Card Collecting Grand Slam

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Posted By: dd

Revitalizing a past theme, I'd consider the completion of the Old Judge, T206, 1933 Goudey, and 1952 Topps sets as the Hobby's greatest potential accomplishment.

Anyone know of any old judge sets out there(with or without variations)? What would a type-card collector consider the Hobby's greatest potential accomplishment?

I've completed a set from each of the decades of the 20th century--1909 E95, 1911 T205(without variations), 1921 W551, 1933 Delong, 1948 Bowman, 1954 Topps, 1961 Topps, 1975 Topps, 1989 Upper Deck, & 1994 Flair--Not a grand slam but I think I covered all the bases.

Ultimately I'd like to cover these decades with T206, Cracker Jack, E121, 1933 Goudey, and 1952 topps sets(or 1953 Bowman Color and B&W).

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Posted By: Al Crisafulli

Wow, that's a HUGE accomplishment! One set from every decade of the 20th century - amazing.

For the past few years, I've been trying to do one set from every year the Yankees won the World Series. Thus far I'm complete on 1938 Goudey, 1943 MP & Co., 1953 Topps, 1977 Topps and 1978 Topps, and I'm very close to complete on 1961 Topps and 1998 Leaf Rookies & Stars. I'm just about to start 1928 W502. But I can't fathom ever actually getting done.

In any event, I think you're right - a quartet of OJ, T206, 33 Goudey and 52 Topps would probably be the most enviable group for set builders.

For type card collectors, I would imagine that a four-sport HOF type set (baseball/football/hockey/basketball) would be a tremendous challenge, especially if the collector placed some limitations on how many cards from any individual set would be allowed. That would require a great deal of regional and foreign cards, and would be a heck of a challenge.

-Al

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Posted By: leon

I am quite sure that a true baseball card ACC type set has never been completed. I am working on the pre-'41 one. I think Glen V might be ahead of me but not by far. I still need about 3-4 ACC cards and I will be complete...minus cabinets, which I haven't collected....yet .....

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Posted By: E, Daniel

Your concept of a sportscard grand-slam is the kind of metaphor I use when building my collection. In trying to keep costs and card numbers down, I spent a lot of time trying to work out exactly what my collection represents and how to create specific limits to think within.

So this is my 'slam criteria'.

I collect players of all sports, who I feel are not only acclaimed as some of the greatest to have played, but in fact CHANGED THE GAME because of their play and or persona - with the preference where possible that their playing (or in some cases managing) career was early in the history of the sport and thus had enormous impact on the game's evolution. Then again, my 1964 Panini Pele was a super easy decision when it came to my soccer rep. I collect only 1-3 representatives of what I consider the minor collecting sports, eg. tennis, snooker/pool, soccer, golf, australian rules football, athletics, hockey (I know I'll get a caning for grouping hockey in this first group - what can I tell you? I'm a transplanted Aussie who's only been here in Chicago 6 years, and Hockey has seemed like such a languishing sport in that time...) and more comprehensive collections (in ascending order of size) in boxing, basketball, football, and baseball.

Then, I threw in my type caveat.
There can be only one representative type card used from any 1 issue, so all my chosen players must then compete for "types". They do this by my final criteria, which is rookie card where possible, and best card in terms of image, rarity and value the deal breaker where clear rookie is clouded or just an unimpressive card! Oh yes, and of course I had to throw in color variations as well so that my 1908-1921 caramels, strips, and tobaccos looked pretty too, and not all just shades of red, or green, or....

So that's MY slam madness, I'm sure it's way more neurotic than most - but it keeps me happy.

Daniel

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Posted By: JimB

Somebody correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think anybody has ever completed an N172 Old Judge set. Some of the cards, like the California Leaguers are exceedingly rare. Does anybody know what the greatest accumulation of different cards has been in one collection?
JimB

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Posted By: Joe_G.

To follow up on Jim's comment, even if you simplify a complete OJ set from it's ~2,427 unique N172 poses to just the 520 different baseball players represented, no one person has completed it (to my knowledge). And as Jim stated, it comes down to the 19 California League cards (18 of which can only be found as such, all single pose examples) and a handful of other key players that are also exceedingly difficult. Despite this, there are a couple amazingly complete collections out there.

If one can convince themselves that the California League cards are not required to complete the set (similar to the big 3 or 4 in T206), the task becomes easier but still very difficult.

Best Regards,
Joe Gonsowski

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Pardon my contrariness.....but, let's be practical in our choice for the "1st
leg" of this "Grand Slam". So, my candidate for a 19th Century set is either
the N28....N29....N162....N284. The N172 set is just too "monsterous", and
I am not sure that anyone can boast having completed it in recent years;
which tells us it is virtually impossible, nowadays.

The obvious pre-WWI set is the T206 (520 cards)

Followed by the "between-Wars" set....the 1933 Goudey (239 cards)

And, the post-WWII set could be either the 1952 Topps (409 cards)

Or, if you dare....the 1949 Leaf set (101 cards)

If you allow me this modification, then I am in the Grand Slam club.

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Posted By: Erland Stevens

You've defined the Ted Slam of card collecting.

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Posted By: ockday

Nice topic.... I've also thought about this and my personal favorites are..
19th century...OJ's or Mayo's
Pre WWI...T206
In between wars...33 Goudey and also 33 Goudey Sport Kings
Post WWII...52 Topps

Alan

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Posted By: ockday

19th century...N162 because it has the Beecher FB card
Pre WWI...T218
In between wars...32 US Caramel and 33 Goudey Sport Kings
Post WWII...51 Berk Ross

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Posted By: Chad

Say, the Billikens from Cuba, the V100's from Canada, a Japanese set (hundreds to choose from), and a Toleteros set from Puerto Rico. Or, if you want to make it exceptionally tough, the Dobles set from Venezuela. Or, you could make it easier and go for a Topps Venezuelan set or maybe the Ovenca set. Actually, now that I think of it, a grand slam like this could be done under a budget relatively easy:

1. Cuba: 45-46 Felices without the Reyes shortprint
2. Japan: My god, there are a lot of sets to choose from. One of the 1948 or 1949 Menko sets would be easy enough.
3. Canada: Any of the 1970's or 1960's O-Pee-Chee sets. Laval and Parkhurst are doable, but tougher, too.
4. Venezuela: Ovenca or one of the Topps sets

Anyway, goals I've set for myself but will never complete:

A card from every country that has ever printed baseball cards.
A complete set from every decade.
A card of every player who ever appeared in the Negro Leagues that has a card. (Man, there are a lot of these guys. I'm pushing a hundred different players already.)
A 1930's type set.
An Oakland Oaks type set.
And, if I ever figure out how to make money, a card of every player that played professionally before 1950 regardless of the league and country they played in.

Of course, this list of goals evolves weekly.

--Chad

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Posted By: JimB

I would say N28 or N162 for 19th century.
JimB

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Posted By: Richard Masson

Mayos are the best choice for 19th century.
Comprehensive number of stars and completable. N28 and N162 just don't have enough baseball players.
Second choice would be a group of all the OJ HOFers.