Fabulous older sets for set building

Over the last few years little new product has caught my eye, but I've been coming across older sets that look like fabulous set-building projects. I figured I'd start a post with some and maybe someone will find something they want to go after:

1997 Donruss Notable Nicknames- The original Notable Nicknames set. /200 with lot of great cards and some nice affordable ones as well. Great looking set, on-card sigs (obviously) and one that is challenging, but not impossible to complete.



1999 APOH 500 Club bat- Set needs no introduction:



2000 Fleer Greats of the Game Autographs- The first Fleer Greats of the Game set had a nice clean look, large checklist and a decent number of SP's sprinkled into the mix. Many SP's easily sell for $200+ (and some like the Schmidt get far more than that) but there's a ton of affordable cards, and since they don't turn up too often, is a solid long term project.



2000 Fleer Showcase Sweet Sigs Auto- The original Sweet Spot. Relatively small checklist with some solid names (Maddux, Ryan, Arod etc.) Some tough SP's (Nomar and Arod amongst others) but the price has dropped a ton on these. The Arod used to go for hundreds. One recently did not sell for $125. Nice groundbreaking set.



Tons more, but I'll let others throw some out there.

If we are talking older as in vintage,

I would think '62 would be a fun set to nab... in decent condition.

I will add

2001 GOTG auto set (same description as the 2000 set)
2004 Leaf Certified fabric of the game (large checklist, great looking cards)
2001 Topps Tribute GU/patch sets (some of the greatest looking cards made, even the base set is beautiful)
1997 EX2000 essential credentials
1995 Finest Refractors

1994 SP Holoview Red Die-Cut

Here you go, if you really want to go after these sets, here they are all (or almost all) together.

GOTG 2000
http://www.hugginsandscott.com/cgi-bin/ ... emid=31286

Significant Sigs
http://www.hugginsandscott.com/cgi-bin/ ... emid=31296

GOTG 2001
http://www.hugginsandscott.com/cgi-bin/ ... emid=31288

UD Legends 1999
http://www.hugginsandscott.com/cgi-bin/ ... emid=31299

Many more on H and S auction

I remember the 2000 Greats auto set was incredibly hot. The SP autos were $300-400 at one point, maybe still are. I've always thought about going after that set, but to pick it up in one shot, plus the Yankee jersey set, would be quite something.

The game-used set from 2000 Century Legends is also nice. Prices have dropped to quite reasonable levels for all but the super-SPs. Autos, too.

Good luck on the Notable Nicknames, though. That's probably one of the toughest sets of the 90s for a set of its size.

Check out the 90s threads. Tons of great project sets there, from the well-known Crusades and Holoviews to the obscure Pacific and Skybox inserts from products that are all but forgotten.

Wasn't this the first Greats of the Game auto set?

Notice, I have all three Reggie variations!

klute14 said:

Wasn't this the first Greats of the Game auto set?

Notice, I have all three Reggie variations!

Click to expand...

Those Reggie's are sick and were super tough. I will amend my statement, the one I showed was the first Fleer GOTG.

Topnotchsy said:

Over the last few years little new product has caught my eye, but I've been coming across older sets that look like fabulous set-building projects. I figured I'd start a post with some and maybe someone will find something they want to go after:


2000 Fleer Showcase Sweet Sigs Auto- The original Sweet Spot. Relatively small checklist with some solid names (Maddux, Ryan, Arod etc.) Some tough SP's (Nomar and Arod amongst others) but the price has dropped a ton on these. The Arod used to go for hundreds. One recently did not sell for $125. Nice groundbreaking set.

Click to expand...

