Continued Good Luck

Previously, I mentioned that I wouldn't enter any vintage group breaks for sets I was close to completing.  It would only stand to reason that I wouldn't enter breaks for sets I have completed. Right?  Wrong.

I also mentioned previously that I am weak.  And in the battle between logic and weakness, guess what wins?  That's right: weakness.

Last week, I ended up entering a Burl Sport's set break for 1956 Topps, a set that I finished in 2018.  I shouldn't have, but the allure of the big names drew me in and and I figured, at worst, I could probably upgrade some of the cards in my set.  I was disappointed as we passed through the 30s, where Robinson, Aaron, and Clemente reside, without hitting anything.  But, my disappointment was short lived:

I managed to hit the Mantle card.  As you can see the card is pretty severely diamond cut. Since the break was just last night (Saturday), I obviously don't have it in hand, but I am guessing it has less eye appeal than my current Mantle.  If that is the case, I am considering flipping it for something I need, like a couple of the bigger name star cards from 1955 Topps or perhaps adding a few of the rarer autographed cards to my 1960-1963 Fleer autographed sets.  I'll take some time to think about it, but it seems unlikely I'll hang on to it.

Speaking of my Fleer autographed card project, I should have another post coming up soon with an update on a recent acquisition for that set.

What I am listening to: Call Me by Blondie

 

Heckuva Mailday!

I'm slowly dipping my toes back in the hobby pool. Not a lot, what with the holidays nearly upon us.  But, a little.  I have a show today where I would like to get one or all of the remaining 1972 Topps cards I need to finish my set, though I am not particularly hopeful.  Perhaps, I'll knock off some of the 139 cards I need to finish 1970 or some of the 125 I need to complete 1968. It is entirely possible I do none of that and just trawl through discount boxes for cards that catch my fancy.  The show is small enough, with (normally) only one seller that specializes in vintage that I need to be flexible.

But, enough about that. I have more exciting news.  Yesterday, two Ebay wins showed up at the end of the driveway.

There it is!  The final card I needed to finish my 1956 Topps set.  This journey started back in 2011, quite soon after I got back into the hobby and got serious about a year ago as I found myself well past the halfway point.  And now it is done.  I'm still thinking about my next "super" vintage set to work on. I am leaning towards 1954-1955 Redman, but it may end up being 1955 Topps, for which I am already past the halfway point and need only (!) 95 cards to complete the set.  Of course, I have none of the major stars from that set, so it won't be as easy as the final half of 1956, where I had been acquiring stars for a number of years leading up to my final push towards completion.

AT this point yo may be wondering if I managed to acquire another want for my 1963 Fleer autographed set project.  Not exactly.  I still sit a 64 (out of 66) cards.  This Lou Cinton above was intended as an upgrade. You see, the Clinton in my Fleer binder was in only fair condition.  When the card above came up on eBay, I threw a lowball offer of $9 at it and, surprisingly, won.  Exciting, huh?

Well.....

The thing is, I have been very slowly transitioning my signed Fleers from raw to slabbed and authenticated.   So, every few months I'll send two or three cards in to be authenticated.With the set split between a binder and a  PSA storage box, I failed to realize that I already upgraded this card in March of 2017. I'm not happy about it, but given how little I spent, I am not going to obsess over it. At some point, I may sell one off.

Long time readers, all 2 of you, may recall that for a number of cards I already bought them slabbed and broke them out of the plastic jail, because the signed set displayed really well in binder sheets.  But, when I got to the point where I have most of the set signed, I started to think about this not only as a collection, but an investment.  I know I shouldn't do that. But, I am about 10-12 years from retirement, and it seems I automatically classify every major purchase as an investment or a depreciable asset. I can't help it.  Sorry.

What I am listening to: Cool 'n' Out by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros

1956 Topps - The Penultimate Card

As you may recall, I am getting close to finishing 1956 Topps after 7 years of buying cards from that set.  When last I posted I was down to needing two cards.  Mr. Haverkamp, who I met at the National show in Cleveland, emailed me and mentioned that he had one of the two remaining cards. He wasn't sure if the condition was up to my expectations.  However, the I have cards in all conditions from Fair up to Near Mint.  My main criteria was that the card was affordable (generally less than 1/3 of book valiue) and that it didn't look like a dogs chew toy. So, it isn't a major consideration.  Beside, look for yourself:

This card is in better condition than several cards in my set and considerably better condition that my Yankees team card.  So, into the binder it goes! Another one down. Only one left to go!

