1952 Bowman- VG/EX 4 (MK)
 

I've got this VG-EX 4 with a MK (blue pen mark on the reverse) qualifier...and, I couldn't be happier with the card. Picked it up just before the market explosion and couldn't afford it at twice what I paid.

Jon
www.dugouttreasures.com

Twin killing...

The 1957 Topps Tony Kubek #312 (with the odd position of "Outfield") is a triple threat - a Yankees card, a rookie card, and a tough semi-high series card - all wrapped together in an awkwardly reworked photograph. He and Bobby Richardson are both members of that elite club, and I was happy to pick him up (that's what she said!!). And the 1975 Topps Mini Brooks 'Tiny Brim' Robinson #50 is just a touch off in the centering department, but clearly not too bad at all. I grabbed it quicker than a line drive hitting leather at the hot corner...

Attachment 454738

With the way that most of the 73's were off cut throughout the entire Topps run, your Mays is a 10 in my book! Nice card indeed!

I just posted this on another thread...but probably belongs here more. As mentioned, the brother card to the Kubek...the ST is some wax on the back. Last card for my 57 set...


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I have never noticed the short brim on Brooks helmet there...wow...I can now never unsee that! wtf?

Niiiiice!!!!! Had that one on my watch list, so great pick-up!! I knew it would be gobbled up quickly. On a side note, the last two cards I needed to finish my 1957 set a little while back were Zimmer and Richardson (got them both in PSA 7 in the throes of an eBay 15% off coupon extravaganza). It seems everyone always needs Bobby at the end.

Back in the (side) saddle... (Get it? Off centered.)

The days of getting nice cards with qualifiers at nice prices has clearly ended, so I grabbed these four guys while I still could.

The centering on the 1969 Topps Roberto Clemente #50 is usually pretty awful side-to-side, so I was happy to pick up this guy with the very-much-less-bothersome glitch in the top-to-bottom department. The 1959 Topps Bob Hale #507 (just like the Bob Gibson RC) is a high number with the image nearly always found sliding off the side of the card. The "stain" designation is a puzzler. It might refer to the gentle toning on back? Not sure, but it looks quite natural and any normal collector wouldn't give it a second thought. The 1974 Topps World Series Game 2 #473* serves as the epilogue to Willie Mays' storybook career. He got short shrift that season due to all of the hullabaloo surrounding 'Hammerin' Hank.' Too bad. Along with the 1976 Topps Reggie Jackson #500, I just felt it was a good time to pick up those sharp-cornered cards at really decent prices. Lord knows how high the dollar signs will fly tomorrow...

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*So many people think back to the 1973 World Series (with lament for us Mets fans) and focus on the infamous 'out' call at home plate which forced the Say-Hey Kid to his knees. That is the game referenced on the card. What a monumental moment, as the great Mays seemingly realized his legendary time on the field would soon be over without a second championship ring. But what most fans don't seem to realize is the Mets actually won that game in 12 innings!! Here's a custom card I created a while back...

Attachment 459476

Probably my best example for this thread

The 'Q' in qualifier stands for quality...

As I continue to slowly amass the big names from the set in PSA 9 OC (not very OC) shape, this 1973 Topps #130 Pete Rose fits in nicely. The picture probably just captures a foul pop-up, but it's a pretty cool shot that's a departure from the usual game-action scenes, and really works well to offer the collector something slightly different. The 1976 Topps #98 Dennis Eckersley is what I call Leggy - a graded card with an ‘ST’ qualifier that can be easily eliminated by using a pair of pantyhose to wipe away the ‘invisible’ wax or gum residue on it. You can't even see where the heck the supposed stain is. I damn straight jumped on this perfectly centered 'Eck' immediately!! The 1957 Topps #307 Jack Phillips is another tough series card with a bit of non-problematic wax/gum residue of back, while the 1965 Topps #188 Sam Bowens is just a beautiful card that I was able to grab up cheaply, so I said what the heck.

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A Queue of Qs...

This high number1961 Topps #559 Jim Gentile is nearly identical to the other one I posted a while back, so now I have doubles. His card is tough (read very expensive) to find in high grade, so if an OC version is affordable, I jump on it. The 1962 Topps #124 Bill Pleis is now the third low pop (only six straight 9s, and just one - this one - with a qualifier) 'Green Tint' I've grabbed with PSA 9 PD on the label. PD? Ha! Talk about redundancy. The entire run of GTs is a veritable parade of print defects, so I was very happy to get this one. The 1970 Topps #197 Ryan Saves The Day! (along with #195 Seaver Wins Opener!) is one of the most pre-eminent cards of all time for us Mets fans, as it celebrates the incredible hurler helping to bring the miraculous 1969 season to a fitting close. Got that one cheap! And the 1970 Topps #210 Juan Marichal is another beautiful, sharp cornered HOFer card that is barely off-centered.

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I love that 61 Topps Gentile high number...I have a really nice decent centered raw card that took for ever to find at a decent, well, barely decent price. Most at the time I was looking were cut in half I swear...lol.


