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How discouraging.

The only W502 that I've found since my last entry is a PSA "Authentic" HOFer that's currently on Ebay. As I have no interest in the "authentic" card, I have not seen a nice W502 in over a month.

This has got me thinking about how I'm going to handle this blog, and this quest, since it appears that this set is as scarce as it is unpopular.

I've considered resuming my T205 hunt, which is currently something like 20% done and could be a decent idea, considering that T205 pricing is pretty depressed right now. I've also considered adding a more modern set like 1951 or 1952 Bowman, and building a nice, raw, EX condition set. And I've considered beginning a collection of Yankees cards and memorabilia to serve as a companion to my "Yankee Run" of complete sets. Not sure which direction I'm going to head in, but I'll tell you - I have to head in SOME direction, because if I sit around and wait for W502s, it could be YEARS before I get another set complete!

I realize that building a set requires patience, don't get me wrong. But this requires a whole different KIND of patience - I began this blog on May 30, and have added precisely one card in that time. Today is July 25. Almost two solid months, and I've gone from three to four out of 60 cards. Drag.

Here's my George Kelly.

It's a very nice card - but clearly has some corner issues, and perhaps a little staining or marking along the top border. The back appears clean but could have some very light staining; it's tough to tell inside the slab. But a card like this, if I were to look at it outside the holder, I might call it a VG-EX card.

I'm very curious about the grading on these. There are very few high-grade examples graded by SGC or PSA, and I simply haven't seen enough of them to be a good judge. Like I said, I have four out of 60 cards in the set.

Unfortunately I have managed to locate three more high-grade examples, but the seller is asking, in my opinion, WAY too much money. Like more than $400 each, for second-tier HOFers.

So if I search for a couple of months, latch onto the Speaker, then search a few more months and find three overpriced HOFers, is this realistically a set that can be completed? A couple of weeks ago I passed on a lower-grade, raw Ray Schalk because I thought it wasn't up to the standard I had set for myself on this issue. Was that a mistake?

I know it's important to stay patient when building a tough set, and I'm most definitely not thinking of abandoning this quest, but I am most definitely considering starting a more mainstream set just to keep myself occupied.

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