The last card you needed for a set

[darkhorse9]

I have just finished my 1960 Topps set, securing a Maris AS card. It made me wonder what the last card folks needed from a set was? Is it always the hardest card to get or the most expensive? Not with me. I'm curious to know what others had as the last card to complete a set


1954 Topps - Hank Aaron RC
1955 Bowman - Mickey Mantle
1956 Topps - Brooklyn Dodgers team
1960 Topps - Maris AS
1961 Topps - Pirates team
1962 Topps - Stargell Rookie
1963 Topps - Rose Rookie
1964 Topps - Mickey Mantle
1965 Topps - Tug McGraw rookie
1966 Topps - Minnesota Twins team
1967 Topps - Manny Jimenez

[chris6net]

I still need the Pirates team card for my 1971 Topps set. I seemed to have had trouble finding the card in excellent condition and then I just put the set aside minus the Pirates Team. Will knock it off when I have the time and finish the set.

[39special]

I started a '77 topps set in '77 and just finished it about a month ago.The last card was G.Carter.That was just me being lazy.
I also finished my '68 topps game set 3 weeks ago.J.Torre was the last card for that set.For some reason I couldn't find it.
I just started the '71 set,hopefully it won't take as long as the '77 set.

[HaloFan]

There was a story on this subject in Beckett about 15 years' ago and I never get tired of reading it or hear other set collectors discuss this. I've built quite a few sets over the years and there are a few that are quite memorable.

1938- Jimmie Foxx #273
1954-55 HK - Edgar Laprade #56
1957- Ernie Johnson #333
1973- Checklist #588
1974- Pete Rose #300
1977- Thurman Munson #170
1994- Sean Berry #344
1996- #425

I included some recent sets only because those were the ones I built from packs and visits to card shops and for whatever reason had trouble locating those. In '94, I went through three vending boxes trying to find Berry with no luck. Halfway through the fourth and final box the shop had, I finally found him. Seems rather ridiculous but even with modern cards it can happen.

Most of the last cards involving stars, it just so happens they ended up last as they weren't hard to find. When it starts looking like a common might be my final card, I get nervous as sometimes they can be tough to locate. I have since bought more than one 1957 Ernie Johnson just because it ticked me off that one card was the final card I needed to finish the '57 set.

Craig H

[betafolio2]

My most recently completed set, 1971 Topps, actually came down to two missing cards: 649 and 650. Since I had already waited 28 years to finish the set in NM (yep, I started working on it in 1984), I figured I could be a little more patient until I found the cards I needed that met my tough standards. I ended up getting 649 a few times, but each one had been touched up (people are really getting good at doctoring the cards with a black marker so you can't tell -- but since I had become quite the expert in the '71s, I COULD tell, either with my naked eye or with a loupe). So I kept returning the touched up cards. Eventually I won both of my missing cards at the same time in two set break auctions, and they came from an eBay seller who I knew I could trust. And sure enough, when the cards came, they checked out OK. What a thrill to finally slip those cards into my two empty slots in my '71 binder!

[RobertGT]

I've had quite a few "last cards" over the past 10 years, but the one that sticks out for me was the 62 Topps Roger Maris #1 - because of my ordeal in obtaining it. I needed it in PSA 7, and it became a REAL pain to win on ebay. I waited, waited, lost at least three straight auctions in the final 6 seconds, and then waited another 6 months, during which there were none listed on the site at all.

Finally it popped up in a Buy-It-Now for way more than it was worth, of course. I saw it about a day after it was listed and I just grabbed it - overpriced as it was.

I was holding my nose as I sent the money through paypal, but at least I could exhale at having completed a 62T set in NM or better.

[HoofHearted]

Originally Posted by RobertGT

I've had quite a few "last cards" over the past 10 years, but the one that sticks out for me was the 62 Topps Roger Maris #1 - because of my ordeal in obtaining it. I needed it in PSA 7, and it became a REAL pain to win on ebay. I waited, waited, lost at least three straight auctions in the final 6 seconds, and then waited another 6 months, during which there were none listed on the site at all.

Finally it popped up in a Buy-It-Now for way more than it was worth, of course. I saw it about a day after it was listed and I just grabbed it - overpriced as it was.

I was holding my nose as I sent the money through paypal, but at least I could exhale at having completed a 62T set in NM or better.

Replace "Roger Maris" with "Elston Howard" (#400) and you have my story in completing my '62T Master set! My goal for 2010 was to complete the set and it wasn't looking like I'd be able to do that after losing out on a couple auctions. But then, a PSA 8 came up from 707 and (foolishly??) I made a counter-offer and was able to bring the price down a bit. I was ecstatic to complete the set by EOY 2010, Christmas Eve to be exact. A nice gift to myself!

