Vintage card collectors have many different preferences when it comes to collecting. Some collectors prefer star and Hall of fame cards, or maybe they just like a couple different players. But what about the collectors who want entire sets. It can take months or years to assemble a complete set from the 1950s or 1960s. Some sets can take even longer for pre-war complete card sets. Goldin’s December 2021 auction has many of these complete sets up for bid right now.

It would be obvious to ask if these sets are affordable, but because of condition or grading some of them do appear to be within the grasp of collectors who might otherwise have to fight investors hand over fist for the same exact assets. In fact, the condition here is looking as though these prices are going to be far more reasonable than if this was a major set-break of high-grade cards.

This group of complete vintage baseball card sets covers the key 1933 Goudey set (which basically is the set that all Babe Ruth collectors must thank). It also includes the 1951 Bowman set with the Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays “true rookie cards” and the prized 1952 Topps baseball and 1953 Topps baseball complete sets. And there are some overlaps, such as another graded 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle card.

Collectors Dashboard evaluates high-end collectibles as an alternative asset class. This means collectibles are attracting the same capital that could have been invested into stocks or bonds. With so many baseball cards priced in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars (or much more), this definitely fits within the investing theme. That is particularly true when you add all of these up together even if the individual set prices are affordable.

The prices below should likely not be considered what these sets will sell for as there are more than 4 days until the auction end time of 10:00 on Saturday, December 18, 2021. We have still included the last price (and the net price including Goldin’s 20% buyer’s premium) and the number of bids seen so far as of the morning of December 14.

All images of these sets and cards are from Golding.co

1933 Goudey Complete Baseball Set

Lot 10 is a 1933 Goudey Complete Set of all 239 baseball cards. The set’s key cards of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig are all PSA graded. While the card set is actually 240 cards, the Nap Lajoie is missing as the set is considered complete without that factory-issued rarity included. The grades are as follows:

• 53 Ruth (PSA PR 1);
• 92 Gehrig (PSA PR 1);
• 144 Ruth (PSA PR 1);
• 149 Ruth (PSA PR 1);
• 160 Gehrig (PSA GD 2);
• and 181 Ruth (PSA FR 1.5).

The set includes all the other Hall of Fame players (outside of Lajoie) and Goldin’s report on the set shows it to be “generally FR/GD to VG or finer (some lesser).” After 14 bids, the current bidding price of $28,000 would be $33,600 after the buyer’s premium.

1951 Bowman Baseball Complete Set

Lot 12 is a 1951 Bowman Baseball Complete Set of 324 cards. This set features SGC-graded cards of Mickey Mantle (SGC 1) and Willie Mays (SGC 1.5). Goldin noted in the report that the set’s cards exhibit amber-toned staining that is attributable to vintage adhesive tape in one marginal area. The set’s overall condition is listed as generally Poor to Good but many of this set’s cards are “projecting surprisingly favorable aesthetic appeal.” The 1951 Bowman complete set has attracted 8 bids so far, and the $3,250 current bid would be $3,900 after the 20% buyer’s premium.

1952 Topps Baseball Complete Set

Lot 13 is a 1952 Topps Baseball Complete Set of 407 cards. Some of the super-star cards are PSA-graded as follows: Mickey Mantle (PSA 3), Willie Mays (PSA 1.5) and Jackie Robinson (PSA 2.5). Outside of the three cards have been graded, Golding noted that the rest of the set’s condition covers a wide range — largely VG to EX or finer with some lesser. This set has seen 30 bids so far, and the $45,000 price would net $54,000 after the buyer’s premium.

1953 Topps Baseball Complete Set

LOT #14 is a 1953 Topps Baseball Complete Set of 274 cards. The top cards that are PSA-graded are of Mantle (PSA 1), Mays (PSA 1), Robinson ((PSA 1.5MK) and Paige (PSA 1)The other cards in the set are shown to be in poor, fair, good and up to very condition. After 10 bids, the current bid of $4,250 would be $5,100 with the buyer’s premium.

And for a 1951 Bowman Mantle Overlap… And More

Also up for grabs is a 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle Rookie Card graded SGC 2. It has seen 18 bids and the current price of $4,750 would be $5,700 after the buyer’s premium.

Other sets up through the 1950s included in this auction:

• 1934-36 National Chicle “Diamond Stars” Baseball Complete Set (108)
• 1936 Goudey Complete Set (25)
• 1938 Goudey “Heads-Up” Baseball Near Set (45/48) – Including DiMaggio, Feller and Greenberg
• 1953 Bowman Color Baseball Complete Set (160)
• 1941 Play Ball Baseball Complete Set (72)
• 1950 Bowman Baseball Complete Set (252)
• 1953 Bowman Color Baseball Complete Set (160)
• 1954 Topps Baseball Complete Set (250)
• 1955 Topps Baseball Complete Set (206)
• 1956 Topps Baseball Complete Set (340)
• 1957 Topps Baseball Complete Set (407)
• 1958 Topps Baseball Complete Set (494)
• 1959 Topps Baseball Complete Set (572)