General Forum

I understand what qualified as an essential set in the late 80s, early 90s but with all the changes in who owns what rights which sets are now essential to collect every year for each sport? Topps is the set I must have every year going forward with baseball but I am at a loss as to which sets I must have for football, basketball and hockey.

For a basic collector Upper Deck S1 and S2 and OPC to me would seem like your two "basic" sets for hockey, all the rest seem to become cost prohibitive ..... if UD and OPc are not tthat already!!

For my baseball, it's Topps and Topps Update sets along with the factory bonus insert sets.

i've been more of a individual player collector,  now venturing in small insert sets, but for football, now that Topps is out of the picture- Bowman is a good choice. Can't go wrong plus a lot of variety. I, unfort have expensive taste lol, so i like the products in Immaculte & National Treasures- but there are plenty of nice looking product out there. good thing about this site is, look at a few of the previous years scans, you can also read reviews on here, Beckett, Card Board Connection on what others thought as well. Playoff Contenders is always a good choice too. 

In the words of my favorite hobby shop owner, "Collect what you like and you will never go wrong."

-Tom 

My problem is that I like everything....

No no no. Liking everything is unacceptable! Have you ever read the COTD comments? Just about everyone hates every card. But we collect them all anyway. 

In the end if you're a set collector, pick your favorite, whatever it is, and go with it. It would kill me, but you could even collect a different set every year. I don't really believe in "essential" sets. Too many companies. Too many different tastes. 

Just have fun. Your collection is your collection, not what other people think is "essential." 

Enjoy. 

V3

Bowman is a Topps product and has been since it's return in 1989.

tonym wrote: i've been more of a individual player collector,  now venturing in small insert sets, but for football, now that Topps is out of the picture- Bowman is a good choice. Can't go wrong plus a lot of variety. I, unfort have expensive taste lol, so i like the products in Immaculte & National Treasures- but there are plenty of nice looking product out there. good thing about this site is, look at a few of the previous years scans, you can also read reviews on here, Beckett, Card Board Connection on what others thought as well. Playoff Contenders is always a good choice too.

To me, an "essential" set would be one with a lot of players, chronicling the season, and showing what team each guy played for that year, or previous year in the case of older sets.  I think Topps baseball has that covered.  Hoops would be a good bet in basketball.  Probably Score in football (since Topps NFL license is no more).  I would go with the above suggestions for hockey; I'm no expert on those cards, though I love the sport.  Soccer depends on the league you want.  MLS would be base Topps.  Oh, how I miss the days of good old American competition and variety.  Companies pushing each other to get better, rather than exclusive deals and monopolies.  Alas and alack, we have returned to 1980.  Most of all, have fun with it.  Clearly plenty of people don't share my pleasure in collecting all the players, rather than just the superstars, or more sets would have middle relievers and right guards.  So my answer may not work for you.