How to Complete a Topps Baseball Card Set

Build Your Set

• 1

  Start by identifying the number of cards in the set. Most packs and boxes state the number of cards in the set. If you're stumped, visit the company website---www.topps.com---and click on "sports" and then "brands" on the menus at the top of the page to find short descriptions of each set Topps produces. The company also lists all the cards in the set by player name and card number.

• 2

  Buy packs of opened Topps baseball cards. You can choose whether to buy them from retail outlets or from baseball card dealers, who often sell entire boxes and 10-box cases online and in their shops. Buy no more than two boxes.

• 3

  Sit in a chair at a table with lots of empty space and open your packs of cards. Look through the cards. Then place the cards from each pack face down on the table. Make several careful stacks of 50 to 100 cards.

• 4

  Now sort the stacks by number. The number appears on the back corner of the card. Make one stack for cards under No. 100 and separate stacks for 100 to199, 200 to 299 and so forth.

• 5

  Arrange the cards in each stack in number order starting with the lowest number. Include only one of each number. If you have two of the same card, called doubles, set them aside in a separate stack.

• 6

  Using the checklist from the Topps website or the checklists that come in the card packs, write down the card numbers still missing, starting at the lowest number, and the name of the player for each card. If it is not a card featuring a single player, write down the theme of the card.

• 7

  To fill the holes in your set, trade with another collector, buy additional packs, or seek help from a card dealer, who has access to the missing cards either through his own collection or from other dealers.