Bigger lifetime project: '52 through '85 Topps and '51 Bowman sets

[cardsagain74]

Originally Posted by jasonc

cardsagain, good luck on what you decide.

I enjoy looking at your progress in the 1952 thread. In fact, it's cool to see how anybody's set building is coming along from a certain set even in the prewar section. I like seeing people's weekly pickups and especially when they take the time to post pictures.

I think what was mentioned here is correct. I find that it's tough and slow progress when you try and build the 60's or 70's topps sets card by card. Or, even when you get a partial set of 50 to 70 percent of the cards, then try and fill in the rest.. It can get kind of expensive as well.

Now, for the 50's.. If you can swing it, you can always get a partial set there, then continue building it... 1955 for example has 206 cards, compared to the huge 1972 set.

I am chugging away at my 1952 set slowly now, as I've done some focusing on prewar now... but maybe in a few months I'll go back to it, I seem to change my collecting focus a lot!

Thanks Jason. I've only been back in the hobby for barely six months (and had never collected vintage as a teen the first time), but my focus has changed a few times too in just that short time.

I'm not sure whether the rest of my '52 T set or acquiring the others will take precedence. At the moment I'm just picking up whatever good deals I can afford that fit any collecting or possibly future business needs.

Been considering this too though: if I were to acquire that entire run, where would I go from there? A big part of the fun is getting something worthwhile within your card preferences that you didn't have.

But since I have so little interest in variations/lots of upgrades/pre-war/post vintage/non-standard issues.....basically anything outside the nuts and bolts '51 to '85, with few exceptions......it feels like there wouldn't be much left afterward

[jasonc]

John, I definitely see your point. But a 51 to 85 run would take a heck of a lot of time, -- for me anyway -- considering my budget lol.

The thing is though, you can go at your pace and take the time to pick out the cards you really want!

51 to 85 would be a nice collection.

[jayshum]

Originally Posted by cardsagain74

Thanks Jason. I've only been back in the hobby for barely six months (and had never collected vintage as a teen the first time), but my focus has changed a few times too in just that short time.

I'm not sure whether the rest of my '52 T set or acquiring the others will take precedence. At the moment I'm just picking up whatever good deals I can afford that fit any collecting or possibly future business needs.

Been considering this too though: if I were to acquire that entire run, where would I go from there? A big part of the fun is getting something worthwhile within your card preferences that you didn't have.

But since I have so little interest in variations/lots of upgrades/pre-war/post vintage/non-standard issues.....basically anything outside the nuts and bolts '51 to '85, with few exceptions......it feels like there wouldn't be much left afterward

I have always been a set builder since I was a kid. I have the entire run of Topps sets (1951 to present). When I got back into collecting about 20 years ago, I had sets from 1975 and up that I had collected as a kid and beyond (bought a basic set every year even when I wasn't collecting anything else). As a big Phillies fan, I started with Phillies team sets for all the older Topps sets. Once that was done, I thought I would put together sets going back to 1968 (year I was born). Once that was done, I started going back further and further until I eventually had completed them all.

At that point, I started on Bowman sets and completed the run from 1948-1955. Then I started to get into pre-war and worked on T201s, Play Balls and Diamond Stars. Then it was some oddball stuff - Kelloggs, Fleer and Laughlin sets. Lately, it is Exhibits and Red Mans.

Completing a run of Topps sets will take quite a while, but if you eventually do, even though you don't think you have other interests, it is amazing how you will find something along the way that interests you to collect. At least, that has been true for me. Good luck with the 1952 set and any others you decide to work on.

[cardsagain74]

Originally Posted by jayshum

Completing a run of Topps sets will take quite a while, but if you eventually do, even though you don't think you have other interests, it is amazing how you will find something along the way that interests you to collect. At least, that has been true for me. Good luck with the 1952 set and any others you decide to work on.

That reminded me of getting the wrappers too. Would like to have one from each year to go with the cards

[ALR-bishop]

Jay---that is an impressive accumulation. But you need the 48 Magic Photo baseball subset for a run . And you can do variations, packs, wrappers, test sets, insert sets and supplemental sets too

[jayshum]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Jay---that is an impressive accumulation. But you need the 48 Magic Photo baseball subset for a run . And you can do variations, packs, wrappers, test sets, insert sets and supplemental sets too

Al - I have to admit, I was not familiar with that set, but I just looked it up and may have to start working on it. Full disclosure, I don't have the Connie Mack and Major League All Stars either, but I have often thought about starting on them. However, I recently started working on a T3 set so I'm not sure what else I can afford right now.

I do have some of the various other sets that Topps has made such as the 1964 Giants and Stand-Ups, 1965 Embossed, 1968 Game, 1969 Deckle Edge, and 1970 and 1971 Supers. I would love to get the 1969 Supers and 1971 Greatest Moments, but they are too pricey and too hard to find.

[whitehse]

Originally Posted by jayshum

Al - I have to admit, I was not familiar with that set, but I just looked it up and may have to start working on it. Full disclosure, I don't have the Connie Mack and Major League All Stars either, but I have often thought about starting on them. However, I recently started working on a T3 set so I'm not sure what else I can afford right now.

I do have some of the various other sets that Topps has made such as the 1964 Giants and Stand-Ups, 1965 Embossed, 1968 Game, 1969 Deckle Edge, and 1970 and 1971 Supers. I would love to get the 1969 Supers and 1971 Greatest Moments, but they are too pricey and too hard to find.

That 64 Stand Ups set is a masterpiece of Topps 1960's production in my opinion.

[cardsagain74]

Have been focusing on just the '50s Topps run. An update with weighted avg grade:

'52 Topps (grade 3-3.5): 339/407. Everything left is a high number, with Campanella the biggest card still to get.

'53 Topps (grade 1.5): complete

'54 Topps (grade 2.5): complete

'55 Topps (grade 4.5): complete

'56 Topps (grade 3): halfway, low grade Mantle.

'57 Topps (grade 2.5-3): complete except for 8 commons

'58 Topps (grade 3.5): complete

'59 Topps (grade 5): complete