[jpleazme805]

arod... good luck with your NT chase.. I thought about doing that set too, but gave it up quickly.. & went after Elite Black Box 2010-11 instead...

I love these type of threads.. What is your favorite set? What is the one set you would go after, if you had the money & can afford it...??

I love Elite Black Box. Nice clean design. I was able to pick up majority of the cards on the cheap or in "lots". A ebay seller from Taiwan & Hong Kong were big helps. Also, picked a lot up from COMC's & a few from Beckett Marketplace.. only problem with the marketplace was, I couldn't see the cards beforehand.. so I didn't know if the cards were chipped or not... Black border cards seem to always have slight chipping... Took me about 10-11 months to put the 200 card set together. Print run is /99. So that was the toughest set I have put together.

2nd favorite set is Chronology 2007-08.. Love the design.. lots of HOF'ers, including MJ.. I loved this set so much, I tried to pick up every "lot" I seen on ebay or other sites.. also, traded for a few cards I needed from another Chronology set builders/collector.. I was lucky to put together 2 sets of both years of Chronology... (let me know if you're interested in buying/trading for a set??)

I collected in the early 90's.. stopped during Kobe's RC year.. actually started collecting around 86-87.. but didn't know sports cards were valuable.. I had tons of basketball & Baseball.. still have most of them, but they are all ruined.. bent corners, pin holes for the one I hung on my wall.. & lost a few through the spokes of my BMX bike.. haha.. wish I hadn't did that!!! oh, well, boys will be boys...
I collected briefly in 99-01.. then gave it up.. until April 2007, when I walked into PJ's Sports Cards in Chula Vista, Ca (San Diego).. I bought packs from that store in 00-01, but forgot it's location until 2007.. found the store again.. & decided to see what they have..... bought few loose packs.. then fell in love with Ultimate 2006-07.. I couldn't believe how much cardboard evolved.. I fell in love with that set very quickly!!

I loved the Legends /99 subset.. along, with the oncard autographs... I was able to collect the entire base, legends & RC/autos set... along with the Ultimate Signature insert set... I loved the set so much, I bought a few huge "lots"... I put together two base sets, along with Legends.. Almost put together a 3rd set, but still need a few Legends cards... not chasing the RC/autos again, since most of the cards dropped in price.. Can't believe Tyrus Thomas RC went for over a $100... now they sell for chump change.. I put together two Ultimate Signature sets... the 2nd set cost a little too much money, since the top 4 cards were almost bought at full BV... not including KOBE redemptions, which I got for a fair price... I sold one set, 2nd set will be a keeper, but I do have a ton of duplicate Signature cards if anybody is interested...

The sets I debated on collecting was the 2008-09 Topps Chrome & 2007-08 Topps Letterman sets... you don't see many Letterman cards around.. I have about 10-20 cards from that base set... The Topps Chrome set is Beautiful.. I never thought about collecting them, until last month, when I dug out my D.Rose Orange RC card... I didn't think it was that valuable, when I first got it out of the first & only box of Chrome I bought..

I liked all the Panini Limited sets, I bought a case of 2009-10 & was able to finally put together the set, including, legends /99, & RC/autos/299... The Blake I had to buy, near BV at the time.. but since the BV went up, I am happy I put that set together... I only bought a couple packs of the 2010-11 Limited.. liked the base cards.. but was not too happy of the high price per box.. & didn't like the print runs used... nor did I like the print runs on the 2011-12 Limited.. I'm not buying anymore at $100 for a 7 card pack..

so in recent years... I put together one auto set from each year starting at 2006-07, except current 2012, since the RC autos are all screwed up, with Panini's rc redmeption program, which I strongly dislike... I still want to put a RC/auto set from D.Roses year.... I was lucky to pull a D.Rose Hot Prospects RC auto from a box I bought in Santee, Ca (San Diego).. card shop is now closed.. wish it was still open, the guy said they do mostly internet sells, so more likely working out of their house.. the card shop was tied to a couple other shops in other states.. wish I remembered the guy's name that helped me out, so I can look him up...

Favorite, none NBA set... was a college set of Press Pass 2008-09 Legends... The design was simple, but appealing.. loved the on-card autos...

86-87 & 87-88 Fleer sets are always on my favorite list, because they were the first two type of basketball cards I had as a kid. I was lucky to complete both sets very quickly in 2008... I still need to get a better quality MJ RC... just don't want to pay the money for one.. Would like a BGS 8 or above... since too risky buying an ungraded MJ RC. I should send my RC in, so I can get it authenticated.. don't think it would even score a BGS 1... because of the terrible shape it is in.. but it is still my pride & joy, since I've had that card since I was 8 years old..

I know everybody will want to say they love the Exquisite sets or National Treasures, but for majority of US Collectors, we can not afford to go after those sets, without going into debt..