Set collectors: which school of thought do you subscribe to?

[E93]

John,
Your set is absolutely stunning....and there is no doubt it will sell for a premium if you ever do sell it.

I am with John, with a set like T206, I go for overall eye-appeal and consistency throughout my set.
JimB

[ullmandds]

Historically...I was never a "vintage" set collector...I was always more of a type collector.

The first vintage set I completed was e90-2...a tiny tiny set of 10...took me about a year. I then went after E94...which has always been a favorite of mine.

For me...consistency of grade/eye appeal is most important, regardless of actual # grade. This can be especially challenging Esp with a set like e94 which is not readily available in any grade!

[wonkaticket]

Thanks Jim, that Bender & Davis are super nice. And that Matty wow!

[ullmandds]

That's a commonly employed tactic w/t206...going after the hof'ers/high buck cards first...as they will maintain their value so when you grow tired of throwing thousands of dollars at common players you could care less about and decide to let the monster beat you...you can resell and maybe even make $$$$!!!!!

[3-2-count]

John and Jim sensational cards, each and every one of them. Eye appeal over all else without doubt!! I would suggest tackling set collecting using this very same philosophy as well.
The slab should be looked upon as protection for the card only, not determining it's value.

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by wonkaticket

Thanks Jim, that Bender & Davis are super nice. And that Matty wow!

+1. They certainly are!

Originally Posted by ullmandds

That's a commonly employed tactic w/t206...going after the hof'ers/high buck cards first...as they will maintain their value so when you grow tired of throwing thousands of dollars at common players you could care less about and decide to let the monster beat you...you can resell and maybe even make $$$$!!!!!

I might take a break from the monster, but I don't think I'd ever sell unless I'm looking to upgrade, which I will with my Johnson portrait at some point in the near future. I really love the set, and if I can knock out the costly cards, I don't think buying a few commons a month along with the other cards I really want will be too tough on the old budget.

[Leon]

When I very first started collecting I had to make the decision on how to collect (as everyone does). I went for the best eye appeal but usually not high grade. That way I could/can afford more. I will leave, for the most part, the technically high grade cards for other collectors. I would rather own one that looks like those but has some tiny flaw that usually can't be seen. That is a perfect card for me.

[g_vezina_c55]

For my part, for my goudey set i go with sgc 40-50 cards. Eyes appeal verry important now .
I also buy graded auth or 1-2 cards if the eyes appeal is ok for me.

John, your collection is amazing

[frankbmd]

I like eye appeal just as much as John and JimB, but would add that a complete Monster is more frequently sold at Napa Auto Parts than in a Lamborghini show room. Therefore although uniformity presents nicely, I enjoy having many nice cards in my set and don't mind having a few stragglers as well. Like Wonka and others, I am continually upgrading at this point (at the 518 plateau) to improve the overall appeal of my set, but I do not foresee selling my EXMT examples for the sake of uniformity. Regardless of the condition level you select, if you shop patiently, you shouldn't lose. My set covers the condition gamut from Poor- to NM+, averaging VG+ currently. The advantage of having 518 VG+ cards matters not to me. My Cobbs are EX+, VGEX+, Fair and Authentic. I like them all and all will ultimately sell for more than I paid for them (but perhaps over my dead body).