30 Day Baseball Card Challenge

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Sometimes I build...

And sometimes I buy.  It just depends on the set and the mood I'm in.  In the case of 2008/09 Topps Murad basketball, I've wanted to add this "throwback" set to my collection since its release.  I researched and discovered that it would take a minimum of four boxes (with perfect collation) to build the 230 card set.  Unfortunately... after four years, hobby boxes still command over $100.

In other words... it's more cost effective to just buy the set.  Less fun... but less work and money too.

So when I discovered my buddy over at Basketball Card Blog (And More) was parting ways with his Murad collection, I quickly inquired about his completed base set.  Guy was more than willing to give me first dibs and we immediately settled on a price that both of us considered to be fair.  


2008/09 Topps T51 Murad #171 Derrick Rose (Standing)

The set includes rookie cards of Derrick Rose, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, and Brook Lopez, along with thirty short printed veterans.  Guy also sent me the thirty different checklist cards as a bonus.

He also threw in these jumbo sized cabinet cards:



Three silk cards:



A 2009/10 Certified Imports insert set:



This 2011 Topps Marquee "Monumental Markings" on-card autograph of Brett Anderson:



And best of all, a huge lot of Batman, Star Wars, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics:



Thanks Guy for giving me the opportunity to purchase your set and for the extra goodies.  Best of luck on your 2012 Heritage baseball project.  It sure looks like you're having a blast ripping them packs.

Everyone else, if you collect sets...

Do you usually build them yourself or buy them completed?

If you checked out the number of sets I'm currently building, you might think I'm a set builder.  But when I really think about it... I probably have built less than 20% of the sets in my collection.  Like I said earlier... I guess it just depends on the set and the mood I'm in.

Happy Saturday and sayonara!

8 comments:

sg488 said...

I used to always buy a few boxes and build sets in the 70/80s,and hope for doubles of the big rookies.These days with Topps baseball,I will buy a few boxes in March ,hope for some good insert cards,and then wait to buy a factory set when they come out in July.With football/basketball I just buy a hand sorted set ,at the beginning of the season.

Unknown said...

Glad you enjoyed all of it. I had a fun time putting that box together. Thanks for the shoutout buddy.

-Guy

Fuji said...

I have a feeling that one of these days I'm going to get on a factory set kick... but as of right now, I'm running into the issue of storing my cards.

Fuji said...

Bro... I'm still giddy over those comics! Just found out there are a bunch of variant covers for the TMNT #1 issue. Thinking about tracking some down. Thanks again.

Zippy Zappy said...

Nice Brett Anderson auto. I have a dual with him and Betances from their Team USA days.

As for sets I'm definitely NOT a set collector but I am trying to finish the 2012 Topps Sega Card Gen base set and with that set I have no choice but to finish it myself since they come 1 card per turn via arcade machines and not in boxes like normal cards. I do however, try and collect team sets of, you guessed it, the Yankees whenever I can. Like if I buy a box or a couple of packs of something and I end up with more than half of the Yankees cards in the checklist I may go after some of the rest I need.
So either way I guess I'm a do-it-myselfer.

Fuji said...

Best of luck on that 2012 Topps Sega Card set. I'd love to build that too if I had access to those cards.

Chuck's Used Cards said...

Since my focus is vintage cards, the budget allows for one or at most a few cards at a time. Buying a complete set (if one can be found) can be very expensive.

I also like the idea of examining each purchase when it arrives, taking special care to read the backs and research the player. (many of these players were deceased before Iever heard of them).

Nice comics. I have picked up a few gems over the years although I am not a comic collector per say. I have a TMNT movie preview comic. (see my blog)

Fuji said...

That's a great way to collect cards. In my free time, I love reading card backs to learn about the players.

Thank... I was pretty excited to see those thrown in with the set. I'm not actually a comic collector either. I own about 200 comic books, but have only read a fraction of them. I mostly enjoy looking at the covers.

I'm headed over to your site to check out the TMNT movie preview comic.