The National Show - The Conclusion

If you have been following my several posts from the National show, you know I was working towards completion on my 1956 set, with a couple big name cards still on the "want" side of the list.  But, they haven't made an appearance yet. You may be wondering if I actually acquired them. I hope you weren't, because if you were giving anything more than a fleeting thought as to whether I got them, I would humbly suggest there are plenty of more worthy topics for you to consider.

So, without further pomp and circumstance:

Yes, I did get them.  The Mantle was close to being a wash. Thankfully, internet trading All-Star, Mr. Haverkamp, did some scouting before I got there and showed me a reasonably priced 1956 Mantle when we met at the show. With that knowledge in hand, I was better able to evaluate the various Mantle's available.

To be honest, many of the sellers were quite proud of their Mantles.  I get that dealers will deal, but pricing $500 dollars for a 1956 Mantle that looks like it was used as a baby pacifier or dog toy seems a bit much.  I didn't end up buying the one Jim showed me, but found one of similar condition for a bit less.  So, I am down to needing 4 cards to finish my set:

1. 95 - Milwaukee Braves team card
2. 121 - Pittsburgh Pirates team card
3. 166 - Brooklyn Dodgers team card
4. 226 - New York Giants team card
   

So, to draw this to a close, I have to say that I enjoyed the National Show.It is almost impossible to describe the size of the show. I am used to shows held in small to medium sized hotel conference rooms, with 8-12 different sellers.  The National was immense and you can't really do it in a day. I spent two days there: the first to mainly scope things out and the second to make my purchases. My serious purchase day was the last day of the show. I noticed a number of dealers had decamped and left overnight and many others were packing up throughout the day.  If I go to the show again, I'll probably extend my visit out to three days: Friday to scout, Saturday to buy, Sunday just to wander and enjoy looking at cards I can never afford. Like this one that apparently sold for $10,000.

Anyways, great experience. I do feel like I was a little too serious about my priorities for the show.  I wouldn't change them, to be sure, but I probably should have had room in my budget for a little serendipity.   That will involve a little more advance planning. I really didn't decide to go to the National until the end of May, leaving only two months to save.  Live and learn.

What I am listening to: Years by Sarah Shook and the Disarmers

The National Show - The Main Event

So, I've talked about wanting to work on my 1956 set at the National show. Yet, the first thing I show is a bunch of 1972 cards. So, did you figure that 1956 must be next? Or did you expect that my weakness persisted and I continued to acquire cards from other sets? Well, if you guessed the former, you would be correct.

I walked into the I-X Center for the National needing 21 cards to finish the 342 card (including checklists) 1956 Topps set.  I walked out needing only 4 to complete the set.  

That really blows my mind. I went back and looked at my blog history.  I got my very first 1956 card at a card show on Saturday, August 13, 2011.   Almost exactly 7 years ago. At the time, I expressed doubt that I would ever finish the set. And I continued to believe that until sometime last year when I realized that I had over half the set and needed to buckle down and give it some serious attention.

So, I did.  And there I was, in Cleveland, within shouting distance of finishing the set. As I said, I picked up 17 of the 21 remaining needs at the show. Here are a few:

Off topic: I am not sure how everyone else is, but I vary between "yay" and "nay" as to whether the checklist cards are considered part of the set and should be collected.  Well, that isn't completely correct. Generally, I believe they do.  The one case I have resisted adding the set checklist is 1963 Fleer.  With that set, the checklist was short printed (along with the Joe Adcock card) and is the highest book value card in the set.  The '63 Fleer checklist books out at $500, while the next most valuable cards (Mays, Clemente, and Koufax) come in at $200.  I don't know what to say other than that offends me. I get that checklists are generally throw-ins, but can command something of a premium since they were often used as intended and, therefore, it is rare to find them in pristine condition.  But, to be the most valuable card in the set? Get outta town! Maybe someday, I'll break down and get that Fleer checklist, but that day is not today!

