Systematic calculations of low-lying states for Ir, Pt, Au, Hg and Tl isotopes with neutron numbers between 120 and 125 have been performed within the framework of the SDG-pair approximation of the shell model. We employ a monopole and quadrupole pairing plus quadrupole-quadrupole-type interaction with optimized parameters, which are assumed to be constants for nuclei with the same proton number or neutron number. We calculate binding energies of the ground states, low energy level schemes, electric quadrupole and magnetic dipole moments, and E2 transition rates. Our results are reasonably consistent with the available experimental data as well as previous theoretical studies, in particular, for low-lying yrast states. We also demonstrate that low-lying states of nuclei studied here are usually well represented by very simple configurations in collective nucleon-pair basis.