What’s the cut-off year for your collection

[skelly423]

I think most collectors reach a point where new cards stop being interesting to them. A lot of people point to 1980, the last year before the junk wax era begins. Some people point to the last year the remember collecting as a kid. Personally my cut off is 1956, the last year of Topps producing larger sized cards.

What’s your cut off year, and why?

[jingram058]

Pre-war (all the way back to OJ n172) to 1972. I stop at 1972 as that was the last year I bought cards as a kid. But I confess I have a binder of mix/match junk wax, just because 2 of my nephews gave me their cards when they realized they are not worth a fortune.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

As a baseball history nerd, I drew my line in the sand at 1957 because that was the last year the Dodgers played at Ebbets and the Giants played at the Polo Grounds, and I just like reading about that world. Lately, however, I have become increasingly interested in cards from my birth year (1973) extending into my own childhood.

[JollyElm]

Traditionally, my cut-off date was anything after 1973, when Topps stopped releasing the sets in series, as I am a high numbers junkie. Relatively recently, though, I've bought a few stars, RC's etc., from 1974 to 1976.

[carlsonjok]

There are a few modern sets I have built, but the main part of my collection is limited to 1955 through 1979.

[Bestdj777]

I don’t have one. I’m a player collector so stick to 1951-69 for Mantle, but I love the history of the game and enjoy some current players. So, I have some prewar cards and a few modern rookies. I won’t buy either era in any great quantity, but it’s nice to be able to walk someone through the history of the hobby and to have rookies of my favorites from the 1980s-present.

[Casey2296]

100 years of baseball for me. 1888 - 1980

[butchie_t]

My cutoff is not at an end but at a beginning. 1969 is my beginning year. My first real year of collecting awareness. I have not decided when it ends just yet. But the last year of Topps is a good spot.

Right now I am filling gaps with 72 currently and 73 after that. That will get me to a run of 69 - 2k with some traded and updates sets needed between 95 - 2k. I’ll start filling 2k1 to present as I go along.

Nothing after Topps is done. I will be done too.

[ALR-bishop]

Bowman 1948-1955
Fleer 1926 and 1959- 2007
Topps 1948 and 1951- 2021

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Bowman 1948-1955

Fleer 1926 and 1959- 2007

Topps 1948 and 1951- 2021

Good answer..

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[Harliduck]

I'm 52-90...

I know that 81-90 is hardly worth much...in fact I am sure some of the sets the sheets and binder is worth more...but I collected until 1990 (I was 20) as a youth and stopped at 91 as I was keen to the fact back then it was worthless and was disenchanted. So when I got back into collecting a decade ago I was still interested in seeing the 81-90 sets. Every so once in a while I'll grab the 93 Donruss and scroll through... Or the 90 Leaf...why not. Good memories.

[bobsbbcards]

1948 to 1991 w/ some outliers (T206, Heritage).

[egri]

I don't have a hard cutoff, but after the early 1960s I generally only collect if I don't have to open my wallet too much. The sets after then are too large, and I'm usually not a fan of the designs or the photograpy.

[deweyinthehall]

Right now I have a run of Topps master sets from 1969-1997, with just a handful of odd ball items still on my need list (i.e. 1969 #567, no black outlining, etc.). I have recently started moving slowly out in either direction - I'm more than halfway to a 1968 set, and I'll put a 1998 set together soon to, and then move to 1967/1999, etc. I have no cut-off date in mind in either direction - I'll probably keep going until my money or my breath run out...whichever comes first. Because I collected some of them as a kid, I also over the last few years put together a master run of Donruss, Fleer, Score and Upper Deck from 1981-1992.

That's my primary interest - I also have a modest assortment of Topps Football, Hockey and Basketball from the late 1970s which I'd like to expand in both directions as well (the '79 Gretzky is currently acting as a road block to THAT particular interest), plus some Topps non-sports (Star Wars, Charlies Angels, Happy Days, etc.) and the old Wonder Bread inserts from the earlier '70s.

Finally, I do player collections of Tim Wakefield, Dwight Evans, Jim Rice and Jamie Quirk.

[jayshum]

I've got the Topps sets from 1951-2021. I still get the new Topps base set every year along with the Heritage set. I'll see what happens with Topps in a few years and decide if that will continue.

[ALR-bishop]

I have also done Conlon 1983 to 1995 and Heritage 2001-2021. I had been thinking about stopping Heritage this year (1972) but decided to keep going to 1975 redo. But when the new license agreement kicks in Heritage may go away, even if Topps gets bought out or licensed

[hcv123]

Similar to Chris I am primarily a player collector - Roberto Clemente being my player. I have drawn a soft line at 1973 it being Clemente's last career contemporary card (albeit issued after his passing). I have made plenty of exceptions for cards issued later that are appealing to me, but don't as a rule chase them. Used a similar line for Pirates team sets with my kids albeit that goal line has changed:

Started as 1952-1973 Topps pirate team sets ('52, '55 & '73 are done)

Then added 1948-1955 Bowman ('52 is done)

Then added Venezuelan Topps 1959-1968 (Need 5 cards to have them all done)

Then added T206 (minus Wagner), 1933 Goudey (finished)

Then added T205, T207, 1914 and 1915 Cracker Jack and 1948 Leaf

That should take us till they're not kids anymore!

