Set Registry 2022 Award Winners
Message from PSA:
We are delighted to share the following winners of the 2022 PSA Set Registry Awards and to celebrate in-person this year after a 2-year hiatus. While collecting is a personal journey, we ultimately rely on so many others in the community (aka the Hobby) to help us along the way. No matter what you collect or how you collect, our Set Registry team is committed to helping you pursue your passion within our thriving platform.
We understand your pursuit of excellence, as we are all collectors ourselves and over the past year, we have strengthened our team by creating two groups within the Set Registry. The first group is led by Cosetta Robbins, who has been with the Registry for 20+ years. She is a legend and her team assists you with your set requests, slot requests, questions, concerns, etc..
We were also blessed with the opportunity to grow the Registry and created a second group of Marketing Brand Managers and Associate Brand Managers that are focused on the creation of new sets and content to promote the Registry overall. The second group has extensive marketing, hobby passion, and sports knowledge. They follow market and grading trends and tie them to the sports, TCG and pop culture worlds, so that we can anticipate what needs to be built and promoted.
A great example of the brand team’s efforts this year was the My Top 10 contest that offered members the opportunity to build showcases of their top 10 cards and tell the story behind their collecting journey. We were touched and overwhelmed by some of the entries across 10 different collecting categories and we are pleased to name the winners of each category here.
The PSA Set Registry now boasts nearly 63,000 members, who have built over 240,000 sets and have over 8.1 million items in inventory worth nearly $1 billion. It is an incredible time to utilize the Registry to manage your inventory, track pricing, and participate in a community of like-minded collectors. The next year promises more innovation and growth.
We are looking forward to celebrating with you all at the National where we have several exciting new surprises and events in store for you, as we strive to recognize more of you and your accomplishments.
You are the best and brightest collectors in the industry and we are proud to be a part of the Set Registry community with you.
Thank you for your continued support, enthusiasm, and passion for collecting within the Registry.
Jamie Kiskis
VP of Brand Development
Collectors
Kevin McHolland - Best Collection of the Year
The details of a trading card collection can say a lot about the individual collecting the cards. A look over the Set Registry listings for Kevin McHolland reveals that he is a passionate and well rounded sports fan. The mcholke collection is a wonderfully rambling accumulation of baseball, basketball, football and hockey cards from many eras. Unlike most collectors, McHolland is not beholden to company sets. His preference is specialty collections that focus on teams, individual players and award winners.
A look at his Set Registry listings is akin to a celebration of sport: National College Baseball Hall of Fame; MLB First Draft Picks (1965-Present); Legends of the NBA: 25 Best Players of the 1980's; WNBA 25th Anniversary Team; Ohio State University All-Time Greatest Rookies (Football); All-Time NHL #1 Draft Picks; SMR Presents: Like Father, Like Son (Baseball); Bo Jackson Basic Topps Set - Baseball & Football … the list goes on and on.
McHolland has nearly 41,000 PSA-graded cards listed in his inventory, which is the third-largest collection on the Set Registry. He participates in 1,162 different sets and has reached 100% completion on 526 of them. His mcholke collection includes more than 630 first-place sets, and ranks near the top in many more.
In terms of overall quantity, active participation and award-winning sets, this collection is one of the finest we have ever seen. That is why we are proud to recognize Kevin McHolland with the PSA Set Registry’s 2022 Best Collection of the Year Award.
Cooperstown Collection - 1933 Goudey - Best Set of the Year
Every so often a Set Registry entry comes along that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Such is the case with this set. There are currently four 1933 Goudey sets in the PSA Set Registry Hall of Fame and this one tops them all with 100% completion and an 8.48 GPA. It is now the All-Time Finest entry for one of the most important sets in the entire hobby. Multiple Babe Ruths, Lou Gehrigs, Rogers Hornsbys and the greatest baseball names of the era are here and in some of the highest grades ever recorded. It is a simply stunning hobby accomplishment. Nothing more needs to be said.
Baseball
JR's 1974 Topps Master - 1974 Topps - Master - Best Baseball Set of the Year
(Note that this award also includes 1 sub-set in this collection.)