I'm currently working on this set. I just need the A-Rod actually but I thought the price that the last one was up for was too much.
It is a great set though

This was a fun set to build and for around $800.

rebelpawn said:

Topnotchsy said:

Over the last few years little new product has caught my eye, but I've been coming across older sets that look like fabulous set-building projects. I figured I'd start a post with some and maybe someone will find something they want to go after:


2000 Fleer Showcase Sweet Sigs Auto- The original Sweet Spot. Relatively small checklist with some solid names (Maddux, Ryan, Arod etc.) Some tough SP's (Nomar and Arod amongst others) but the price has dropped a ton on these. The Arod used to go for hundreds. One recently did not sell for $125. Nice groundbreaking set.

Click to expand...

I'm currently working on this set. I just need the A-Rod actually but I thought the price that the last one was up for was too much.
It is a great set though

Click to expand...

think the card used to get $400+, but as long as it can be found for cheaper, no need to overpay. The auto was also not perfectly centered which was annoying. I was considering buying it myself. I used to own the Maddux... sweet card.

George_Calfas said:

This was a fun set to build and for around $800.

Click to expand...

Digging the scan. One of the strangest releases of all time, boxes could be had for under $20 for a long time (not sure what they get now) but amongst strangeness there was some pretty nice stuff.

I've thought about trying to grab the '91 Stadium Club set with high PSA grades. With $$$ being short for a coupla years now, it hasn't happened. Don't know if the "commons" would be a problem to find or get graded anyway.

Also, '93 Finest refractors would probably be pricey, but not impossible...

First off: klute14, love the SI auto set. I've been tempted to do that one as well. Absolutely beautiful.

I think this is a great older set to put together, and is not impossible to find. SP's are to 200, so they can be tracked down.

2001 Fleer Greats of the Game Feel the Game Classics Jersey & Bat Cards


I'm also working on 2001 UD Gold Glove Leatherbound Glove Cards

Something I intended going after but realized a few names were out of range for me (a starting college student at the time):

2005 Sweet Spot Classic Classic Material


It features a very simple, yet appealing design and a large checklist with a few big names.

gt2590 said:

I've thought about trying to grab the '91 Stadium Club set with high PSA grades. With $$$ being short for a coupla years now, it hasn't happened. Don't know if the "commons" would be a problem to find or get graded anyway.

Also, '93 Finest refractors would probably be pricey, but not impossible...

Click to expand...

We must think alike. When I got back into collecting a few years ago my first though was 1991 Stadium would be fun. But when I found that the 1993 refractors were available and most for under $30 I went that direction. I finished a PSA graded set in a little more than 1 year. Everyone is knowledgeable that they will sell so there is quite a liquid market for them on EBay.

Stadiums would be fun but you'd have to break alot of product to find the gem mint cards and then self submit almost the entire set yourself.

Ultimately its probably only a little more expensive to do the 93's (199) cards, rather than the 660 "commons" that make up the 1991 stadium Set.

it does help that '91 Stadium is $90 a CASE.

man those cards are beautiful

gracecollector said:

First off: klute14, love the SI auto set. I've been tempted to do that one as well. Absolutely beautiful.

I think this is a great older set to put together, and is not impossible to find. SP's are to 200, so they can be tracked down.

2001 Fleer Greats of the Game Feel the Game Classics Jersey & Bat Cards


I'm also working on 2001 UD Gold Glove Leatherbound Glove Cards

Click to expand...

I also love the leather bound set. I have this one



seeing the pics makes me want to redo all my scans.

gracecollector said:

First off: klute14, love the SI auto set. I've been tempted to do that one as well. Absolutely beautiful.

I think this is a great older set to put together, and is not impossible to find. SP's are to 200, so they can be tracked down.

2001 Fleer Greats of the Game Feel the Game Classics Jersey & Bat Cards


I'm also working on 2001 UD Gold Glove Leatherbound Glove Cards

Click to expand...

Nice Leather bound set you have going.. At one point I had two Roy Campanella cards.. but I sold them before I knew how tough they were to find.. (around $200 each)..

I have a bunch of the auto's ones..

Good luck and I see the main page for those serts still lists some links to Fleer.. :lol: