Set Collectors: anyone arrange cards differently?

[Vintagevault13]

As I was putting some recent pickups for my 1971 set into sleeves/toploaders, my mind began to wander back to my early collecting days and it hit me that I never arranged my sets numerically when I started collecting. In fact, I honestly don’t remember even paying any attention to the numbers until a few years later. I always arranged my sets by teams and subsets (all-stars, leaders, World Series, etc.). This got me to wondering if anyone does this anymore. Just for nostalgia, I pulled all of my 1971 Braves cards and found that it is really cool to look at them by team. You can seen patterns in poses, locations, etc. I enjoy looking at my sets often and am thinking about channeling my inner 9-year-old and arranging them like I did as a kid.

Does anyone have sets arranged this way (or another way other than numerically)?

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by Vintagevault13

As I was putting some recent pickups for my 1971 set into sleeves/toploaders, my mind began to wander back to my early collecting days and it hit me that I never arranged my sets numerically when I started collecting. In fact, I honestly don’t remember even paying any attention to the numbers until a few years later. I always arranged my sets by teams and subsets (all-stars, leaders, World Series, etc.). This got me to wondering if anyone does this anymore. Just for nostalgia, I pulled all of my 1971 Braves cards and found that it is really cool to look at them by team. You can seen patterns in poses, locations, etc. I enjoy looking at my sets often and am thinking about channeling my inner 9-year-old and arranging them like I did as a kid.



Does anyone have sets arranged this way (or another way other than numerically)?

I thought you were a binder man, Ed? The by team grouping is something I have always liked about the Fleer sets from the 80s.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Vintagevault13]

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

I thought you were a binder man, Ed? The by team grouping is something I have always liked about the Fleer sets from the 80s.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Hey Robert,

Good catch. I am actually a binder guy, but I must admit that I have gone back and forth between binders and toploaders over the years. All of my other sets are in binders, but I am only about 1/3 through the 1971 set so I have been putting them in toploaders until closer to completion. I imagine that I will continue to use binders due to the storage, weight, and ability to easily flip through the sets. I confess, however, that I do miss holding the individual cards and reading the backs like I did as a kid.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by Vintagevault13

Hey Robert,



Good catch. I am actually a binder guy, but I must admit that I have gone back and forth between binders and toploaders over the years. All of my other sets are in binders, but I am only about 1/3 through the 1971 set so I have been putting them in toploaders until closer to completion. I imagine that I will continue to use binders due to the storage, weight, and ability to easily flip through the sets. I confess, however, that I do miss holding the individual cards and reading the backs like I did as a kid.

Ed, you are my inspiration for using binders. I hadn't used binders in years until I started seeing your posts. I have also been back and forth over the years but now I am back to my roots: ungraded cards in binders, the way it was meant to be and not trying to impress anyone by doing so...just pure enjoyment. Good idea of holding them in topladers until you get enough to transfer them to the binder. Incidentally, I have been thinking about building a 1971 Topps set.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Vintagevault13]

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

Ed, you are my inspiration for using binders. I hadn't used binders in years until I started seeing your posts. I have also been back and forth over the years but now I am back to my roots: ungraded cards in binders, the way it was meant to be and not trying to impress anyone by doing so...just pure enjoyment. Good idea of holding them in topladers until you get enough to transfer them to the binder. Incidentally, I have been thinking about building a 1971 Topps set.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

I 1000% agree with you. To me, this hobby is also for pure enjoyment. Good luck if you go after the 1971 set. I am having fun putting it together. I adjusted my tolerance levels just a bit re: corner wear due to the black borders. It hasn’t been terribly difficult to put together since I am willing to overlook a little chipping along the sides and corners. I still avoid creases, writing, etc. I am building it in the VG+ - EX range. I would suggest starting with the high numbers to knock them out. That is what I did and I found them about as tough as the more talked-about 1972 high numbers. It is a good feeling to know I have those out of the way. Again, good luck if you decide to pursue the 1971’s. Let me know if I can help with anything as you make your decision.

[JollyElm]

It's funny, what you call subsets my friends and I called "junk" cards. All the junk (checklists, leaders, World Series and such) went to the back. When you're a kid, it's so natural to set all of your cards apart by teams, because you are all about your team and who they're playing. My brothers and I hoarded Mets cards, because that was our hometown team. The Mets went in front. And if they were playing the Cubs that day, we'd grab our Chicago cards and 'scout' the team. When the game was going on we'd follow the players as the team made its way through the lineup and check out things like, "Hey, how did José Cardenal hit last year?"...or..."What happened to the guy on this card? Was he traded?"...or..."Hee hee, Pete LaCock. Don't let Mom hear you say that."

The older you get, your childhood teams vanish into the ether and you begin arranging your sets in numerical order...as you come to realize your innocence is lost. Whoa...that took a dark turn there. Too much?

[jason.1969]

My sets are all by number except 1978, which was the first I collected as a kid.

For nostalgia I organized those by team in...the Topps Super Sports Card Locker!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J327A using Tapatalk

[Vintagevault13]

Originally Posted by jason.1969

My sets are all by number except 1978, which was the first I collected as a kid.

For nostalgia I organized those by team in...the Topps Super Sports Card Locker!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J327A using Tapatalk

Ahhh, the sports card locker. I had one and your post brought back great memories.