Impossible Set

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Posted By: Joe D.

well... sort of the opposite of the "conquerable set" thread...

which sets are the impossible ones to complete?

*yet we still try.*


for me it is the Orange Borders set.

A very frustrating set to say the least.

I haven't figured out if I should run from this set, or run toward this set.

Recently picking up a new card in the set re-energizes my desire to stick with the set....

but when I go months without even seeing another example from the it leaves me wanting to throw in the towel.


Either way - I consider this set to be impossible to complete.

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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

Alpha Engraving or E121 Herpolsheimers.

-Al

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Didn't Dan McKee have to put the Alpha set together?

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Posted By: Harry Wallace (HW)

There is only one Alpha set and it was sold as a complete set in one of the old Sothebys sales.

No idea where it is now, but nobody put it together, it was discovered as a set.

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Posted By: Joe D.

what do they look like... can someone post an image?

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Posted By: Richard

T214 Victory
T215 Red Cross
T216 Mino
T216 Virginia Extra
E94 Master Set
E105 Mello Mints

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Posted By: Bobby Binder

I believe David Seaborn had the ALpha set and was on the SGC registry. Think he broke up the set last summer and sold off the cards as individuals to private collectors.

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Posted By: Griffin's

Allegheny's.
I've been unable to find a Tango Egg I don't have for the last 5 years. Since no one can seem to agree on whether the set consists of 18, 20, or 21 cards, let alone get past 8-10 of them, I'd add that to the list.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

For some reason I though Dan McKee had to track down all the cards and put the set back together.

I know that it's broken up now, but I wouldn't say that it's impossible to complete the set once again. Unless of course one or more of the cards are not for sale at any price.

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Posted By: Dan Koteles

all 3 years of the Garters are "NASTY" tough.

Garters
Firesides
Mellos

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Posted By: fkw

Joe, thought you might like this.


Its a picture I cut from an old SCD and saved.

Its an auction for a complete GEO. DAVIS CO. INC. candy box.

better known as 1910 E-Unc. "Orange Border"

Notice the "SET OF 144" on end of box



PS. Im not sure if I bid $1400 or it sold for $1400

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Posted By: Joe D.

fkw,

thanks for posting that pic!

$1400?!?... I hate to speculate what that would cost me today if I had the chance to acquire it.


144 cards in the set... that means I only have to find 142 more
at the pace that I see them come available - it should only take me another 70 years or so.

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Posted By: leon

That's a great clipping....what a neat candy box....thanks for posting it..

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Posted By: TheGreyEagle

is this hype for the next time you try to sell that card on the BST for 10x what you paid for it ??

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

The Grey Eagle???

Are you afraid to stand behind your real name?

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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

Far be it from me to speak for Dan, but he did put the Alpha set back together, and then recently broke it up again. I would have called the set impossible to build before Dan re-built it (had I even known about it at the time), but I'd say it's even more impossible now.

Is "even more impossible" a phrase that works, grammatically?

-Al

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Posted By: Joe D.

why the anonymous name - and bogus email address?


To answer your question though...

I don't attempt to hype any of my items and I am a regular contributor here.


I have placed matty on b/s/t a few times at a price considerably higher than what I paid - but that is the price it would take for me to feel comfortable to get rid of it - and I have always been honest about that.

It may go back on b/s/t or may not (just like any of my items)... it all depends on if I get bored or frustrated with the set or if I need the money for something new.


Not sure what the problem is here or how I may have offended you...
heck, I don't even know who you are.

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Posted By: Clint

Joe, here's a Cobb orange border I found going through an old catalog. This was from the Don McPherson collection auctioned by Lew Lipset. Thought you might enjoy it.

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Posted By: bruce dorskind

Rob Lifson sold us our first Just So in 1977 for 500

Bill Mastro sold us our second Just in 1980 for 1000

We've only seen one major find ( the Barry Sloate auction)- can't
remember when

and had the opportunity to bid on four others over the past 25
years

Perhaps, several cards also were traded privately or appeared in
the same auction several times.

In any case 15 cards in 30 years sounds like an "impossible set"


Happy New Year!


Bruce Dorskind
America's Toughest Want List

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Posted By: barrysloate

I sold the six Just So's in 1998. I don't think that will ever happen again.

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Posted By: leon

The gray eagle has no feathers. He's now banned....carry on....

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Posted By: steve f

Not being software-savvy, Can vbc posts still be read by the 'banned'? If so, Gray Eagle, that was one moronic post, not to mention a cowardly one.

Only a fool will sell something for less than he paid and 10x 'What you paid' is simply a small profit in this market. Joe, in just a few years it'll be worth 100x's! Steve F

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Posted By: barrysloate

It must be a great feeling of power to send a poster into oblivion with one press of a button.

