Your Opinion on Complete vs. Near Complete Set Value
 

I am hoping to get some opinions regarding the value of sets being completed vs near completed.

The reason I ask is that I am rounding out a 1933 Goudey set and will soon be at 98ish%. The remaining 2ish% consists of the most expensive cards, 4 Ruth’s and 2 Gehrig’s.

Outside of the shoulda, coulda, woulda thoughts I am having knowing these were readily available a year ago at half of today’s price… I am now considering picking up the balance of the cards. I know that will be an expensive endeavor as they have doubled in price over the last year.

Let’s assume that the current prices will remain steady for the foreseeable future meaning waiting for a dip to round out the set isn’t a realistic option.

Do you think value wise, it behooves the over all value of the set to be at 100% and does having the remaining cards increase the total value more than the individual value of the cards themselves?

Thank you for reading.

CK

CK - 1933 Goudey is an awesome set. In my opinion, it is a top 3 set (along with t206 and 1952 topps (1914 CJ with honorable mention)). If you are 6 cards away from completing the set, and you are financially able to get the 4 Ruths and 2 Gehrig, you do it!! Forget value increase or not. Get you a complete 33 Goudey set.

But about you query: the 4 Ruths and 2 Gehrigs will absolutely hold value, and likely increase. Because they are great investments in themselves, I don’t see how buying them could be bad for the set’s value. Get those 6 cards and don’t look back

Are you tired of the set? Do you feel passionate about finishing? It's quite an accomplishment to finish a 33G but only if you're doing it for your PC, if not consign it to a good AH and use the funds for something you're passionate about.

If you do want to finish, prices have softened on the Big 6 from the peak so you should be able to find some good deals. Good luck and happy collecting!

Thank you for the reply!

I should also add, though I lurk more than I post on this forum, this set was built mainly through acquisitions made here at Net54. I contribute the credit for majority of the set to a few good sellers here and a bit of luck in my favor.

Though acquiring the cards will be a tough pill to swallow financially, I am concerned with short term value as I know once the set is as complete as I’d like it to be, I will likely choose to move onto another pursuit. I wish I was able to hold everything but I know that I just can’t tie up that kind of resources.

So, a redirect to anyone else who may be reading, should I go “all in” to acquire the remaining pieces and feel confident that I made the sum of the whole greater than the individual parts of this set? Keep in mind, we are talking 6 cards that will cost the equivalent of a small SUV.

CK

If you are just going to sell it, there is little point in finishing. The general money trend is that superstars get pumped periodically before leveling off, and then the pump starts again. Set collectors are less and less common, and generally like building the set. It might be a good bye to try and buy the Ruths and Gehrigs for future profit, but not as part of a set so much.

Thank you for your response!

I love the set, but I know it will soon be time to move on from it. I love having built it and this will always be an accomplishment I am proud of. That being said, I am unable to keep this set and pursue other passions financially, it will need to move on eventually.

I haven’t seen prices soften much actually on the Ruth’s and Gehrig’s, especially here or on eBay. I’ve seen them lower on AH’s but by the time you factor BP there isn’t much in the way of savings. If you can direct me to a place I can buy at a lesser price, it would make this decision easier 😉.

Thank you,

CK

Thanks for the reply, this is a thing I’ve been considering as well. Thanks for your thoughts. I do feel bad though for the guy trying to start this set today, especially in graded examples. Everything is going for a fortune and to get raw cards graded is a year out via PSA in bulk — I know because I’ve lived it..

CK

That's the interesting thing about complete sets, especially in pre-war cards. If you sell it as a complete set, the potential buyers will start by valuing the set based off of the most important cards first. A lot of people out there are buying complete or partial sets in order to break them up and make a few bucks. A complete set has much less value than the sum of the individual cards. That gets into a whole different discussion of how to sell.

It's crazy to think that even 3 or 4 years ago a complete 1933 Goudey set could have been bought for the going price of a single Ruth today.

Generally, in this market unless you're collecting rare stuff eBay is a lagging indicator, track the auction houses for current pricing.
That being said, if you spend 60k to finish and then sell the set you won't get a premium, the AH will break out the big 6 and group the rest. You would get your money back on the 6 and make a profit on the others depending what you paid for them. Pre-war set building is not for profit, it has to be your passion. Personally I would sell the rest to collect the big 6 but that's just how I collect.

It doesn't add extra value (even with the toughest, most valuable sets out there). While plenty of us love collecting and building them, there just isn't a strong enough market for complete sets to attach the type of premium that you're referring to.

So, as some have said, just work with the sum of the parts and decide what makes the most sense for you from there

I am a set builder and collector but I agree with this advice. I would sell the rest of the set to help in purchasing the Ruths and Gehrigs. No doubt about it.

The Younger Uber Rich Generation Does Not Want Complete Sets they want Stars. Think Nat Turner.

I would buy the Ruth's and Gehrig's to complete the one of the two great sets in the hobby ( along with t206). When I downsized my collection these were the two must keeps.

Your complete set will increase in value at a better rate than your partial set. The Ruth's and Gehrig's will increase at a higher rate than the rest of the cards. Ruth and Gehrig (along with Wagner and Cobb) are the safest investments to make. Just buy them when your budget allows.

Appreciate the advice, thank you.

Prices have certainly exploded. It would be challenging to piece together the entire set in PSA today considering the lag in the grading process at this time, I feel fortunate I submitted most of my cards a year or so ago. At the least, I feel having a near complete set in PSA removed most of the mystery in terms of value in comparison to a raw set where the value is in the eyes of the beholder. Wrong or right I have a numerical value anyways as a basis.

I can see this point of view, this is what’s driving the big 6 through the roof currently.

I think you might be correct. FOMO says that as time allows me to buy, my budget will also need to increase, I’ve watched everything creep up over the past year and a half. What could have been bought for a few thousand in early 2020 is now $7k/ card for a PSA 1 Ruth.

Another solid idea, I appreciate your thoughts.

Just took an inventory of the “sum of the parts” and found some interesting information. Still unsure of the path going forward but an itch to complete the set is one of those things that is hard to quantify numerically.