The 660-card 1974 Topps set is a favorite with collectors due in part to the Hank Aaron Specials (cards #1-#6) and a checklist that is dense with the baseball legends of the day. For those desiring a bit more challenge there are several print varieties, including the infamous “Washington Nat’l Lea.” Padres variations that make an additional 18 cards necessary to complete the master set. This entry has been Best of Registry since 2017, and has Top Pop examples for an incredible 92% of the set. For good measure, this collector has also held the No. 1 position in the 1974 Topps - Basic category since 2015.
Basketball
NBA - Top 75 RCs - NBA 75th Anniversary Team - Best Basketball Set of the Year
A rookie card of the 75 greatest players in NBA history is required to complete one of the most iconic basketball sets on the Registry. This category became immensely popular with collectors and competition has been fierce from the beginning, just a few days after the NBA announced the team on October 21, 2021. This set rose above the rest to achieve 100% completion and the No. 1 Current & All-Time Finest rankings. From Mikan to Magic, Julius to Jordan and everyone in between, the stars are all here. They are all museum quality examples and the set maintains a GPA of 8.76.
Football
Jeff Mazzeo (JRM 1960s Topps Run) - Topps 1960s Run - Best Football Set of the Year
The 1960s was an exciting decade in professional football. The AFL & NFL battled for superiority, the Super Bowl was born and a host of legendary players made their first professional gridiron appearances. Topps was there for it all, offering AFL, NFL and dual-league sets at different points throughout the decade. This collection includes all 1,775 base Topps football cards produced in the 1960s, including the short-prints, the rookies, the black-bordered ‘62s, colorful ‘63s, tallboy ‘65s, and 69s with and without borders. This massive accumulation is the first of its kind to be completed on the Set Registry, and resides in the No. 1 All-Time Finest position with a GPA of 7.98.
Hockey
Bob Meyer (rjmjr)- 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee - Best Hockey Set of the Year
The 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee set is one of the most important issues of the hockey genre and as such garners intense competition in the Set Registry. Not only does this set include the premier Wayne Gretzky rookie card, but also has appearances by the legendary Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull. This particular set is the All-Time Finest for the category, having overtaken two previous Hall of Fame sets with its 9.3 GPA.
TCG
A TCA Gaming Master Charizard Set - Pokemon Charizard Master Set - Best Pokemon Set of the Year
This set is worthy of any superlative one may apply to it. There are a massive 371 total entries in this category, yet this is the only one with higher than 55% completion. This set is 99.64% complete, and contains many of the most expensive Pokémon cards in existence. Rarity is also a major factor of this set. Difficult cards such as TOMY and Meiji are included, as well as several elusive foreign issues from Thailand, China and other locales from around the globe. With a weighted GPA of 9.94, no other competitor comes close in terms of quality or completion.
Anthony Ghezzi (Ghezzi_TCG) - Yu-Gi-Oh! Classic Foil Run 2002-2004 - Best Yu-Gi-Oh! Set of the Year
Passion and love for the Yu-Gi-Oh! genre are in abundance in this set. This category allows for the inclusion of either 1st Edition or Unlimited cards. However, this collector has gone the extra mile and nearly completed his set with only 1st Edition cards. This set has 241 of the 242 delicate foils cards, and every single one of them resides in a PSA 10 holder. Just one card shy of finishing a task never before accomplished on the Set Registry, the next-closest of 41 total entries sits at just 79% completion.
Mark A. Kikta (Edgar Summer's Magical Set) - 1994 Magic The Gathering Summer Edition - Best Magic The Gathering Set of the Year
Rarity is the primary factor a collector faces when wishing to add just a single card from this set to their collection. Hobby lore states that this set was canceled by the manufacturer prior to distribution, but an extremely small number of cases made their way into the hobby. There are 306 cards needed to complete this set, a number that has scared off all but three participants in the Set Registry. Still, this entry is in a class by itself. With 295/306 cards in the listing, it stands at 95.42% complete and with an 8.53 GPA. The next-closest competitor is at 10.46%..