If anyone would like to see the set with pics included, here's a link: 1962 Topps Master Set

[brett 75]

When I was collecting the 1978 set I opened pack after pack trying to find Dell Alston , Dennis Lamp and Mickey Klutts . After about 2 months of this I finally figured out that all they last cards I was looking for came on the rookie cards that I actually already had in my card box. Anyone working on the 1978 set ? I have plenty of doubles, Lol ! Brett

[scottpt99]

My last card for the only vintage set I have completed Topps 1954 was #174 Tom Qualters

[mintacular]

I was 1 card short of finishing my 57 BB set (BRob) and then had the bright idea of upgrading and now I'm 50+ cards short of completing it...

[doug.goodman]

April D. Bole is killing me...

[ALR-bishop]

Doug---pay for an internet search and find her. Then ask her if she still has one of her Winners cards. She probably will believe you when you tell her you are not a stalker.

Did you see lot 711 in REA. If you get that you can have a second card to look for.

[Tim Fritz]

A few of my last cards for a set.

1953 Topps - 278 Willie Miranda
1965 Topps - 233 Don Zimmer

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Did you see lot 711 in REA. If you get that you can have a second card to look for.

I put an early bid on lot 711, but the price is already way past where I would go for that partial set. It's very cool, but not THAT cool.

So for now, the Berra / Easter 1951 Red back panel can be my second card to look for.

Doug

[hcv123]

Billy Almon was the last card!

[MilBraves]

1954 Johnston Cookies Bobby Thomson. They stopped printing the card when he got hurt that season, so it is uncommon.

[Griffins]

these are the ones that were toughest and last for me, post war

'49 Leaf- Billy Goodman
'53 Bowman- Chuck Dressen. Most of the ones from about 112-131 were tough, 112-119 tougher than the rest for some reason.
'55 Bowman Kueen variations and Bolling variations
'54 Red Heart Snider in PSA 8, always seems to be OC
'54 Wilson Jablonski, easily the toughest
'51 RedBack Holmes Hartford variation
'54 Topps Johnny Sain
'56 Topps Neal and Valdivieso
'58 All of the alphabetical checklists
'59 All of the "no option" or "no trade" variations
'63 Fleer Dalrymple. No idea why, but it killed me.
'64 Topps Giants Romano. Skowron wasn't far behind.
'66 Topps Denny McLain
'67 Topps Colavito of the regular set, the Maris proof took a while longer.

[ALR-bishop]

Mine is hand cut Anthony, how about yours....are they all that way ? I have always found it interesting that it is listed in the SCD 67 regular checklist since the Reggie et al 77s are not, the 60 Hadley, Cimoli and Throneberry are not ( although Bob L has recently indicated that they may be unissued variations with regular backs rather than proofs). Is the Maris included in the Registry master list ? KO did an article on unissued proofs that differ from the regular issued cards and as I recall there were several. I wonder why the Maris gets listed with the regular set in SCD.

[betafolio2]

Originally Posted by HoofHearted

If anyone would like to see the set with pics included, here's a link: 1962 Topps Master Set

Hi, Mike! Nice set! You say on your PSA registry page that this was the first set you built pack-by-pack. That got me to wondering: How many of the cards in your PSA set actually came from your childhood collection?

[HoofHearted]

Originally Posted by betafolio2

Hi, Mike! Nice set! You say on your PSA registry page that this was the first set you built pack-by-pack. That got me to wondering: How many of the cards in your PSA set actually came from your childhood collection?

Thanks! Would you believe only one card was subbed from my raw set? As I mentioned in another thread about the Card Collectors Company (see Post #7), I completed the Babe Ruth and World Series subsets through the mail. Those are the only high-grade cards in my raw set that were submission-worthy. Card #139 ("Babe Hits 60" with green tint) is the only card that made the grade of PSA 7 or better. The rest of the graded set was bought through purchases with other collectors (with a lot of thanks to Bosox76 -- a very knowledgeable '62T collector) and eBay.

[betafolio2]

Originally Posted by HoofHearted

Card #139 ("Babe Hits 60" with green tint) is the only card that made the grade of PSA 7 or better.

Wow, that one card must be really special to you then! By the way, not to sound ignorant, but I never heard about the green tint issue in the '62s. Can you tell me more about it? I'm always looking to learn something! (And it should be obvious that I'm not working on a '62 set -- YET.)

[ALR-bishop]

Mike is the go to guy for info on this group of variations, but in general the entire 2nd series of the 1962 set, cards 110-196 can be found with two distinct printing variations. The first printing, by one production group, resulted in cards that had a greenish tint and were a mite blurry to boot. Another production group was used to correct this quality issue and the second printing is much sharper and not greenish. There were also some pose variations in the second printing that impact cards 129, 132, 139, 147,, 174, 176, and 190. The green tints are scarcer than the corrected cards but not rare and you can likely find a some on ebay right now with a search for "Topps 1962 green tint".

