Greatest sets of all time

What do you consider the 6 greatest sets of all time? Rank them 1 to 6

For me:

1 - n162
2 - t205
3 - n42/43
4 - m110
5 - t3
6 - 1953 Bowman

N173
T204
M116
N162
E103



Mark

1- E107
2- T3
3- 1933 Goudey
4- W600
5- N300
6- 1914 Cracker Jack

my greatest sets...not necessarily what i think are the hobby's greatest.

(sorry topps/goudey fanboys)

1. e107
2. w600
3. '14 cracker jack
4. n172
5. t206
6. 1989 donruss (drop off in interest was tremendous between 5-6 so i took easy way out)

my only criteria was set has to be nationally distributed...no regional issue (hope they all are )

Oh, man... I can't believe that I forgot about CJs. I was trying to figure out what to put 6th and defaulted to the E103 (but wasn't happy with that choice). 1914 Cracker Jacks are my 6th.

I made a change because I had forgotten about the m110 set

n172
t205
n162
n42/43
r318 (batter up)
m110

To me, N172 Old Judge and T206 are 1A and 1B. They're on a tier above the rest due to set size, player selection, variations/oddities, and historical significance. After those, I'd go with:

3. E107
4. N162
5. T205
6. 1914/15 Cracker Jack

my favs...

e107
n167
Just So Tobacco
n321
T3
W600

mine are

1. N172/N173
2. T206
3. T3
4. N162
5. N28
6. T205

i know the t205s are on alot of collectors' top 5 list (not just on this forum)...but they don't do anything for me. pretty boring actually with the all-portrait poses and i don't find the background solid colors very appealing. unless it's in NRMT+ (which absolutely look spectacular), the lower-conditioned gold borders can get quite dirty and messy with the flake-offs, a turnoff for me.

also i began as a collector in the late 80's-early 90's where a "set" is 400-600 cards. i love those big sets with lots of player selections. these m110s, n162s, n43s are what we called subsets or inserts. my sets need to be at least 100+ subjects

Bicem wrote:my favs...

e107
n167
Just So Tobacco
n321
T3
W600

What aspects or features of these sets interests you?

When I talk about sets like n28/29, n42/43, n162, etc I am talking about the entire set. Not just the baseball players. As for sets with 400+ cards, you are pretty much limited to OJs and t206s. You can throw in Zeenuts if count all the years as one set.

I forgot the real monster, the t210 Old Mills

For sets like OJs where the cards are numerous and at least $100+ a piece, collectors often choose to focus their collections on various themed subsets which makes the collection more meaningful, enjoyable and attainable. This is easy to do if one is a bit of a historian. However, if not of that orientation, one can choose various other themes including a color set - which displays each of the color variations typical in the set, the compilation of all of the varieties of a single player (which include up to 17 cards), selection of players who were professionals before there was a National League, the specialty Browns Champions, Spotted Ties, Two Player cards, Outdoor Photos, etc.
I assume the same would apply to other large, relatively costly or otherwise difficult sets.

TheRiddler wrote:

Bicem wrote:my favs...

e107
n167
Just So Tobacco
n321
T3
W600

What aspects or features of these sets interests you?

e107 (love portraits, historical importance of this set)
n167 (really like the simple design, appreciate the rarity)
Just So Tobacco (again love portraits, extreme rarity, big Cy Young fan)
n321 (gorgeous colorful set, very different than majority of 19th century cards)
T3 (most beautiful cards ever made, each is a work of art)
W600 (great large portraits, loaded with so many players/poses/variations)

Well, we all have our preferences, and rationales, don't we? But as far as your tastes are concerned, I agree with you whole heartedly on the Just So, and after a quick study: the same is true for the w600s. Clearly the variations make the set more attractive. The t3s I liked in the past, but currently I prefer the m110 set.
The e107s are a bit trickey, since the game card Fan Craze comes only shortly after the candy set, and includes over 100 players. This option incorporates an improved appearance card at a cost commensurate with a game card of that period. But the Fan Craze does not cover all of the 147 cards offered in the e107, and many crucial examples are solely available through the candy card. Also not everyone is willing to collect game cards, no matter what they look like.
Like the e107 set, the n321 contains some key players only available through that set. Eventhough it is a small (40 card) Ca. Lg. only issue. [Ben's Sweeney is one. A key to the 40 wins/season pitcher assembly]. Generally I do not like drawings of players, but this set maintains an attractive crispness in their portrayals.
I can not go for the n167s, but do like the images, colors and security of the batter ups. It is less likely that a fake will be made of a die cut card, so buying them loose is common. And they do not look nor feel cheap like many of the multi-color duotone strip cards do.

Whew, that was a heck of a two cents. Thanks for advising me of what your preferences are.

I like large sets that define the era that are also accessible to most collectors .. in least in some form or another.



T206
E90-1
M116
1933 Goudey
1948 Leaf
1952 Topps

one day I'll get you to branch out of the mainstream King!

e90-1 and m116 aren't too mainstream. Most avoid e90-1s because the set is so hard to complete and most avoid m116s because they don't like the colorization. Now if you could get him into Butterfinger premiums or t209s, now your talking out of the mainstream.

Thinking about it again, I agree that M116s shouldn't be on my list. I do think the E90-1s should be. It may be tough to complete, but from my personal experience, there are plenty of guys collecting that set. I have 98% of the set (missing two cards - Lobert and Gibson back view -- help me if you can!) - and I'm only 6th on the SGC registry. To me, its the face of caramel cards - similar to T206s are to tobacco cards.

My Choices-

1. N172/N173
2. T206
3. T3
4. 1933 Goudey
5. 1921 Exhibits
6. 1952 Topps

There is no doubt that e90-1 is THE caramel set. Some may say e107s or the G&B are, but when people think caramel cards, they don't think of those two sets. They think of cards that look like e90-1s. Much the same way when you say tobacco cards, people immediately think of t206s.

Jay

I'm not a fan of e90-1 at all. So many of the images are just so cartoony. The Jackson and both Wagner cards are butt-ugly in my opinion.

(I do like the Speaker though)

I also think people think of the Cracker Jacks when you say caramel/candy cards.

There are a lot of sets with "e" designations and they just don't say caramel card to me. Cracker Jack just doesn't say it, even though it is caramel popcorn. Zeenuts also carry an "e" designation but I think candy/caramel cards when I think of them. I always forget that Cracker Jacks and Zeenuts are e-card sets.

No love for 1941 Play Ball? '41 was one of the great seasons in baseball history with DiMaggio's streak, Ted Williams and the Red Sox, and the surprise Dodgers!