Set Builders-Hard to find commons/stars

[roce4e52]

I have been working on the 1958 Topps set for 7 years in PSA nm or better. These are the cards I had the most difficulty finding (some I am still looking for). Stars #2 Lemon, #25 Drysdale, #85 Aparicio and commons #34 Thurman, #78 Johnson, #117 Torre, #223 Pafko #256 White Sox Team, #312Red Sox Team, #355 Bruton, #392 Daniels and #474 Semproch. The Maris and Mantle have large populations but finding a nicely centered one is very difficult and costly.
Don't know where I am going for my next set, but would be interested to hear from other set builders what cards they are having a difficult time finding for their sets. 50' and 60's Topps baseball mostly but also the late 30's and 40's sets like Play Ball. Does not have to be about graded cards, original too.
Thanks,
Bill D.

[Exhibitman]

I have been on a many year long all but futile quest to finish out my 1968 Atlantic Oil set. Briefly, the cards were issued in 2-card game pieces at gas stations. Forty of them are readily obtained [condition is a huge challenge because the glue from the game piece edging frequently damaged the cards]. Ten of the cards were prize-winners, nearly all of which were presumably redeemed. The grand prize winners--the big money cards--are likely one of ones and long gone.

One other redemption card was issued and it is a lot 'commoner' than others; it got you a booklet of records and stats from the gas station. Not easy but doable; I found one of those:



The cash money prize cards are just about impossible. The only one I've ever seen:



The way it looks to have been cut open suggests it was from a small hoard of unopened packets that surfaced around 20 years ago in So Cal.

[JollyElm]

If you're talking about centering, look no further than 1972. There is a ridiculously large number of commons (and stars, too, obviously) that are impossible to find even decently centered. The entire Topps Quality Control Department must have been spending their days at the roller rink listening to "American Pie" and getting stoned to bejeezus that year!

[David W]

I have often thought about doing the Atlantic Oil set, but decided what's the point if you cannot complete it.

I am 99.9% sure the high dollar redemption cards (Agee and Freehan - $2500 and Banks and Davis - $100) do not exist any more.

If they did, they surely would have surfaced. It makes you wonder what happened to them, were they cut in half when redeemed, thrown out?

Or maybe they never were even released.

[brob28]

As I recall the Billy Martin and Bob Cerv were tough to find centered in the '56 Topps set, it's been a few years since I completed mine. I'm in the tail end of the '61 Topps set and the Coates #531 is always OC. Kaline #429 seems to always be OC and and/or with a titled image. I agree with Darren, centering is tough on the '72s but just the # of cards in the set is exhausting!

[MikeGarcia]

.....and ''focus'' was interesting sometimes... nice set though.

[roce4e52]

Those 57's look a lot like mine. It is a hard set for centering and the premium you have to pay is high for them. Can't imagine putting the 72 set together 1 by 1. Even doing some small lots the extra you would pay in Ebay shipping would be too much. I'm leaning toward the 62 or 65 set for the 60's and 57 or 59 for the 50's. Also, one of the Play Ball sets but not sure which one would be best as far as budget and availability. I like to get the tough cards out of the way fast. I get discouraged if I save them for last. I've never looked into the off beat 60's sets but I like one discussed here. Is it expensive in low grade?