January Pickups
 

Since it's only 9PM over here (Happy New Year, East Coasters!!!!!!!!!!!), I figured I'd kick off 2019 year with my grab from the recent ebay 15% off coupon code...

Attachment 339244

(And a simple request. For the love of all that is holy, pleeeeeeeeeeeeease no one remark how instead of clubbing a homer, the picture actually shows Mantle swinging and missing a Bob Gibson pitch. Every single human being with the gift of sight can plainly see that. We all know it, so there is no reason whatsoever for anyone to repeat that fact for the ten billionth time!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rant over. :rolleyes:)

I was going to point that out, but you beat me to it :)

Still a terrific card!!!

Best always,

Larry

You didn't mention not to say that the photo is actually from Game 2, where Gibson pitched at home, not from Game 3 as the card states.:rolleyes:

Very nice card. I'm looking for one myself for a '65 set I'm working on.

January Pickups
 

It may take me another few decades, but I’m still ostensibly collecting the entire ‘56 Topps set. Been a while since I added to it, but with some negotiating and the 15% eBay coupon last week, I was able to land this for well under $50:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...1ebff7a327.jpg

I think Feller is underappreciated today by collectors, at least in comparison to his stature in the 1980’s. I get why he’s not held in the same regard as Koufax or Ryan, but still - for his times Bullet Bob was the real deal. Fastest of his era, no doubt - and some modern physics finagling has one of his recorded pitches as being above 107 MPH based on how today’s technology works. More complete games than wins, and he would have easily had over 300 had he not lost four years in his prime to WWII. I met Bob at a card show in Charlotte, NC around 1990 and I remember him taking the time to point out the uniform he was wearing in the picture I was getting him to sign, and the details, where the picture was taken and how you could tell, etc. He had a bit of a reputation as a curmudgeon by the time the card and auto era was upon us, but he was nice to me for a few mins once upon a time. Good memories.


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I had heard Feller was actually quite gracious in his later years and he sure seemed that way when he was at a Hall of Fame Classic a couple of years before his death. Great card!

Unfortunately, there are plenty of stories out there about exactly how un-gracious Feller could be to fans in his later years. But there are the same stories about Mantle, Mays, and Ted Williams...just to name a few. I think it goes back to having to remember that ballplayers may be heroes but they are also human beings. There is a fine line in what we realistically can expect from them. In Feller's example you have to consider that he had been a celebrity since he was a teenager, and likely had some trouble getting with the changing times when he was still out there signing autographs in his late 80's. Feller also was a quiet but steady critic of Nolan Ryan when he began to surpass some of his strikeout records in the 1980's. I think that perception where it was noticed gave Feller the image of a grump as well.

Sweet card, John! Hard to go wrong with a nice, mid-grade 50s HOFer.

After seemingly taking a century to put to bed, the pick up of these two (pretty nicely centered) tough series New York infielders means my 1957 Topps set is now finally complete. Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Attachment 339414

Although my set is ungraded, in the last few months I've used the 15% off ebay promotions time and again to chip away at finishing it off by adding the final cards in slabs (because, let's face it, the prices being asked for ungraded cards makes it pretty damn wise to spend a bit more to get their graded counterparts instead) -- most notably a PSA 6 Brooksie RC, a PSA 6 Koufax (an upgrade) and a PSA 5 Teddy. Now the only thing left to do is possibly pick up a checklist or contest card here and there.

Congrats on finishing Darren. Someone just started a separate thread on the checklists from that set.

My first Venezuelan card...and one of a future original Atlanta Brave:

Attachment 339520

Upgraded my Clemente with that 15% coupon!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...4323f99280.jpg


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Nice card

Very nIce card

Pretty Clemente. I had one that was probably in the 6 range raw a decade or so ago and did not hang onto it. Besides virtually every regular issue Mantle, that card is one that has definitely appreciated over the years - noticeably in my opinion. I will probably look to do a nice looking 3 or 4 for my '56 set sometime in the next year or so.

The 15% eBay days are divine. I saved at least $60 on a '53 Satchel Paige back in November...

Thanks for the kind words. I love that Clemente card and the nice ones continue to get more expensive! Hopefully this one lasts me a while.


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1964 World Series
 

Can anyone tell if this photo from game 2 matches up to card 134 in the 65 set. Hard to match the people in the stands

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/...psoud1bacv.jpg

Al, thanks for posting that. I now believe it's safe to assume that the Topps card is from game 7. Not only is the crowd different, but the giveaway is the home-plate umpire (Secory), wearing the National-League style chest protector, different from the one shown in your photo (McKinley).