Miscellaneous Sports
Scott D. Ireland Collection - 1932 U.S. Caramel - Best Misc Sports Set of the Year (Pre-1970)
The 1932 Caramel set is a classic early 20th century multi-sport issue that contains many of the most significant athletic names of the era. Babe Ruth, Bobby Jones, Lou Gehrig, Jack Dempsey, Gene Sarazen and more are honored with pasteboards in this historic issue. This set is the current category leader and ranks as the third All-Time Finest. With a GPA of 8.11, it already has a higher overall grade than a previous Set Registry Hall of Fame member for the same issue.
ellshoops - Michael Jordan Basic & Collector Issues Set - Best Player Set of the Year
This collection requires 206 high grade trading cards of perhaps the most collected individual in the history of the hobby, making this set a challenge to even the most dedicated of collectors. The category has 125 participants and this set has maintained its spot atop all others for the past three years. No collector has ever finished this set, but this entry stands at the precipice, lacking just one card for 100% completion. It contains a mind-boggling 184 Top Pop entries of the best known basketball player of all time.
Benjamin Whitener (bswhiten) - 1982 Topps Blackless - Best Regional/Oddball Set of the Year
Assembling a collection of the 1982 Topps Blackless cards is not a task for the faint of heart. The result of either operator error or an issue with the application of black ink, these cards are believed to be limited to fewer than 100 copies each, many of which have gone unnoticed by unknowing collectors. This complete set of 396 backless cards is the only Set Registry listing to even surpass 50% completion, and it did so with an incredible 7.49 GPA. This is the Registry’s All-Time Finest set for its category and is likely to retain that title, perhaps for decades to come.
The Weil Collection - 1951-1999 Topps Wax Packs - Any Series Baseball - Best Unopened Pack Set of the Year
The 1951-1999 Topps Wax Packs set is an incredible celebration of baseball card collecting. Requiring a single pack of cards from nearly five decades of Topps sets, this collection demands not only the dedication and means to obtain 49 years’ worth of baseball card packs, but also the fortitude to not give in to temptation and open them to reveal their treasures within. No other collector has completed this set, yet the Weil Collection has done so with an 8.44 GPA, nearly a full point above the competition.
Non-Sports
Jon P. Santana Jr. (JonnyBravo808's) - 1990 Marvel Universe - Best Non-Sports Set of the Year
It is difficult to compete against perfection, but that is the fate of anyone attempting to challenge this set. This listing has been a Best of Registry winner every year since 2009, and now sits at 100% completion with each of the 162 cards residing in PSA 10 holders. The brilliant Marvel illustrations seemingly leap off the cards and demand your attention. Other sets may be close, but regardless of their future achievements, they will never rank higher than this set for completion or quality.
Memorabilia (Bats/Tickets/Autographs)
Mark Aycock (McAy Group) - Hall of Fame Players - Post War Autographs - Best Autograph Set of the Year
This celebration of baseball excellence comes in the form of a 121-card set featuring autographed cards of all post war Hall of Fame members. The flexibility of the set requirements allows each collector to curate their own best possible set, and this one is stunning. It is the category’s All-Time Finest entry and first to 100% completion. It has a GPA of 9.88, just shy of the current finest possible set rating of 9.975. Willie, Mickey, Duke and the boys have rarely been presented in such a glorious manner.
2022 My Top 10
Auto of Top 10 All-Time - 2022 My Top 10: Baseball Cards
This collector has painstakingly curated an autographed card collection featuring 10 of the significant players in Major League Baseball history. Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, Roberto Clemente and six other legends of the game are included. Each card features a manufacturer-authenticated autograph, with the exception of a beautiful 1982 Topps Traded Cal Ripken Jr. card boasting a bold aftermarket signature.
EXQUISITECOLLECTOR'S ENTRY TO MY TOP 10: BASKETBALLCARDS! - 2022 My Top 10: Basketball Cards
This collector used My Top 10 to curate his own listing to full advantage. These 10 cards are among the best of the best that modern basketball has to offer. Michael Jordan and LeBron James dominate the entry, with a brief appearance by Larry Bird, Julius Erving and Magic Johnson on a 2006 UD Exquisite Collection Foursome Patches card. Modern design, autographs, fantastic patches and pieces of game floors combine to make this collection incredible.
Auto of Top 10 All-Time - 2022 My Top 10: Football Cards
This collector took what he believes to be the 10 greatest players in NFL history and designed a collection of autographed cards that includes them all. Eight pack-issued autographed cards and two aftermarket signed examples were used to tell this collector’s story. From the elegant simplicity of the Don Hutson signature to the spectacle of design that is the 2002 Stadium Club Co-Signers dual auto with Tom Brady and Kurt Warner, this collection has something to be appreciated by everyone.