[toppcat]

I bought new every baseball season from 1981-92 as I re-entered collecting in '81 after dropping off as a kid (last year I remember buying in quantity is 1975) but don't collect post-1980 cards or sets anymore, with couple of minor exceptions. So I consider 1980 the end of the vintage era but I don't have much interest after 1975 (last excellent design IMO), although I consider '72 my "soft" stopping point for a few reasons. I also collect the Heritage Mets team sets and am stopping with the 1972 design.

I was big on early 50's cards, especially Brooklyn Dodgers but lost interest about three years ago in those (sold out way too cheap as a result) and have since refocused on the early 60's as I fill in my sets from that year through 1966. I'll have the 1960-75 set run when that's all done. And my Topps type run spans from 1939-80 in all lines, sports and non-sports alike. Anything Topps issued prior to 1948 is just comics and wrappers, which I also find very fascinating.

[BillP]

Baseball 54-69 but not 61
Football 55-69 but not 56
Hockey 64-72
Basketball 69-70

Never know why 60's hockey is not valued higher in particular high grade stuff. Not much was produced compared to BB, in my opinion and the checklists are usually killers.

[Vintagevault13]

1979 for me simply because that is when I stopped seriously collecting. I dabbled with a few packs in 1980-82, but quickly became bored with the multiple offerings once Donruss and Fleer joined the game in 1981.


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[rats60]

I collect mostly prewar and like Howard, Roberto Clemente. I really like the design of the 1975 Topps set, so that is my cutoff.

[HOF Yankees]

I am mostly a 50s 60s collector will also collector some pre war and 30s and 40s plus some 80s so 1800s-1980s but it really varies to players in those 1980s sets.

[mikemb]

I stopped getting Topps sets arount 2009. Still buy a pack or two each year.
Fleer and Donruss ended a few years earlier.

No particular reason. The new cards didn't thrill me. More fun getting a vintage card.

Mike

[UKCardGuy]

My main focus is 1951-1980 though I've started dabbling in pre-war.

My cut-off is 1984 - that's when I stopped collecting as a boy. In my last year of collecting, I bought a case of 1984 Topps from a wholesaler. When I got back into collecting, I still had 10 complete and partial 84T sets from that case. Thankfully, I've moved most of them now.

My 1980-83 sets (Topps, Fleer and Donruss) were mostly complete from my childhood. I've been slowly filling the gaps. But I have no plans to go beyond 1984.

[DaveW]

My cutoff is 1970 - the last year I collected as a kid. Funny how we get frozen in time on some things.

[LeftHandedDane]

Topps 1951-1980 including inserts and secondary sets, and I try to buy the base set each year since then. Bowman 1948-1955, 1960's Fleer, all Laughlin issues, Kelloggs through 1980. Also pre-war 30's-40's (Goudey, Play Ball). Lately I have been focusing on lesser known issues like Berk-Ross, Wheaties, Swell, Leaf, etc. And variations.

I have also recently started up collecting football 1948-1976. I am selective about other sports, only focusing on sets that appeal to me (e.g. basketball tall boys).

As my wife often reminds me, its a disease...

[GasHouseGang]

I made it to 1990. There just started to be so many sets to collect each year I decided to stop collecting the new cards. I really just stopped collecting that year and didn't start up again for around 10 years.

[todeen]

Approx 2006. A couple odds and ends since then.

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[Empty77]

1973.

Like Howard indicated, the world had changed the first day of '73.

[wdwfan]

My main focus has been 1957-62. I'm not a fan of the larger cards (early 50s Topps) and not a fan of the smaller cards (early 50s Bowman). But, I do love the 1956 Topps. Just love the asthetic and looks of the set. Other than that, not a big fan of the larger cards.

But I started collecting in 1987 and collected heavily through 1992. Then took some time off for my junior and senior years of high school and first few years of college. I started again around 1998 and collected through 2000. Then started and stopped from them until now.

But I've grown to absolutely love vintage. I am not a big fan of modern stuff as it's too volatile. If a player gets hurt, his stock goes down. Mantle, Williams, Jackie, Jeter, Maddux, Griffey are never going to get hurt. So I still like to open 1980s-90s wax from time to time when I can find it at good prices. But not a set builder of that stuff. Mainly set build 1950s.

[cardsagain74]

Main focus:

'48 to '87 baseball

'57 to '89 basketball

'50 to '89 football

Naturally there are some exceptions. But not many.

On a side note, I'd never label '81 to '85 as part of the junk wax era (in any sport) as the OP did.

