Anyone ever attempt a complete Topps vintage run?

[ALR-bishop]

No matter how much physical love that card gets the little guy in the background survives 😊

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by G1911

I'm doing it right now, 22 years into the project that I started with my Dad when I was 9 years old.

1948-1955 Bowman - 95.75% done
1950's Topps - 96.37% done (1952 highs are most of it)
1960's Topps- 96.11% done
1970-1975 Topps (+1974 Traded + 1975 Mini) - 94.05% done (mostly 1975's to go)
1976-1979 I'm not doing.

1973 is the end of 'classic' Topps in my eyes as the end of series distribution provides at least some significant change to draw the cutoff line at.

On top of these base sets I'm building all variations, stock varieties, and recurring print defects.

I will never finish because I'm unwilling to pony up $25K+ for a second year double printed Mantle card.

Hats off, that is awesome! And even cooler that you started at 9 as a project with your dad. I hope you compete the run

[jefferyepayne]

Very impressive fellas!

I was planning to finish a baseball run of vintage leaf, bowman, topps after completing my run of nationally distributed, mainstream football cards produced between 1888-1988 - 101 years of football cards - but got so addicted to pre-war and vintage football that I never got around to finishing the baseball run. I was probably 1/2 way there when I stopped.

At this point, I think I'll just live vicariously through you all on the baseball side of things.

jeff

[Casey2296]

I dipped my toe in pre-war set collecting, it's a brutal business. Hats off to any set collectors no matter the era.

[cardsagain74]

For the Topps:

All of my '50s is complete, and the '70s complete (except for the '74). For the '60s, only have the '67. At some point I'll try to complete that '52 to '79 run.

For the Bowman, have the '48, '51, '53, '55 complete, and a big start on the '50. Might finish the rest too someday, but not itching to.

[jakebeckleyoldeagleeye]

I have all the complete sets of Parkhurst, Topps and OPC hockey from1951-1990-91.

[Bigdaddy]

I think I'm probably going to bow out of the set collecting gig after finishing up a couple that I'm working on now. I'm just tired of paying up for common players that happen to be high numbers or SPs. Anyway, I've completed:

1952 low numbers (-2), 1956, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1964 (-2), 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971 (2 sets), 1972 (2 sets), 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 (2 sets), 1978 (2 sets), 1979 (2 sets), 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989. And several other sets after that.

One day I'll get them all in color-matched binders and tucked away nicely in a bookcase like some of the photos I've seen on here.

Kudos to folks who have run the gauntlet and have the complete run.

[darkhorse9]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

Does anyone know if there is a list anywhere listing how many cards are in each years topps sets (without having to google search every single year one by one to find out) any help appreciated. Thanks

If someone has a complete run of base Topps cards from 1951-2022 they have a total of 46,027 cards.

The more you know........

[refz]

I think it’s great seeing and hearing what you people have accomplished, major kudos! Me? I’m turned off by set collecting for many reasons, I have a 1948 Bowman complete set only to my name. But my father.. I love the man, and thank him for getting me into this hobby but when it came to set collecting when I was a lad it was his way of the highway, I had no say. So I rolled my eyes at some of the vintage sets he put together back in the day where I would have attacked differently, and when I officially threw the towel in is back in 1992, I was grounded for whatever reason and he had me put together what seemed like 100 Topps gold winner sets. (My punishment) I’m serious.

Danny

[Marchillo]

Not as impressive as most people on this list -

Topps only 1952-2022 (Haven't done 2022 Series 2 yet)

1952 - 34.9% Complete
1953 - 50.4% Complete
1954-1959 - 93.5% Complete
1960's - 89.7% Complete
1970's-2020's - 100% Complete minus Alex Gordon's infamous rookie card whether or not some collectors count that one

Sets complete from earlier decades are 56,57,63,68 and I'm one away on 54 (Aaron RC).

[tschock]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

No matter how much physical love that card gets the little guy in the background survives 😊

Are you talking the guy in the dugout on the left or the 'ghost' (behind the end of the bat) that is still haunting him?

[bigfanNY]

When I attended my first card show in 1973 I had complete sets from 1964 65 (needed 6 or 7 to complete 1966) 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972. My Dad had his cards from when he was a kid some 39's 40's Complete 1941 Playballs. He also had Complete 1948 and 1950 Bowman sets, but needed some 49 High numbers. By 1975 We were completed the Bowmans and all the Topps except 1952. We also had an E95 Set Tip Top Pirates complete 1940 Playball Complete ( purchased from Paul Pollard at First philly show at Spring Garden) 1934 and 1936 Goudey. By 1977 1935 Goudey 1938 Complete low with most High #'s, Diamond Stars and a couple hundred We kept a running total and in 1975 we had about 10,000 cards by 1977 we had 30,000 singles. At That point prices had risen to the point that insted of buying everything we focused on Type cards before 1900 and everything 1930's as I inherited his love for the players and the cards of that era. And about 98% of collectors we knew were all putting together complete Topps runs.