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Posted By: leon

The other way to think about it is that it's a job. A very, very low paying one at that......

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Posted By: barrysloate

It may be low paying, but every moment is one of joy, it is completely stress free, and it hardly takes up any of your time

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Posted By: Joe D.

sometimes a thankless job at that... so thank you.


and thanks Dan and Steve as well for the supportive posts.


For the record Steve - 10x was not accurate. I offered the card up on BST at roughly 3x what I paid - and privately I have been offered 2x what I paid (which I quickly declined). Also, book value for the card went up about 3x since I purchased it (if you compare the 2006 and 2007 price guide).

I once put it on eBay for a rediculous "Buy-It-Now / Best Offer".... but prior to doing so I posted a thread here asking what people thought of putting a rediculous number on eBay as a Buy it Now as a strategy to gauge interest.


Anyway - back on topic...

I thought someone would mention the e107 set? Or are complete sets actually out there?

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Posted By: barrysloate

One collector is within one card of completion. He actually bought the Bill Haber set which was complete at the time, but a few new team changes have been discovered since then.

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Posted By: scott brockelman

Barry,

I still think there could be additional cards, At this point there are still only 147 of the 150 subjects known. Undoubtedly it is the king of prewar sets.

There are 7-8 people actively pursuing the set.

As you say 1 person needs 1 known variation, another needs 6, I need 14, 4th collector needs 18, #5 needs approx. 30, collectors #6-8 have between 80-100 cards respectively.

Scott

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Posted By: Steve M.

"Undoubtedly it is the king of prewar sets."

I defy anyone to identify a set, prewar or otherwise, that could dethrone this King!

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Posted By: scott brockelman

As evidence, have you even been able to find images of ALL of the cards.

Scott

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Posted By: Steve M.

Missing:

Powell, P. New York
Lee, P. Pittsburg
Thoney, Sub New York A
Lush, Fielder Cleveland
Doyle 1B Philadelphia N
Elberfield SS Athletics

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Posted By: scott brockelman

must be a nice photo group. are these anywhere on your site?

Scott

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Posted By: barrysloate

Scott- since the Dahlen and McGuire variations were only found in the last ten years, you are probably right that there are three more and there is no guarantee that any of them will ever be found. I've always believed that with sets that do not have definitive checklists there are certain rare cards that are lost forever. I am sure there are some Old Judges that have no surviviors left and will never be known. Which reminds me, I have to get my 1890 N172 Cy Young added to the checklist Please everyone, don't go into a panic!

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Posted By: John S

E270 "Tin-Tops"...maybe not impossible, but that Thorpe card is still considered a unicorn by some.

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Posted By: Bobby Binder

Barry.

I got doubles on 3 of the 7 different poses of the N172 Cy Young you want to make some trades. Oh I forgot we need to post this in the B/S/T

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Posted By: barrysloate

Sounds good Bobby...say, will you be at Richard's wedding on the 21st? If so, please be sure to say hello to my brother Eric. My mom will be there, too. And send my good wishes to Richard!

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Posted By: Bobby Binder

Yes I am attending and will send your wishes for you.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Thanks Bobby, and enjoy!

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Posted By: Scot York

E210 type-2. Never seen or heard of a complete set. I've been trying for over 25 years with diligence.

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Posted By: E, Daniel

A complete pre war baseball card type set......
Ooooooooh, now that was hitting Leon below the belt

Daniel

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Posted By: leon

It's not impossible dang it......One of these days....years.....decades....centuries...it will be done !!

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Posted By: Dylan

Leon I know you are missing the niagra overprint(i didnt see a N338-1 in your collection) and perhaps a couple others but you mentioned you know of other collectors that have one, they just arent keen on selling it. Are there any cards you are missing for your type card set that you know of no one that has one, and have no idea if you'd ever be able to procure one?

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Posted By: Ken McMillan

Since I have been looking for theever elusive Elmer Miller of the 1921 Koester's Bread and it is nearly impossible to distinguish between a W575-1 and a Koester Bread, I would say that this makes the Koester Bread an impossible set. I have talked with darrell on the board and have a partial c/d of the cards in this set, but nobody has a complete set. My reasoning for the most difficult set.

Ken

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Posted By: leon

I only know of 1 Niagara Baking and it's owned by a very very nice board member....very nice ...great guy....really great ....that I would do anything for..... I still need the N338-1 but there will be one sometime. I also need a few lesser rare cards that I just haven't gotten yet. My guess is that eventually another D355 will show up....don't know when though..best regards

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Can someone post an image of the Niagra Baking card?

Thanks.


Frank.