Request for help 'defining' pre-WWII sets for my HOF collection
 

Hi everyone. My second ever post on the board, but I figure this is exactly the right crowd to open this discussion. Like many people when covid hit and I had extra time, I restarted my card collection. I always had the goal of collecting one "base card" from the playing years of every player in the Hall of Fame. Post WWII is frankly pretty straightforward on what sets to consider for "base cards". Pre WWII is murky. I am hoping to get some comments on the tough pre-WWII card sets to include and exclude.

If you will indulge the discussion, here are my parameters:

1) The cards need to come from sets of what I currently consider to be qualified cards... no cabinets, postcards, exhibits, coins, discs, stickers, stamps, tatoos but this clearly will be a point to re-evaluate and consider - and actually the reason for my post. I am happy to be argued into or out of a set to consider. Nothing wrong with those exhibit collections - I just have to scope things somehow!

2) As an extension of 2, a big delineating factor for me was card size and much of this is for display purposes (I built several framed shelves and large cards like cabinets dont display well next to something small like stamps).

3) I am on a budget - no dropping thousands on each card (yea, I know good luck on the Ruth). I also decided to eliminate all 20th century-only players for this reason... at least for now! I did decide to include players like Beckley and Flick who barely have 21st century cards during playing years. Also, to be clear, this is for the fun of collecting--not investing--so I am not overly focused on condition.

4) Many will disagree but in order to live within a budget, I am considering some cut strip cards as qualified although I admit this doesnt set well with me. I picked strips, at least initially, with a relatively large number of HOFers in the set.

Within those constraints, here are the sets I currently have on my list:

1903-04 Breisch Williams E107
1908-10 American Caramel E91A/B/C
1909-11 American Caramel E90-1/2/3
1909-11 T206
1909 Ramly T204
1911 Gold Border T205
1912 Brown Background T207
1914-5 Cracker Jack E145
1915 American Caramel E106
1917 Collins-McCarthy E135
1920-21 W-516
1921 American Caramel E121
1922 American Caramel E120,122
1922 W-573 / V-61 Neilsons
1922 W-575
1923 Fleer W-515
1923 W-572
1927 American Caramel E126
1933 Goudey
1933 Delong
1934 Goudey
1934 Diamond Stars
1936 Goudey (R332)
1937 O-Pee-Chee
1939 Play Ball
1940 Play Ball
1941 Play Ball

I very much look forward to hearing your expert opinions on any other sets to include or sets you do not think should count. Thanks in advance!

--Shawn

Okay exclude stamp and pins.....but
 

Definitely encourage you to rework your display shelves to be able to include/consider exhibit cards - There are some AMAZING images on them, with some rare exceptions they for now are some of the best bang for the buck cards you can get. Seems like you have the rest covered pretty well. T202's maybe - could knock down 2 players with 1 card!

Welcome and thanks for posting. To be clear, are you looking for 1 card of all HOFers in the pre-war era spread amongst the sets you listed?

So, one Ty Cobb card chosen from any one of those sets?

Thanks, yes, I am considering exhibits - they will actually fit on the top shelf. For example the W461 set is interesting.

Yes, OMG, I dont have that kind of cash to buy every card of every HOFer!! Maybe someday... Right now I have ~25 pre-WWII era players covered and only a couple players where I have more than one card so Im only displaying one of each player (and will trade/sell the other).

Got it. I would consider postcards also like Howard suggested. That way you could knock out 3-4 HOFers with one 4-on-1 exhibit, see below. List looks good, you could also consider some other Candy or Bread issues to fill in.
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Thanks Phil! Nice card you have there too!

Shawn, I suggest adding the following to your list of sets:

- 1916 M101-4/5 with Sporting News and several other advertising backs.

- Many of these "E" card sets, as listed on the Old Cardboard web site: https://oldcardboard.com/cardSetList.asp?GroupID=3

Your list looks really solid. I’ve embarked on a somewhat similar journey, going back a little further and expanded beyond the HOF to include notable players who didn’t quite make it, and am trying to stick to:

N172 Old Judge
N175 Gypsy Queen
N28 and N29 Allen & Ginter
N162 Goodwin Champions
Just So (damn Jesse Burkett)
N300 Mayo Cut Plug
E90 American Caramel
T206
T212 Obak
E91 American Caramel
T205
T207
E145 Cracker Jack
W515
E121 American Caramel
E220 National Caramel
E120 American Caramel
Zeenut
1933 Goudey
1934 Goudey
1934 Diamond Stars
1938 Goudey Heads Up (damn Rudy York)
1939-1941 Play Ball

I was going to suggest the M101-4/5 as well.

I'm actually working on a very similar project, also as a mid-40s "returning collector." I took care of the Ruth a few months ago with a 1932 Sanella, and I'm very happy I did. They've gone up since then but are still ridiculously affordable compared to the competition. If your definition doesn't include German margarine issues, I recommend creating a loophole.

A couple other suggestions, although you might not think of them as "cards" they are pretty close to what you want esthetically.

The S74 Silks. Not cardboard, but roughly card sized. Mostly similar to T205s, but a bit of a different look.


A somewhat bigger stretch
B18 blankets. A bit big, but comparable to exhibits, so maybe? one or two might help with the budget..

Piedmont art stamps are also about card size, so they wouldn't look out of place in the display. But they're pretty tough, so you might find the players in other sets before you find one.

I'd add 1929 R316 Kashin to the list.

Thanks everyone for the advice and thoughts today! I looked into several of these new suggestions and here are some reactions:

M101 4/5 - I am really glad you all suggested this. I think it fits very well with the style of collection I am putting together and I had not done any research on it until today. It also has a very nice list of HOFers.

R316 Kashin - This is a nice checklist with 33 HOFers so would make some sense. Size is reasonably close to other sets I am collecting too so would display well. And the 1929 year is attractive too since I dont currently have a set from that year on my list.

Silks/Blankets - Thanks for the suggestion but I think for now I may make these an emergency only set. Mostly just because I am a newbie and dont really know how to evaluate them. I do see the point on the budget though, especially if "frayed" and why it might be a good solution for a Cobb/Young on a budget.

cmvorce, thanks for sharing your list! Definitely would love to do the N series cards someday! Interesting that our lists are so similar post 1900. I really like the look/design of the T212 Obaks but unfortunately with no HOFers I wasnt able to add. Sounds like it works well for your expanded list though. I like your inclusion of the E220s, and I almost added them to my list too but ultimately decided to stick to the american caramels during those years. Might revisit that to include E220s too.