10 Favourite Cards - 2022 My Top 10: Hockey Cards
Some Top 10s feature elaborate descriptions or modernistic card designs to convey their stories. This collection of hockey cards is not so elegant. It simply comes at you with the best of the best, the best players in the highest grades. The first four cards grab your attention with a 1911 Georges Vezina in PSA 8, 1951 Parkhurst Gordie Howe in PSA 8, 1966 Topps Bobby Orr in PSA 8 and finally 1979 OPC Wayne Gretzky in PSA 9. The final six refuse to let go. This is a powerful collection that deserves all of the accolades it receives.
Al Jurgela (IG: elrey_collection) - 2022 My Top 10: Soccer Cards
Soccer cards have emerged from the shadows over the last few years and this collection shines like the sun. More than 100 years of the most elite players of the world’s most popular sport have been gathered and the cards have been curated into a world-class showcase. Not to be ignored is the fact that these cards have been acquired from all corners of the globe, adding significantly to the difficulty of assembling this collection. But the challenges have been overcome, and Pelé, Gruijff, Eusebio, Messi and the others reside here in all their glory.
R.C. Riberich - Sweet Arrow Collection (Pre-War Tennis Cards) - 2022 My Top 10: Misc Sports Cards
One of the most thoroughly curated sets on the Registry, this 10-card collection not only includes the top names in pre-war tennis, but it does so with detailed descriptions and crystal clear images of vintage trading cards. This set is a history lesson taught through some of the highest-graded examples of Rene Lacoste, Helen Wills, Don Budge and Ellsworth Vines cards. Passion and near perfection are abundant in this collection.
Maxwell Lee (Vintage Pokemon Nostalgia — A Deep-Dive Into the Roots of Pokemon History - Presented by MaxMaxCity) - 2022 My Top 10: TCG Cards
This is the type of collection that was envisioned when the My Top 10 contest was launched. Through trading cards and deep knowledge of the subject, this collector takes viewers on a guided tour of Pokémon history. Museum quality examples of the very first Charizard and similarly legendary cards are accompanied by detailed descriptions of each entry. Not only is a passion for Pokémon shown, but it is instilled a bit in others as well.
Gene Lease (The Lease Collection: My 10 Favorite Lord Robert Baden-Powell Cards) - 2022 My Top 10: Non-Sports Cards
Passion projects are what My Top 10 is all about, and this Lord Robert Baden-Powell collection fits the description perfectly. This collector took a love for the Boy Scouts and by applying it to trading cards was able to curate a 10-piece showcase honoring the founder of that great organization. Each card in the collection is at least 100 years old and presents Lord Robert Baden-Powell in unique and interesting ways.
Logan R. Ward (KINGNASCAR'S Golden Anniversary Collecting Adventure) - 2022 My Top 10: All Cards
The most fortunate collectors are able to participate in this hobby throughout their entire lives. That is the theme of this collection and the story is told through meaningful prose and trading cards that are important to the collector. By no means are these cards the rarest or most valuable, but they are representative of significant moments in the collector’s life. Through trading cards a life story is told and we are fortunate to have it shared with us all.
Connor Shapiro (HORSE RACING BEST OF BEST) - 2022 My Top 10: Tickets & Unopened Packs
Horse racing is not a sport that immediately comes to mind in terms of collectibles and memorabilia. Yet it is one of the oldest and most revered forms of competition around the world. This individual has assembled an awe-inspiring collection of tickets to the most important horse races in our country’s history. Man O’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat and other significant horses are honored here. It is a rare and important collection that celebrates the pageantry and passion of the Sport of Kings.
Best of the Registry Winners of 2022
Sets in the following categories that were #1 on 5/27/22 5pm EST (2pm PST) have been recognized as "Best of the Registry." They meet one of the following requirements:
- 95% complete for vintage sets pre-1970
- 95% complete for TCG sets
- 100% complete for modern sets (1970-present)
- 1,000 or more cards registered in player and mega sets
Baseball
Basketball
Football
Hockey
Packs
TCG
Misc Sports
Non-Sports
Tickets
Autographs
10 Year Anniversary Recipients
To celebrate collectors who have won awards for being number one in their category for at least ten years in a row, we recognize their sets with the 10 Year Anniversary icon. To these collectors, you have our thanks for your loyalty and friendship. We appreciate all you do for the PSA Set Registry. To view a list of these award winning sets, please click here.