Anyways, as you can probably see, this checklist is marked. But, that is just fine with me. My 1956 varies in quality. The overwhelming majority of the cards are VG or better. The only card that is Poor to Fair is my Yankees team card (Sacrilege!).  I'm not putting this together with resale value in mind, so a checked checklist is more than acceptable.

I have one more post planned from my National experience. Hopefully, it will come out tomorrow.

The National Show - Warmup

So, after over 7 years back in the hobby, I finally bit the bullet and went to The National Show.  It was held in Cleveland this year and, as luck would have it, my family (despite being Rochestarians originally) lives in the western suburbs of that city.  So, I decided to go visit and hit the show while I was there.  It was a good time and a great experience. I will hold some of my observations until the last post of what I see as a four post series.

My goals for the National were simple: either add some autograohed 1960-1963 Fleer cards to my collection and/or make progress towards completion on my 1956 set, including knocking off that Mickey Mantle card.

This first post isn't, per se, about The National. It really is about the runup to walking up to the first table in Cleveland.

I will periodically check out the biweekly auctions at Kevin Savage Cards.  There were a number of 1956 lots in an auction a week prior to my trip to Cleveland. I bid on several and won one:

This brought me down to needing 21 cards to finish the set.

Prior to the show, one of the online trading stars, Mr Haverkamp, contacted me about meeting up in Cleveland. Saturday was my first day at the show and he was flying home later that afternoon.  So, when I got to the I-X Center I took one lap around the perimeter of the venue in order to get my self oriented (and to allow my overwhelming sense of awe to subside somewhat.) After my stroll, Jim and I met up and talked for a bit. He had also been looking around and assessing the '56 Mantle market for me and showed me a reasonably priced copy that was right in my wheelhouse, price and condition wise.

Additionally, though, he brought a couple of high quality 56s for me:

Now, I already had these two in my set. But, holy smokes, the condition on the cards Jim brought was much, much better than the bedraggled version I already had.  So, both of these cards found there way into the binder when I got home.  I was touched by his generous offer and was pleased that, when I passed him on the show floor later in the day, that he had found the card he had been on the hunt for.  Good things accrue to those that do good deeds. Jim is one of those guys.  Thanks!

What I am listening to: Every Girl by The Turnpike Troubadours (dedicated to my beautiful wife who allowed me to go the National unsupervised)

1956 Topps Completion Countdown, July 13 Update

Goodness, we are 10 games past the halfway point of the baseball season and I am just watching my second game of the year.  I have to admit I've been paying closer attention to the NBA offseason than the live baseball season.  We broke down and bought a half-season package of tickets for upcoming OKC Thunder season and we are still on the wait list for season tickets.   I've really enjoyed getting into basketball and it is something I can share with my wife.  She is into the Thunder as much, if not more, than me.

I'm going to try and pay more attention to baseball since the NBA regular season will likely start just before, or during the World Series.

Anyways, you aren't here to listen to my laments.  So, let's move on, shall we?

A while back, I mentioned that I was getting close to finishing the 1956 Topps set and was potentially going to look for an affordable (!) Mickey Mantle when I am at The National in August. Since that time, I have not done much of anything hobby-wise in order to conserve money for that show. I did break down recently and bid on some 1956 commons on eBay and managed to snag 4 for about $20 delivered.

With these 4, I am now down to needing 22 cards to finish the set. Even though I am really close to finishing 1972 Topps also (40 cards left), I am going to focus on 1956 for the next few months and hopefully finish it before the end of the year.

Closer Still

Since my last post, I've acquired more 1956 Topps cards.  A few through trades, but most through Ebay set break auctions.  I've not been posting as I have been busy at work and various projects around the farm.  But, three more arrived today and, since we had a major rain storm today there is little I can do outside tonight.  So, I am going to post the 3 '56s that showed up today:

I am not quite sure what to make of Sherm Lollar's sneer, so I'll just put him in the binder and move on. With these three, I am down to needing 26 cards to finish my 1956 set.

On a related note, last week I booked my flights to Cleveland so I can go to the National show.  My parents live in Cleveland, so I'll be flying in on Friday, crashing at their place and attending the show on Saturday and Sunday. I don't fly out until Tuesday morning, so I am considering running out to the Cedar Point amusement park on Monday.

My goals for the National are to look for one or more of the three 1963 Fleer's I don't have in autographed form (Clemente, Boyer, Farrell) and or finding an affordable 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle. That's it. Obviously, once I get there, who knows what will happen.  But, I am mainly going just to see what it is all about and work on my hard-to-finish projects.