[Exhibitman]

I've gradually narrowed my focus to about where it was as a kid when I stopped with each sport:

Baseball: 1981

Basketball: 1976

Football: 1975

Hockey: 1976

I have later cards in all four sports but I don't care about them: no childhood memories.

[MarcosCards]

For the longest time it was 1964 — because the early 1960s was my childhood collecting wheelhouse. Then, relatively recently, I stumbled onto and purchased an unorganized horde of about 15,000 baseball, basketball, football and hockey cards spanning from 1974 to 1981. It’s been a lot of fun organizing and collating them all — and sleeving the star cards. In general, Topps offered some interesting, colorful sets during those years.

[Ten Million]

I draw the line at 1989. I grew up in the 80s and so I get a lot of joy from those cards, nostalgia, etc. I collect much earlier stuff as well, back to 19th century (as I did even back in the 1980s), but the emotional force isn't the same as the stuff from the 80s. That's the one I lived through.

[campyfan39]

51-87

[Frankish]

US baseball. Totally due to my childhood collecting, 1979 is the last real year of interest. Only have a few cards after that (save a huge Ohtani collection because my 6 yo son loves him and we can see Angels stadium in the distance from our house).

To be honest, it's probably the same for football and basketball.

These days, 90% of my new purchases are Japanese cards. For the most part, I'm only picking up cards from 1959 and earlier.

[jgannon]

I stopped collecting really, in 1973. I bought some packs that year to see what they were all about. And I did that a little bit to a lesser degree the next year. I recently started looking at the '73's again though, and I was really stunned by some of the cards, like Bill Freehan's and Frank Robinson's for instance. Some really amazing action photos in that set. And it's a good solid set overall. So, I would say that 1973 is really my endpoint.

But the '73 set also ushered in this generic white background thing that extended all the way until 1987. Of course, 1975 was different. I have really no interest in getting anything from after '73, with the exception of maybe a few from '75.

Topps' last classic old school set in my opinion, was the 1970 set. 1971 was a turning point for them.

[egri]

Originally Posted by egri

I don't have a hard cutoff, but after the early 1960s I generally only collect if I don't have to open my wallet too much. The sets after then are too large, and I'm usually not a fan of the designs or the photography.

I guess I should add that my cutoff line keeps moving forwards; there aren't too many living players from the 1950s and '60s I'm interested in writing to and don't already have, so I've had to start moving into the 1970s by necessity.

[toppcat]

For baseball sets it's 1975 but my interest wanes somewhat after 1972. For my Topps type collection it's 1980, although I pick occasional later items

[tonyo]

1999

I'm down to only a few cards after 1999.

trying to sell those on eBay.

[babraham]

The vast majority of my collection is between 1909-1969.
I do, however, have a few 1984/85 cards (my Puckett rookies) and a couple 1986 (my Jordan rookies).
Nothing newer than 1986 though in my collection.

[jchcollins]

As a pure vintage collector (probably about 90% of what I do...) I'm not interested in a ton past the early 1970's. I do like the '76 Topps set, but am not actively collecting it or anything. Junk era is my childhood, and I generally consider that to start in the mid 1980's. Early 80's cards were not produced in the same quantity as the ridiculous heights of the 90's, though some will lump those in and consider them "junk" as well.

For modern stuff it's tricky, because I do love things like Topps Heritage, and (only recently) their Archives series. Fantastic new shots of both modern and historic players in classic Topps designs. So technically the cards are new, but most look old. For me this is a way to pick up some big names on the cheap, and offers refreshing new card images and things I had not thought of before. I'm a big fan of the "cards that never were" format. Archives gets some criticism because some people think they will never retain value, but I'm not concerned with that right now. I just like good looking baseball cards.

[mrmopar]

I don't discriminate and at any given point, something could catch my eye. I stopped buying packs in the early 00s. I do maintain an ongoing Dodger autograph collection, so I keep up with who is on the team at any given point. That leads to other autograph pick-ups. I also collect Steve Garvey and up until 2021, I would pretty much plan to buy anything and everything with almost no exceptions. One such exception was Leaf and those unlicensed, multi-player GU dump sets that started around 2018 or so. That is not to say I have not bought any, but I stopped chasing them aggressively. 2021 brought a weird surge in prices for Garvey cards, especially whatever is new. After missing more cards than I would allowed myself in prior years, I have tossed in the towel on even trying to get certain new cards.

One thing that is definitely turning me off, even with singles, are that all the cards are starting to blend together with their gaudy prism, sparkle and color selections. These are 4 pictures from a local card shop, showcasing some of their new additions. They offer a very wide selection of stuff, so in fairness to this shop, I just picked a couple random pics out of 20 or more. i'm sure there are desirable cards in there, but not to me.. It's easier for me to say no, because baseball is my primary interest now and has been for years, but there is nothing exciting in these cards that all blend together.

And don't get me wrong, I loved and still do love a lot of the 90s insert designs across all of the sports. They had personality. The new stuff doesn't.