Anyone complete base sets

[bruinsman]

The past few months i've had a lot of fun completing base sets, Although, It can be a bit frustrating when i can buy a completed base set at the cost of 3-5 packs of a hobby pack (MVP, OPC, Fleer, etc).

I was wondering if many of you complete base sets when opening a box/packs.

I feel like this is lost in the hobby as people sell them for such a loss.

Please submit your answers in the poll as well as replying to the thread.

 

[jogesc2]

I can't justify the cost of new wax anymore so I've decided to buy wax that's 1 to 2 years old and complete my sets that way from now on. eg. D&A has hobby boxes of 15/16 OPC on sale for $25US or $32CDN. When the boxes were released they were $89CDN. I don't mind waiting a year or two, and at that price I can justify ripping the wax to put the set together.

 

[newfiecomicguy1]

I try to complete the OPC base set each year. Also do Tim Hortons and always did McDonald’s each year.

 

[bruinsman]

I can't justify the cost of new wax anymore so I've decided to buy wax that's 1 to 2 years old and complete my sets that way from now on. eg. D&A has hobby boxes of 15/16 OPC on sale for $25US or $32CDN. When the boxes were released they were $89CDN. I don't mind waiting a year or two, and at that price I can justify ripping the wax to put the set together.

I fully agree, however, i find the shipping rates so high, so i tend to buy locally.

 

[TADontAsk]

I've been doing Series 1 and Series 2 for a while. As a fun project, I've gone back and started doing the earliest Upper Deck sets. Completed 1990/91 and 91/92, and I've just got a few inserts left to complete 92/93. This year I'm going to try OPC and I'm debating SP Authentic.

I like to build my sets by opening wax boxes, for the simple reason that it's the most fun way for me to do it, and that's what this is all about. But like the other posts here, I'll often go back and work on older sets once the price drops or boxes they have on clearance sales.

 

[webottew]

I have done the Series 1 & 2 base sets + YGs since 2003-04. I usually do an extra set per year. Recently it has been Tim Hortons and SPA

 

[gomaz]

I used to attempt one or three base sets each year like S1 & S2, SPA, Ice, SPx....just whatever I liked the looks of. In the 80's I built the OPC set every year and it was the highlight of the year for me when that delicious gum came out with the cool cards.

When I moved last year after learning I was having a baby, and also discovering the Minimalism movement after viewing that Netflix doc, I looked at all these heavy binders, that I rarely if ever opened up and decided that I didn't need them taking up space in my house so I got rid of all of them. Made space for cards I appreciate more and other things too.

The feeling I had after getting rid of all that dead weight was quite cleansing. And it allowed me not to have to go after more of them in the future.

Putting base sets together is fun for sure, but it was one aspect of the hobby that I am happy to leave in the 80's.

EDIT - my post relates to base sets only, I still work on various insert sets that catch my eye.

 

[bruinsman]

I used to attempt one or three base sets each year like S1 & S2, SPA, Ice, SPx....just whatever I liked the looks of. In the 80's I built the OPC set every year and it was the highlight of the year for me when that delicious gum came out with the cool cards.

When I moved last year after learning I was having a baby, and also discovering the Minimalism movement after viewing that Netflix doc, I looked at all these heavy binders, that I rarely if ever opened up and decided that I didn't need them taking up space in my house so I got rid of all of them. Made space for cards I appreciate more and other things too.

The feeling I had after getting rid of all that dead weight was quite cleansing. And it allowed me not to have to go after more of them in the future.

Putting sets together is fun for sure, but it was one aspect of the hobby that I am happy to leave in the 80's.

Interesting perspective. I hear many comic book collectors having the same issue of too much clutter.

 

[sdpdesign]

Answered on occasion basically since I like to buy boxes to break, I tend to end up with a base set of something, mostly by random. It took me 6.5 boxes to do the 11-12 UD set by box break. After 8.5 boxes of the stuff, I still only have one base set.:hi5::yess:

 

[Excon]

I have only ever actively sought out the base cards for the 09/10 UD Ultimate set. I also completed the 09/10 Ultimate signatures that year. A very nice and clean design that year.

 

[cburt]

I used to attempt one or three base sets each year like S1 & S2, SPA, Ice, SPx....just whatever I liked the looks of. In the 80's I built the OPC set every year and it was the highlight of the year for me when that delicious gum came out with the cool cards.

When I moved last year after learning I was having a baby, and also discovering the Minimalism movement after viewing that Netflix doc, I looked at all these heavy binders, that I rarely if ever opened up and decided that I didn't need them taking up space in my house so I got rid of all of them. Made space for cards I appreciate more and other things too.

The feeling I had after getting rid of all that dead weight was quite cleansing. And it allowed me not to have to go after more of them in the future.

Putting base sets together is fun for sure, but it was one aspect of the hobby that I am happy to leave in the 80's.

EDIT - my post relates to base sets only, I still work on various insert sets that catch my eye.

Good perspective. I too, due to a number of "life scenarios" am seeking to be more of a minimalist too. It becomes too easy to accumulate things - whether cards or other stuff. And I agree too, that you should collect things you appreciate the most. I guess we all should take a step back and evaluate our possessions and lifestyle. But if you're happy with how life or collecting is going, then that is the important thing.

I, myself have not collected or put together a base set in eons. When I was very young I enjoyed putting together the odd base set, but haven't enjoyed doing that for years. As people always say, "collect what you like." And if that's base sets, then great.

 

[darnitsyrup]

I will be doing the Toronto Maple Leafs Centennial base set this year. I attempted the Tim Hortons set each of the last two years but never got around to completing either of them. Seeing that you can usually buy completed base sets for wayyy less than the cost to build it yourself (like the OP mentioned), It really puts a damper on the whole effort in my opinion.

 

[Doopz]

I'm one of the few that actually like base sets. Sometimes I buy boxes and open some packs, or buy in bulk and put sets together that way (since most don't want to deal with them and are so inexpensive) and last resort is to just buy sets at the Expo. lol
Sure, they take up a lot of space - but I have more than enough empty space.

 

[deepbluejacket]

I've put together a few of Series 1 and Series 2 in the last 10 years, but by and large I've stopped. When a box costs 6-8X the value of the base set and you don't get a base set in the box, it sucks a lot of the joy out of it.

I did base sets throughout the 80s and into the early 90s. You know, when the base set was all there was. It used to be enough.