Set Registry 2023 Award Winners

Message from PSA:

Our CEO Nat Turner recently said, “The Set Registry is the lifeblood of PSA.” If that doesn’t demonstrate the importance of the Set Registry and our members, I don’t know what does.

Therefore, I would like to start by sharing some growth stats for the PSA Set Registry to illustrate the vitality of the Hobby when it comes to collecting PSA-graded items:

80,000+ members (up from 63,000 last year)
300,000+ active sets started (up 60,000 sets from 2022)
9.7 million items in active inventory (previously 8.1 million)

This year, we have nearly 20,000 active sets being recognized as Best of Registry in their respective categories. Of those, only the absolute best are honored with Gold (19) and Hall of Fame (10) status.

You are truly the best and brightest collectors in the world, and we are excited to share these accomplishments with the collecting community.

In order to stay current with the collecting trends, we’ve added three new Gold award categories into the mix for 2023:

Best Pokémon Japanese Set
Best Soccer Set
Best Women’s Sports Set

It is important to recognize these categories, and we look forward to continuing to make adjustments in the future as the community evolves.

Congratulations to all of the winners from Best of Registry up to the Hall of Fame. You are truly an inspiration to our whole community.

Thank you all for your continued support of the Set Registry and for making it something special. It’s an honor to be part of something that brings us together in celebration of our collecting accomplishments.

Jamie Kiskis
VP of Brand Development
Collectors

Cooperstown Collection - Best Collection of the Year
This collection of legendary sets should really be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Aptly named the "Cooperstown Collection," this collection represents the finest in baseball. Surpassing PSA Set Registry Hall of Fame members on the All-Time Finest leaderboard in sets like the 1911 T205 Gold Border, 1933 Goudey (2022 PSA Set Registry Set of the Year), 1938 Goudey, and 1951 Bowman - among other giants - solidified Cooperstown Collection as one of the greatest in Hobby history.

Even more impressive? This member also landed the 2023 PSA Set Registry Set of the Year in the 1909-11 T206 Complete Player Image set, including Wagner, Doyle, "NY Nat'l", Plank, and "Magie." These are truly breathtaking and remarkable accomplishments for a single member - consider our jaws dropped.

Cooperstown Collection - 1909-11 T206 Complete Player Image Set with Wagner, Doyle "NY Nat'l", Plank & "Magie" - Best Set of the Year
This 524 set may be the most iconic trading card set in the history of collecting. Featuring the most legendary names and cards - including Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and Cy Young - Cooperstown Collection is the 2023 Set of the Year. The All-Time Finest set overcame the collections of industry legends and PSA Set Registry Hall of Famers. And if you can even believe it, this member has a second set that's over 90% complete. Welcome to the club, Cooperstown Collection!

Baseball

Kriskepplersportscards - 1953 Bowman Color - Best Baseball Set of the Year
The 160-card 1953 Bowman Color set is as iconic as it gets for a vintage baseball set. It's a star studded set featuring numerous Hall of Famers - Berra, Bauer, Mantle to name a few. What makes this particular entry stand above all others is the amount of highly graded cards with a population of only one. Most notable is the Pee Wee Reese, with a highly coveted PSA 10. While this may not be the first set complete, it hit number one as the Current and All-Time Finest with a 10.20 GPA.

Basketball

Matthew Rossi (mrosshits) - 1997-98 Metal Universe - Best Basketball Set of the Year
There's nothing like a throwback. It's one of the most iconic brands from one of the most iconic eras. There are only four 100% complete sets out of 36, but this one takes the top spot with a GPA of 10.55. Featuring a Michael Jordan PSA 10, a rookie class with Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady, and numerous POP 1s, this beautiful set is a sight to behold.

Adam Davis (2003 Topps Chrome XFractors) - 2003-04 Topps Chrome Xfractors - Best Basketball Set of the Year
165 cards. Ultra-rare parallels. The greatest draft class in NBA history. That's the 2003-04 Topps Chrome Xfractors. The pride of this set features the only member of the 2003 class who still plays today - LeBron James. The NBA All-Time Scoring Leader's rookie card boasts a PSA 8. This set also showcases numerous POP 1s and PSA 10s in the Wade and Anthony rookies. It's the only 100% completed set in the registry, which is a major accomplishment in itself.