Picked up this 54 Bowman Mick with a qualifier. Clearly MC (although a slight strip of white on the top :)). But having a hard time seeing a "2" unless you take the MC into consideration. Corners aren't that bad, and it is totally crease free. Good news is the price was right because of the low grade and MC...if I were to pop this out it would be a beautiful card in the binder...not sure what I'm going to do with this one. I thought of this thread when I bought it...

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A Three-fer...

This tough 1973 Topps #449 Ken Aspromonte variation was mislabeled, unfortunately, as it is the Spahn 'rounded ear' (not 'pointy ear') version. Oh well. May have to get it corrected sometime down the line. I love grabbing up an occasional PSA 9 OC HOF'er when it looks quite nice and can be had cheaply, like this 1975 Topps Mini #530 Gaylord Perry. These cards fascinate me, because I never knew they even existed way back when (at card shows out here in CA, they are everywhere). I have never bought a PSA Authentic/Altered card before, but with this 1967 Laughlin World Series #61 Mickey Mantle 'with address' card, I live by a simple maxim. When you see one, you grab it, because they are extremely rare. Supposedly, Bob Laughlin only made a total of 300 of each card in the set with his address appearing on back (conventional wisdom holds that 20 of said sheets remained uncut), so who knows how many still exist and when one will ever come up for sale again (the reprints actually hold a decent amount of value, too, but they came out after the Mick's career was over and are pretty readily available if you want to drop a lot of coin). It probably should have just been labeled 'authentic,' because I don't see what alteration is being referred to. It has "0 76 70" (perhaps a Zodiac-esque code?) written on back, and was obviously trimmed down to match the size of Topps cards (I assume that's the alteration)...which segues nicely into an excerpt from my 'New Collectorisms' thread...

371. Edge Clippers
Kids who cut down larger cards back in the day to make them match the ‘new,’ standardized size of Topps cards.


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Get yer stars he-ere...

I mean what kind of lunatic would call this 1964 Topps #265 Jim Bunning card off-center? It's not the centering that's problematic, it's more the Topps photographer saying, "Okay, Jimbo, take off your hat and push your face forward, so we can squeeze even more of your head into the shot!" I grabbed it up right when I saw it! The somber 1965 Topps #155 Roger Maris has always been one of my favorite cards of his for some reason. The regal 1969 Topps #375 Harmon Killebrew in his MVP year is another Leggy card awaiting the pantyhose to wipe away the ‘invisible’ gum on it. No matter how much I tilt it in the light, I can't see the 'stain.' Love it!! The 1972 Topps #760 Bill Mazeroski allowed me to check off another high number for my 'Highs in Nine' set. Sure, it's a little pushed to the left, but straight 9s are going for stupid money, so I'm fine with this sharp-cornered HR hero. I must have seen it right after it was listed, because it was a $30 BIN, and the only other PSA 9 OC (with much worse centering) was listed for two and a half times as much, so I jumped!!

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Glad you are back Darren

The Stain-Hey Kid...

This 1968 Topps #50 Willie Mays card was expensive for having a qualifier, but the centering is nearly perfect and the stain is a non-existent, easy wipe away if/when I break it out (which I have to do anyway, because the slab is quite busted). I also grabbed the 1965 Topps #14 1964 Home Run Leaders card (wow, SF really went deep in '64), because it was cheap, especially for having a trio of HOF'ers pictured, and I've always been oddly drawn to that picture of Mays, as his look down seems kind of spiritual to me. This is my second 1974 Topps #207 1973 Strikeout Leaders card with a print defect - a bit of snow on the bright color nameplates. I mean, it's Ryan and Seaver together again, so it's a must have!! And I am thrilled to have this sharp-as-heck 1966 Topps #132 Orlando Cepeda. Technically off-center, but in no way off-centered to the 'normal' card collecting eye.

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Happy Askew Year...

For my money, he has one of coolest player names ever, and this 1970 Topps #75 Lem Barney rookie represents the sixth PSA 9 (barely) OC HOFer I have from that set. The sharp-cornered, early 'Tom Terrific' card, 1970 Topps #300 Tom Seaver, is a bit pushed to the side, but since his cards continue to be crazy pricey, I was happy to grab it. And for my slowly expanding '1973 HOFers in 9 OC' collection, I not only added a pretty sweet 1973 Topps #174 Rich Gossage rookie, but also a card of a guy who held the bat strangely and seemingly never appeared in a color photograph :D, 1973 Topps #475 Ty Cobb.

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Eights the Hard Way...

'The Chairman of the Board' has always held a special place in my heart, because we both spent our early years in Astoria, Queens, so I was happy to pick up this cool 1960 Topps #35 Whitey Ford card. Let's face it, the 1962 Topps #28 Minnie Minoso, is a god-awful headshot of the newest Hall of Famer. The look of puzzlement on his face coupled with the gallon of India ink Topps used to black out his cap makes it the exact opposite of 'good eye appeal.' But, heck, for a total of $27, I grabbed it. And now for a pair of guys, 1968 Topps #410 Fergie Jenkins and 1968 Topps #50 Willie Mays, who are able to make burlap look like a thing of beauty!!

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Nines in the Pocket...

