What card(s) did you have to spend...

[JasonL]

and a funny one to try to answer.
This phenomenon is why I am not interested in collecting sets (checklists!), and it is also the number one trigger for when I switch collecting focus from time to time...for instance-it's why I stopped collecting HOF Rookies. I stopped that endeavor because I got so sick of spending money on cards and players I didn't care for...like the Rollie fingers, Hunter, Mazeroski, etc...

gotta collect what you like and limit the extraneous purchases!

[almostdone]

Years ago I put together a Topps 1955 set. When I was down to the last card I was so impatient I dot into a biding war with someone over it. I won the card but lost my mind. I don't even remember who the player was but I know I paid more than double high book value for an ungraded vg common.
Drew

[northsidebaseball]

The spirit of this topic is exactly why I am almost positive that I will never attempt to assemble a vintage complete set, as I do not think I could stomach paying the price checklists and high numbered commons command. I have far too many other things on my wish list. Best of luck to all that tackle this endeavor though, it is a daunting task I'm sure. BTW thanks Patrick for checking out my 1955 bowman banks, I lost out on a couple of them I wanted over the course of a few months previously and they do not show up all that often in good shape. Very happy with the one I ended up with though.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by northsidebaseball

The spirit of this topic is exactly why I am almost positive that I will never attempt to assemble a vintage complete set, as I do not think I could stomach paying the price checklists and high numbered commons command. I have far too many other things on my wish list. Best of luck to all that tackle this endeavor though, it is a daunting task I'm sure. BTW thanks Patrick for checking out my 1955 bowman banks, I lost out on a couple of them I wanted over the course of a few months previously and they do not show up all that often in good shape. Very happy with the one I ended up with though.

That's why the only way I'm going to finish the '52 Topps set is just to buy a completed one. 96 high numbers at the prices they bring is just too much and I'm just talking about the commons, not the Mantle, Mathews, Robinson, Campanella, etc!

[hangman62]

Heres an interesting wrinkle to "not" set collecting...

I think it would be easier/cheaper/faster/etc..to put short sets together..for ex- on 3 or 4 plastic sheets you display all or most of the cards in the 56T set - Mantle,Mays,Aaron,Aparicio,Banks,etc..Im sure you could fill up 3 pages..throw in a few Yanks,Dodgers, a WS card or two, a checklist,a wax wrapper,..etc., and you have a pretty strong represntn of the 56 set.

Then in one sitting,you could thumb thru 5 Topps sets all in one binder..and enjoy the meat of the sets

[Doug]

Originally Posted by hangman62

Heres an interesting wrinkle to "not" set collecting...

I think it would be easier/cheaper/faster/etc..to put short sets together..for ex- on 3 or 4 plastic sheets you display all or most of the cards in the 56T set - Mantle,Mays,Aaron,Aparicio,Banks,etc..Im sure you could fill up 3 pages..throw in a few Yanks,Dodgers, a WS card or two, a checklist,a wax wrapper,..etc., and you have a pretty strong represntn of the 56 set.

Then in one sitting,you could thumb thru 5 Topps sets all in one binder..and enjoy the meat of the sets

I've thought about taking a similar approach where you just collect your personal top 10-15 favorite cards in a set as opposed to the entire thing. It would be a lot cheaper plus save space for those of us confined to an apartment. If you lay those 10-15 cards out in a row I think it would give you a pretty solid representation of the set just like you mentioned and you don't end up tying money up in a few hundred commons that you could be spending on cards you actually want.

[brob28]

Originally Posted by hangman62

Heres an interesting wrinkle to "not" set collecting...

I think it would be easier/cheaper/faster/etc..to put short sets together..for ex- on 3 or 4 plastic sheets you display all or most of the cards in the 56T set - Mantle,Mays,Aaron,Aparicio,Banks,etc..Im sure you could fill up 3 pages..throw in a few Yanks,Dodgers, a WS card or two, a checklist,a wax wrapper,..etc., and you have a pretty strong represntn of the 56 set.

Then in one sitting,you could thumb thru 5 Topps sets all in one binder..and enjoy the meat of the sets

That is exactly the approach I have been thinking of on any future sets I have an interest in. I'm currently 93% done with the '56 set so I'l see it through, but I'm not interested in building any other complete sets.

[Exhibitman]

I rarely do sets because I hate 'wasting' money on commons. The sets I am working take a very long time because I am content to bargain hunt to find the commons.