Anyone else going?

What I am listening to:  Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley and k.d. lang

Coming Into View

If my blog has accurately followed my collecting, I have been working on 1956 Topps since August of  2011. I never expected that I would finish the set, but nearly 7 years on I am finally getting within striking distance of just that.

With these 4 cards, I am down to needing 43 cards to finish the set. I have most of the bigger stars like Aaron, Clemente, and Mays.  The biggest names I lack are Mantle and Koufax.  I am getting close to pulling the trigger on an airline ticket to Cleveland for the National Show and I think that would be a great place to look for affordable copies of one or both of those two.

What I am listening to: Angel From Montgomery by Tedeschi Trucks Band and Bonnie Raitt

 

April Card Show

It has been a while since I went to a card show.  The bi-monthly OKC show was yesterday, although I wasn't planning on going.  Earlier this spring, we had someone come in with some heavy equipment and clean up an overgrown fence line next to the house and knock over/bury a ramshackle old loafing shed out by the barn.  I've been steadily working to put new fencing in, but progress has slowed with the NBA playoffs going on. My plan for Saturday was to prep the fence line so that I can get started dropping posts in during the week.  Alas, it was raining when I woke up and the forecast was for more of the same until evening. So, I decided to go to the show.

My main goal was to make some progress on my 1972 Topps set, for which I am only 47 cards away from completing. Secondary goals would be to make some headway on any of the several other sets I have in some notable state of completion (1955, 1956, 1968, 1970.)

The show was sparsely populated with a dearth of both sellers and customers.  But, my main vintage guy was there and I settled in at his table.  He didn't have many 72s and none that I needed.  37 of the 47 remaining 1972s I need are high and semi-high numbers, so progress has slowed down considerably. I get skunked more often than not and when I do knock some off the want list, it usually is only a handful of cards.

So, without much luck there, I turned attention to the secondary sets.  I was similarly blanked on 1970, where over half of the remaining 144 cards I need are high and semi-high numbers.  Luckily, that is where my bad luck ended (until, at least, the evening Thunder-Jazz game. Hoo-boy.)

I managed to find 47 cards I needed for the 1968 set I started recently when I won an auction for a reasonably priced starter set.  I now have 348 of the 598 cards; good for about 58% completion.  I already have the Mickey Mantle card in the set, but lack the Nolan Ryan rookie card.

I also managed to locate 8 cards for my 1955 set and I stand at having 116 of the 206 cards; good for 56% completion. That sounds pretty good until you understand that Al Rosen is the biggest star I have in a set that includes Sandy Koufax and Roberto Clemente's rookie cards.  Needless to say, this set will take years to complete. And when I use the plural of year, I don't mean 2 or 3.  This will probably be a five plus year project.

1956 Topps is another story.   I managed to find 12 cards I needed, bringing me up to 86% complete (295 of 342 cards are in my possession.)  With this set, I do actually have a number of the major star cards including Ted Williams, Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron, and Roberto Clemente.  The major cards I don't have yet are Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax, Pee Wee Reese, and the second checklist card.

Looking back through my history, it seems I picked up my first 1956 cards during the summer of 2011. Which means I have been working on this set for 7 years now.  That Mantle card will hurt, but it would be cool to finish in under 10 years. So, I am going to start planning ahead. 

Note: I have a handful of 1955 and 1956 duplicates if anyone is working on the set and has a wantlist.  Condition is low to mid-grade.

So, that is about it. I am still keeping my eye out for affordable autographed 1961 Fleer cards and  I am planning on hitting a couple of local card shops in May to work on 1968. But, I don't expect to go to the June card show since the main vintage vendor will not be there.  I'll probably skip August also, since it will be only two weeks before our annual fall trip to Cedar Point and I'm going to save money for Fast Lane passes so we don't have to wait in interminably long lines to ride the roller coasters.

It is possible I will head to Cleveland in early August for the National Show, but I haven't decided yet. So, I cannot speak to the level of blogging activity in the months ahead. Not that it would be all that noticeable given that I have been averaging about two posts a month for the last 4 years.

