Early 1970's sets
 

Is it just me, or is the bottom dropping out of these sets, much the way the late 70's sets fell apart 10-15 years ago. I've had my eye on getting a complete 71 set for a while to fill in the 100 or so missing cards that I needed. I recently purchased what appears to be a decent one on ebay ( I know ebay, could be a disaster, etc ) for $605! I remember when 70, 71, & 72 mid grade sets would always get between $850-$1000 on ebay. Now they seem to sell for $500-$750 in mid grade. Any thoughts, opinions, ideas. Do you think these sets will hold any value, or are they in trouble unless in ultra high grade?

Mid-grade 70's stuff is in abundance and can be purchased much cheaper than "Guide". Thumb through any bargain box; decent stars are easily obtained cheap. I see 70-73 mid grade commons as low as 10 cents each. I think a VG/EX 71 set can be pieced together (easily) in the $500-700 range. For that price it would hold value but probably not gain too much.

1970
 

My 1960-1969 Topps are complete enough for me at this time. Everything I need is silly money....Ryan Rookie.....63 Koufax....etc. I have basically concentrated my post war efforts to what's left of the Fifties. Since I also buy mostly pre-war these days, I rarely get a big stack o' cards in the mailbox anymore. For hoots and hollers, I have been snagging lots of the 1970 set, just to have that pile to play with. I think I am about $125 into the chase and I have picked up about half of the commons in the set. I don't expect them to go up in value any time soon but unless I have to pay someone to take them, they sure cannot go down....:D

In the last few years I put together high grade 70, 71 and 72 sets. I saw a lot of strength in the higher quality high # series for each set.

I agree, lately on ebay there have been some great deals on the early 70s sets.

I resell them as singles on ebay and the 71s and 72s are very strong sellers. IMO, this is because there are still collectors who cannot afford to drop $500-600 for a complete or near complete set and can only afford to assemble these sets card by card. Over the past 10 years on ebay, I have bought about 20 complete 72 sets, all in the $600-800 range in EX to NM shape to sell as singles...I just think some of these sets recently are cases of sets that have "slipped through the cracks" and were missed by potential bidders for whatever reason.

Over a few months, I had one collector purchase nearly 2/3 of a 72 set card by card...all in NM shape including the last two series. I am thankful, but if I were him I would have saved my money and purchased one of these bargain deal sets for a fraction of the cost.

I have completed every set from 2012 back to 1954 and have done so card-by-card. I don't do it for the value. I do it because it's fun.

I've already told my son that when I die he is to sell my entire collection immediately for whatever he can get for it and use that money to do something fun. I don't care if he gets $10,000 or $30,000. When all is said and done we will both have some great fun coming from collecting cardboard pictures of ballplayers.

To me. there is no value in buying a complete set in midgrade. The resale would be poor and there's no fun in that.

Just my thoughts.

I agree with darkhorse, for me there's no fun in just buying the complete set & mid to low grade will not have any value increase (IMO). One thing I have found when buying sets or large lots is there seem to be a lot of cards that are off-centered, faded or otherwise not up to my personal condition standards so I end up replacing many cards to get the set condition I want. If I was not as condition sensitive as I am, buying complete sets might appeal to me more.

I think the the exclamation point for the end of the vintage era was the advent of complete sets being available for purchase in April. I have never bought a complete set in my life. As a collector I see no "thrill of the hunt" there. I suppose if I was going to buy a set and bust it up for re-sale that would be one thing, but as a collector i would give a major "thumbs down". :)