't listen.

[Republicaninmass]

I am in the minority but I think the t205 set has much more eye appeal than the t206's. Just my opinion the t206s are extremely plentiful, and completely over-hyped by the Wagner card. (donning asbestos suit for flaming) It seems you like the t206's so go for it!!

[Mollys Dad]

I have been toying with attempting the Diamond Stars set. I dont think it will put you in the poor house and you could probably get them all in mid to higher grades. IMO.

[Big Six]

I love this set...lots of HoFers...tough #1 in Gomez..108 cards...hi #'s...no Ruth or Gehrig to muck it up price wise. Great first set! Regardless...good luck with whatever you choose.

And by the way...t205 is far more appealing looking than t206...republicaninmass is not alone!!!

[Ease]

Originally Posted by Big Six

And by the way...t205 is far more appealing looking than t206...republicaninmass is not alone!!!

+1, you get an ad and a blurb/stats on the back rather than just the ad...

[Niko]

To each their own, I don't love the look of T205.

I'm thinking of starting T206 and going after all the HOF to start. I know this is really tough, but excluding the few biggies, it should be attainable in time. When I have the HOF set done, the SL'ers wont be bad, and when I have the HOF + SL'ers done, the commons will be easy. All to be had in PSA form (atleast for the HOF'ers for sure, I'll take PSA 1-3 but probably will end up with mostly PSA 1).

Anyone have a link to where I can see a breakdown by team, SL, HOF etc.?

Thanks
Zach

[rdixon1208]

Zach,

I started off collecting (T206) HOFers and didn't get too far without getting a little bored. I don't have a big budget, so buying only HOFers restricted me to only buying one card here and there. So I decided to switch coarse. I started buying low grade commons instead of HOFers and have been much happier. I went from 15 cards to 70+ in no time. I'm not adding anything of significance at one time, but I really feel like I'm making much more progress than I was before.

As for your other question, I buy all of the commons raw. I've found that I can usually get a much better deal. Much of the hobby depends on TPG's for peace of mind. In my opinion this account for the higher prices on low grade cards, but it doesn't take long to develop an eye for reprints/alterations when you're looking at one set all the time. The HOFers I buy are graded (SGC for me)....just gives me peace of mind.

[Niko]

I took a quick look at your collection - it looks great!

Perhaps I'll do both - buy myself a starter set of low grade commons and at the same time, work on a list of HOF'ers. I plan on funding the set (for now) by selling my current collection (modern cards). Let's say hypothetically I get 4.5-5K. I would have all that money up front but once that disappears, I would infrequently have money to put into cards. So, I could start pretty strong (I would hope 5k would get me somewhere), but it would slow down tremendously. However, it would slow down regardless of how I went about it.

Zach

[ethicsprof]

the most wise Dr. Darren Duet (by the way, great to see you back around!!!)
is most convincing in advising you to choose the T206s. You obviously love them already. I'd listen to the doctor.
and as the brilliant Tony Ooten suggests with his use of the most astute
dictum, do not listen to the Monster---because the Monster wants you to quit; don't listen to it!!!!!!

all the best in your quest,
barry

[MooseWithFleas]

Originally Posted by Mollys Dad

I have been toying with attempting the Diamond Stars set. I dont think it will put you in the poor house and you could probably get them all in mid to higher grades. IMO.

Originally Posted by Big Six

I love this set...lots of HoFers...tough #1 in Gomez..108 cards...hi #'s...no Ruth or Gehrig to muck it up price wise. Great first set! Regardless...good luck with whatever you choose.

And by the way...t205 is far more appealing looking than t206...republicaninmass is not alone!!!

I too love the look of the Diamond Stars, one of the most underrated sets IMO. How much would it run you to collect all 108 do you think?