Football

Nearmint's Collection - 1960 Fleer - Best Football Set of the Year
When it comes to football in 1960, there were two battles happening. The AFL and NFL competed for supreme football league while another battle raged on for sports card licensing. This set achieved historical significance, as it was the first year that Fleer produced football cards. This particular set has held the All-Time Finest position for nearly 20 years and has a current GPA of 10.01.

Hockey

Jeffrey Griffith (GretzkyCards') - 1911-12 C55 - Master - Best Hockey Set of the Year
(Note that this award also includes 1 sub-set in this collection.)
This is a set you have to see to believe. It's one of the most notable pre-war hockey sets in existence, and it's no surprise that these iconic cards have become increasingly popular. 45 classic tobacco cards feature player illustrations and names with a double hockey stick border on the front and player descriptions with scrolled flourishes on the back. This award-winning set includes the critical top pop rookie of George Vezina, validating the 9.33 set rating - the highest in existence. Perhaps even more elusive, the set contains both variations of Walter Smaill (hand on hip, hand on stick). Overall, it's a simply stunning vintage set.

TCG

Over the Brick (Pokemon Umbreon Master Set) - Pokemon Umbreon Master Set - Best Pokemon Set of the Year
(Note that this award also includes 1 sub-set in this collection.)
Is Umbreon the new Charizard? Some say so, as Umbreon has taken the hobby by storm with many sought-after grails - old and new. The highlights? Eeveelution's most essential cards: Neo series 1st-Editions, e-Series holofoils, English and Japanese Gold Stars, Full Art "Moonbreons," and more. It's a challenging set, but this one is close to complete with 134 out of 138 cards and a rating of 10.57 out of a possible 10.937. With optional French, Korean, Thai, and other regional issues, it's clear this set was assembled with love.

sataku009 - 1996 Pokemon Japanese - No Rarity Symbol - Best Pokemon Japanese Set of the Year
It's the set that launched a movement: the 1996 Japanese Base Set of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Celebrated as the most iconic entry in the franchise, this version indicates the earliest printing possible, making it the most coveted and elusive. That's why the competition to complete it in the Set Registry is so fierce. 26 competed but only one Pokémon collector reigns supreme as the first and only member to acquire all 96 items. This set includes the very first TCG appearances of Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise, and others. After four years of dedicated collecting, this one stands as the #1 Current and All-Time Finest with a 9.88 set rating.

Peter Petipas (Petiparty) - 2002 Yu-Gi-Oh! PSV-Pharaoh's Servant 1st Edition - Best Yu-Gi-Oh! Set of the Year
This 2002 Yu-Gi-Oh! Pharaoh's Servant 1st Edition set was five years in the making. With all the trappings of classic Yu-Gi-Oh - including timeless monsters popularized by the TV series, splendid holofoils, and memorable Magic/Trap cards - Pharaoh's Servant is a special set with game-changing Secret Rares. Due to frequent centering issues, even common cards were notoriously difficult to acquire with high grade. But this member diligently collected 104 of the 105 required cards with nearly all Gem Mint 10s, a remarkable feat highlighted by a stunning Jinzo.

The Vault - 1998 Magic The Gathering Stronghold - Best TCG Misc Set of the Year
Completing a vintage Magic: The Gathering set is a daunting task, especially one of this size. Even raw cards from this era carry a hefty price tag, let alone slabbed copies. This winning set dominated all others with a 97.22% completion and set rating of 11.08 out of 11.496 - no other competing set has reached above 16% completion. Stronghold's heaviest-hitters Mox Diamond, Sliver Queen, Volrath's Stronghold, and others are all present in this set in high PSA grades. Just finding those cards is an achievement in itself.

Miscellaneous Sports

Gary Sugano (gys0023) - 2001 SP Authentic Gold Golf - Best Misc Sports Set of the Year
This gold parallel subset is a sight to behold. It could be considered one of the first true high end golf sets ever created that’s still highly collectible to this day. Boasting a 136 card set that is primarily serial numbered to 500 with the likes of Sarazen, Palmer and Nicklaus, the true head-turners are a series of /100 on card autographs by the likes of Sergio Garcia, David Duval and, yes, even Tiger Woods. Of course, the Tiger Woods auto is a highlight, but don't overlook the Garcia rookie auto or one of the nicest David Duval signatures out there. This specific set is a dominant force with a 10.75 rating, taking home Best of Set Registry for 15 consecutive years.