I was happy to secure the first card, a real sharp-cornered 1970 Topps #510 Tony Oliva, at a very low price just before the HOF vote was announced. The odd thing about this just-a-tad-OC 1972 Topps #163 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar card (with a looming Wilt as a marvelous co-star) is that the total POP of PSA 9's is only nineteen, with ten of them having qualifiers (probably all OC?). So you are more likely to find a PSA 9 OC than a straight 9. The awesome 1972 Topps #170 Dick Butkus card (with his face telling you he's ready to wreak havoc on the Midway) is such a great example of the simplistic beauty of that entire set, and I got it for a very small fraction of what straight 9's go for!!!

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You really gotta be Carewing with me!!!

Let's see, 'Charlie Hustle,' 1969 Topps #120 Pete Rose, may have too big of a lead toward home (in other words, the image is pushed a bit to the bottom), but I am happy to have scored this card. As the title suggests, (outside of TPG parameters) you gotta be kidding me that this 1974 Topps #50 Rod Carew card is considered off-centered to any normal person. This pair of 1964 Topps Stand-Ups, Donn Clendenon (SP) and Elston Howard (reigning MVP), have easily ignored, semi-phantom gum stains on their blank backs.

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Nice...and those 64 Stand Ups are AWESOME. I have never owned one, should have started plugging away on those years ago like planned. Not many deals these days on those! Yours look awesome, stains must be on the backside? Wax?

I forgot I had posted them in the pickups thread. Here's a shot of the backs...

Attachment 508568

The Clendenon has a tad bit of chalky, pinkish gum residue there (which could probably be brushed away), but the Howard 'stain' seems to be an illusion.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder Grader...

We all live by one simple rule. Anytime you can pick-up a sharp Sandy Koufax card at a nice price, you jump!! Here's the career-capping 1967 Topps #238 Strikeouts Leaders. This 'Say Hey Kid' card, 1968 Topps #50 Willie Mays, is now my second OC '68 of the man. Pretty sweet!! And anyone involved with trying to assemble the monstrosity that is the 1961 set knows how tough these two rando Yankees high numbers are to land, 1961 Topps #531 Jim Coates and 1961 Topps #541 Roland Sheldon.

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I never liked that '65 Aaron card. Always looked like he was trying to squish down into a tiny confined box so as to fit into the close-up photo.

No qualifier, but it's one of my favorite miscut cards.

A tale of two Willies...

496. Optimullet
A card that is optimally beautiful when looked at from the front, but when you flip it over there are significant problems on the back.

On front, this 1967 Topps #200 Willie Mays is beautifully centered, which is woo-hoo worthy...but, WTF, the label says this card is miscut?? Turn it over, and although no actual information or graphics are compromised, you find the white box falls a hair off of the edge. Oh well. Picked it up from a fellow board member. This 1963 Fleer #64 Orlando Cepeda is harmlessly pushed a tad too close to the top for PSA's liking, but it ain't a problem for me. And finally, look at the intensity emanating from his eyes on the 1970 Topps #530 Bob Gibson card. Although he only went 1-3 against the Miracle Mets that year, what kind of fool batter would want to be staring back at that antagonist on a sun-drenched afternoon at Shea in 1969???

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Happiness is a warm qualifier...

The 1974 Topps #1 Hank Aaron 'New All-Time Home Run King' card was simply epic to those of us collecting back in our carefree younger days!!! And he's still the frickin' HR king!!! Here's an early 'Great One' card, 1981 O-Pee-Chee #106 Wayne Gretzky, and the fact it's Canadian makes it perfect (outside of the obligatory OPC centering, of course) for any hockey fan!!! The epitome of a moment of intimidation captured in a snapshot, 1976 Topps #300 Johnny Bench, has a tad bit too much 'noise' for the grader's liking, but it just adds a little more particle debris to the dust storm at home plate. And lastly, a tough and not-so-badly-centered high number, 1967 Topps #544 Indians Team.

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A Quartet of MVPs (Minor Visual Problems)...

The 1976 Topps #550 Hank Aaron portrait is a wonderful, must-have career-capper. 'Hammerin' Hank' was still raring to go!! The 'PD' on this 1961 Topps #360 Frank Robinson stands for 'PSA Delusional'!! And this cool pair of MVP season cards, 1969 Topps #375 Harmon Killebrew and 1973 Topps #130 Pete Rose, get my vote for simply phenomenal pieces of cardboard!!

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Good work as always, Darren. Your stuff here lays blatant just how random and inconsistent PSA is basically on any given day. Yet to no one's surprise, their lock on the market and collective imagination of many collectors remains unbroken. My hope with all of this is that at some point, inroads being made with consistency of quality from those such as SGC and CSG will break the spell. But I'm not betting on it happening anytime soon.

Quadroolworthy...

The 1973 Topps #220 Nolan Ryan is a killer non-off-center, off-centered card!! The 1974 Topps #300 Pete Rose gets extra style points for a cool in-action bunting shot at Shea. And as far as variations go, I couldn't be happier with this pair of sharp cornered 'white letter' error cards, 1969 Topps #471 Ted Savage and 1969 Topps #511 Diego Segui.

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