Very nice, I especially like the Zimmer card. I'm also working the '57 set, but still have a ways to go at ~82% complete.

Picked up this Charley Neal blank back Exhibit last night from Greg Morris Cards. For me, this was much harder to find than the Kranepool.

I'm not sure if I should be thanking you or not, lol...but your post inspired me this week and since I was indecisive, I now have not one, but two '56 Clementes on their way to me - an SGC 5.5 and a BVG 5. Will have to decide between the two at some point I suppose. Oy....will post pics when they arrive.

Nice. That card can be a bear to find without at least moderate print damage on the black background.

Very tough indeed and PSA was tough on this one.

January Pickups
 

They are tough on everything recently with the lighthouse slabs. I have a '62 Mantle PSA 5 that I feel the same way about. I can show you at least several 6's on eBay right now that look at least no worse...

Yes, I've compared mine as well to other 6's and I just don't get it. Was thinking about cracking out and going with BVG on it lol.

Would kike to see your PSA 5 as well.

Yeah, don’t do that. Any Mantle PSA 5 is going to be worth more than a BVG 6 or probably even higher. Especially if centered well. BVG I actually think is a decent service, but it’s all antimatter when it’s time to consider resale. They simply aren’t respected at the same level.

Here is my ‘62 Mantle:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...21163b56e3.jpg


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Agreed. I'll leave it as is and just enjoy it. Your Mantle is super clean! Can't believe that's a 5. Premium for sure on that one. Congrats on that 62 either way.

Thanks. Yeah, undergraded unless there was just something odd under the blacklight or something else weird that cannot be seen. The corners all have touches, but still come to fairly sharp points. Centering, surface, and gloss not an issue. If you tilt to an extreme angle, there is a bit of light edge damage on one side as viewed from the back, but it took me almost a month even to find that...maybe that was it. I've seen worse corners on a 6 and plenty of way worse corners on garden variety 5's. Oh well, is what it is. I paid more than VCP for a 5, but way less than a 6. I'll take it.

Very nice Mick. Here’s mine that I think looks great for a 4. I always liked his 62 for some reason.

https://sportscardalbum.com/c/1269t5e6.jpeg

I guess I need to get a 62 Mantle. Those Are some nice cards

TGIF...

I picked this up from a fellow net54'er. Sure, technically it's OC, but since I don't have OCD (man, IMHO i'm using way too many acronyms), if I went back to 1965 in a time machine and broke this Hammerin' Hank out of a pack, it would never even enter my mind that it was 'problematic.' I'll take cards like this any day of the week!!

Attachment 340296

Killer looking card, congrats. Would not come to my mind first and foremost that it's OC either...

That OC would not boher me one bit, thats a beauty.

Down to just 6 to finish my 41 Playball set!

I haven't owned a Koufax rookie since I sold one almost 20 years ago. This one fit my budget and eye appeal requirements.

Beautiful card. Looks way better than a PSA 3. Awesome centering too. Congrats.

Mail day! I know a lot of people snub BVG, but look at that centering...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0f769e89d8.jpg


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That Dimaggio has always been a bucket list card for me. A PSA altered one sold in early December for around $400, I probably should have considered it harder than I did.

Gorgeous 4, that’s on par with my 5. Is there a hidden wrinkle somewhere or something?


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Agreed. I love that 4

Not that I can see...there’s a light scratch near his cap but I don’t think that should be enough to make it a 4. Oh well, just a number.

All of this to me just speaks to PSA inconsistency. If these cards were raw in a case together 30 years ago, would they be priced differently? What do the TPG's have in their arsenal that's beyond "in the eye of the beholder"? I'm still struggling to see.

The cards would be priced differently, they would be lower.

Crack out a mint 9 Mantle and try to get graded pricing. It will never happen.

Grading has created an inflated price structure that at a minimum, in most cases, the cost of grading is passed on to the consumer and reflected in pricing. Factor in the numerical grade, and the seller can set just about any price they choose.

Whether the card sells at that price is another story.

It's only worth what someone is willing to pay.

My point was how would they be priced in relation to each other if still raw - the 6 or the 5.5 that look worse than the 5?

I imagine there is little difference in price, maybe 20 bucks or so, given your scenario.

Not a big ticket item at all (got it for next to nothing), but this caught my eye at the local card show in PDX yesterday...




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Another Venezuelan De La Hoz card:

Sure looks like his Braves' uni.

Attachment 340455

Couple of postwar pickups

Love that 56 Clemente. Nice card!


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