What I am listening to: Family System by Chevelle

February Card Show

Yes, I know it is almost April. Sue me. I've been busy.  Work has continued to fill my days, despite the precipitous drop in oil and natural gas prices recently. Spring has sprung in Oklahoma, lawn mowing season has opened, and the list of honey-dews awaits.  But, I figure I need to get this, and another post, done before the April card show.

So, without further ado:

 I picked up 45 cards for my 1972 set, many of which were high numbers.  I like the In Action cards above.  They are among some of the In Action cards that actually show action.  Don't believe me?  Look at the Thurman Munson In Action card.  I suppose it was ground breaking in it's time.  But, I cannot escape the notion that Topps was just padding out the 1972 set with whatever ideas popped into their head.  I mean, just look at the ROY award card above?  Does anyone really like them. I sure don't.  They are boring. But, alas, they are part of the set and I am set collector.

I managed to find six 1956 cards I needed in a discount bin, including the three team cards above. I've been negligent in working on the team cards in the 1956 set.  I've either been working on the high value cards or finding commons for $4 or less.  There is a vast swath of mid-value cards I have been ignoring.

I ran through my money pretty quickly.  1972 high numbers will do that to you.  However, as I was getting ready to leave I saw these on the high-end vintage dealers table.  A complete set of the 1976 Isaly's discs for only $15. I ran to a nearby ATM and got more money, so I could get them.  Impulsive, to be sure.  But I figured why not. My late father-in-law used to manage Isaly's stores in central Ohio.  Isaly's doesn't exist anymore, but it's legacy lives on as part of the Unilever brand of products.  Specifically, the Klondike Bar was created and sold by the Isaly Dairy Company of Ohio.  So, what would you do for a Klondike Bar? Or Isaly's discs?

What I am listening to: In Bloom by Sturgill Simpson (Note this is a cover of the Nirvana original)

Card Show Haul - Vintage Sets

The show ended up being quite fruitful with regard to working on vintage sets.  Two of the three main vintage sellers were there and I made a little progress on a lot of sets.

I managed to pick up 8 more cards towards my 1979 set; leaving me 17 to go to completion.

I managed to find this 1978 TCMA The 60s Sandy Koufax in a dollar box.  I have a good deal of the 293 card set, with about 40 to go to completion.  This set, and other 1970s TCMA and SSPC sets, are what I intend to work on during the long dry spells in the quest to finish pre-1973 Topps sets.

I found 3 1975 Topps cards, leaving me only 6 to go to complete the set.  The Munson however, is not one of the three.  The scanning process doesn't make it obvious. but it is actually a mini. I don't really intend to ever collect the 1975 minis, but how could I pass up acquiring the card of one of the Yankee's iconic players for a mere buck?

I found five more 1961 Fleer cards leaving me 6 to go to completion.  The Ross Young is one of the more expensive cards in the set with a book value of $40.  Why? I'm not sure, but the best explanation is that it is the last card in the set, and like the 1952 Topps Andy Pafko, it is hard to find in good condition because of damage from the rubber bands that held stacks of cards together back in the day.  Alas, two of the remaining cards I need are Babe Ruth and Ted Williams, which both come in at a $120 book value.  I'm hoping to find both for under $30, so it will probably be a long search.

I picked up four more cards from 1961 Golden Press, leaving me 12 to go. It is just a small 33 card set that, as I understand it, came together as pages in a book; explaining the perforation chads along the edges.

I picked up this 1956 Al Kaline for $5.  I am not sure why the seller (who tends to price high) had it for such a low price.  It appears to be a little off color, but the discoloration is uniform and the card has great eye appeal.  The seller had a large number of 1956 cards with him and I could have made significant progress on my set.  Except I managed to leave my 1956 want list at home. However, that didn't turn out to be a major issue.

Since I couldn't work on my 1956 set, I decided to have the seller put together a 1972 starter set for me.   I now have about 235 cards towards the 787 card set.  Among the cards he pulled for me are the 4 cards above, which includes the infamous Billy Martin card. (If you don't know why it is infamous, please look closely at his hand.)  This set will undoubtedly be a long haul to completion, with over 260 high number cards.  I expect that it will take a minimum of two years, since I'll only be able to get small groups of high numbers at a time....when I can find them.

So, that was the bulk of my card show finds. I did get one card towards a player collection, but will save that for a PC specific post.