Al Jurgela (IG: elrey_collection 7 Soccer Wonders) - PSA's Seven Wonders of the Soccer Collecting World - Vintage - Best Soccer Set of the Year
A seven card soccer set may not seem like much, but don't let the size deceive you. Acquiring PSA's Seven Wonders of the Soccer Collecting World - Vintage set is not for the faint of heart. It's something out of The Amazing Race that involves scouring two continents and six countries to find oddly-shaped cards and stickers across three decades. And the crown jewel? The Swedish=produced 1958 Alifabolaget Pele card displaying a 17-year-old Pele at the 1958 World Cup, where he scored two goals in the final to bring home Brazil's first World Cup championship. The remaining six cards are a sight to behold as well in this truly wondrous set.

Stephen Anderson (Deadman's Ken Griffey Jr. Master Set) - Ken Griffey, Jr. Master Set - Best Player Set of the Year
Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the most iconic names in baseball, so it comes as no surprise that his cards are nearly as iconic as his swing. The full Ken Griffey Jr. Master Set requires 6,070 cards. This set comes in at a whopping 82.82% completion rate with an 8.16 set rating. This stunning collection has taken home the All-Time Finest title since 2016 and includes an incredible 1993 Finest Refractor and the 1996 Pinnacle Checklist.

Jay Miller (GO UCONN) - WNBA 25th Anniversary Team - Best Women's Sports Set of the Year
The WNBA 25th Anniversary Team set features some of the most legendary women in basketball: Lisa Leslie, Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles to name a few. 25 cards ranging from 1997 to 2016 created by Pinnacle, Fleer Ultra, and Rittenhouse highlight the best to hit the hardwood. While there are five sets with 100% completion, this set has a stunning 10.90 rating out of 11.109. That’s a win.

Dan Jaramillo (dandeejay - 2000 Topps Chrome Pokemon TV (Tekno Chrome Version)) - 2000 Topps Chrome Pokemon TV Tekno - Best Specialty Set of the Year
While cards from the Pokémon Trading Card Game are usually the ones in the limelight, Topps' lesser-known issues can often shine just as bright, if not brighter. The Topps Chrome base set is hard enough to complete, which makes this set even more special. This set requires 151 Tekno parallels, which are insanely rare at just one in 15 packs. As the only set to hit 100% completion with a GPA of 10.21, this set has been the Best of Registry since 2020 and features a majority of PSA 10s including Charizard, Pikachu, and Raichu.

Kenrich Co.'s - 1930-1989 Wax/Cello Packs - Master - Best Unopened Pack Set of the Year
(Note that this award also includes 1 sub-set in this collection.)
The 1930-1989 Wax/Cello Pack Master set is a strong representation of what Western culture was like during the 20th century. This collection of 469 wax and cello packs spans six decades featuring everything from animals, astronauts, TV shows, movies, music, presidents, and celebrities. Many of these packs display beautiful artwork combined with bold and vibrant colors. Finding many of these packs today, in any condition, is no easy feat, and hardly any of these vintage packed survived - and even less remained unopened. Examining the PSA population reports you will find many of these packs with less than 10 total examples authenticated. This set is a fascinating look at the past with a jaw-dropping with a 98.51% completion rate and 8.85 rating.

Non-Sports

Brian Peregrina (2017 FUSM Green PMG Set) - 2017 Fleer Ultra Spider-Man Marvel Metals Green - Best Non-Sports Set of the Year
This is a set to marvel at. Since their 1997 debut, Precious Metal Gems have been a symbol of collecting prestige. This achievement would certainly make the front page of The Daily Bugle. This impressive 50-card Spider-Man set is composed entirely of elusive green parallels, each one serial numbered out of 10. Featuring Marvel's mightiest from Spider-Man himself to Captain America, Deadpool, Daredevil, and more, this is the only one to reach 100% completion with no one else even coming close.

Memorabilia (Bats/Tickets/Autographs)

The DiCioccio Collection - Mickey Mantle - World Series Home Run Record - Best Ticket Set of the Year
This 16-ticket set is one of the finest tributes to Mickey Mantle the Hobby has ever seen. Mantle racked up 12 World Series appearances, seven championship wins, and 18 World Series home runs - a seemingly unbeatable record. Completing this checklist has been difficult and competitive, and while a handful have reached 100%, the DiCioccio Collection achieved a stunning 13.88 rating. Full of top pop bonuses for elusive full tickets, this set hits right in the nostalgia with artistic pieces including the multi-homer games in 1958 and 1960 - and The Mick’s first World Series walk-off in 1964.

Best of the Registry Winners of 2023

Sets in the following categories that were #1 on 5/26/23 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.