By the way, Topps intentionally recreated the green tint phenomena in the 2011 Heritage set, which is based on the 1962 design. Cards 110-158 and 160 to 196 can be found in green tint or red or black depending on what retailer sold the cards.

In the original 1962 set there are 4 versions of card 139...Ruth with and without the foul pole...and Hal Reniff portrait or pitching

[wolfdogg]

1952 Topps---#325 Serena

[steve B]

74 Topps -Mike Schmidt. Took a few years of waffling before I found one at a price I liked. Not a bad thing as it became the last one needed when his cards were at their peak. So I saved a bunch by waiting.

Most other years, 78-80 I don't really recall. Usually some common, and at the time most dealers had big boxes of commons you could go through. So it was usually more like the last 10-20 cards all bought at once.

My 88 topps set it was Canseco. Also took a couple years Too "expensive" to find in flea market lots, but too cheap for a dealer to give it space in the case. Or bother digging it out of the big box in back.

I really can't recall which 48 Bowman was the last. I think one of the SPs but not a star.

Steve B

[HoofHearted]

Originally Posted by betafolio2

Wow, that one card must be really special to you then! By the way, not to sound ignorant, but I never heard about the green tint issue in the '62s. Can you tell me more about it? I'm always looking to learn something! (And it should be obvious that I'm not working on a '62 set -- YET.)

Thanks, Al, for the green-tint update. Couldn't have done it any better! I'd like to add that it was a lot of fun searching out the green- and non-tint variations because each not only had sometimes dramatic differences in the tint, but both runs were cropped differently.

So as not to high-jack this fun thread, I'll have to search for one maybe already posted on the '62Ts...

[saltire]

Great thread, guys! Here's a list of my "last cards" from 1960-1973:

1960: #316 McCovey
1961: #531 Coates
1962: Still one to go (#594 UeckerRC)
1963: Still one to go (#536 RoseRC)
1964: #538 Minoso
1965: #207 Rose
1966: Still 11 to go
1967: Still 22 to go
1968: #490 Killebrew/Mays/Mantle
1969: #640 Jenkins
1970: #580 Rose
1971: #630 Clemente
1972: #703 Griffin
1973: #615 Schmidt

Bit of a mix. Interestingly, only one featuring Mantle.

[lutherlafy]

My favorite cards are the mid 1950's regional wiener cards.
Just finished my 1953 Hunter Wiener set and the last card
being Willard Schmidt.

Going back several years, the last Topps card for my 1951-90 set run was the 1966 Topps Minnesota Twins team card.
1960 Leaf Jim Brosnan
1963 Fleer Joe Adcock

By far the toughest Rodeo wiener card to obtain is the 1956 Joe Astroth and it was the last card that completed both the 1955 & 1956 sets for me. I also have two of the 1955 Rodeo Scrapbooks.

Does anyone out there have an extra 1954 Hunter Wiener Stan Musial??

[stlcardsfan]

Here are some I remember:

1969: Bobby Cox (#237)
1968: Lee May - I swear that card is short printed
1967: Seaver - enough said
1964: Orioles Team Card (#484?)
1966: Denny McLain, Roger Craig, or Dick Green. I just remember all 3 took me forever.
1961: George Thomas (541?)
1959: Nellie Fox AS

[Rich Klein]

Something weird is about the 1968 Lee May card. It is the semi high series and I once sold, 12 of them in one Albany show for probably $1 each when they booked for probably a quarter.

The minute the crowd heard I had a few, they ALL were sold that show.

The Bobby Cox was tough for me in packs in 1969 as well one of the last I needed

Rich

[mintacular]

Any comment on tougher 72s? I've found the Ron Cey RC is a tough one to get, also 70 Gamble RC gets some love

[betafolio2]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Something weird is about the 1968 Lee May card. It is the semi high series and I once sold, 12 of them in one Albany show for probably $1 each when they booked for probably a quarter. The minute the crowd heard I had a few, they ALL were sold that show.

Rich

Yes, there is something weird about this card's availability (or lack thereof). As it happens, I need just three cards to finish off my EX-MT 1968 set, and wouldn't you know it -- the Lee May card is one of them!

[RobertGT]

Originally Posted by mintacular

Any comment on tougher 72s? I've found the Ron Cey RC is a tough one to get, also 70 Gamble RC gets some love

70 Gamble is indeed a toughie in high grade. My last card for the 70 set.

[Bigb13]

1951 Topps Current all stars Card of Phil

[sox1903wschamp]

Just finished another 1971 set and the last card I needed was #608 Mike Wegener. Not because it is tough to find but tough to find centered unless you want to pay through the nose for a slabbed high grade. This card is prone to O/C to the right. Finnaly found one raw and failrly cheap that was centered after looking for over a year.

[Brianruns10]

I've worked with my dad for a number of years finishing his sets and replacing the lower condition ones with better examples. He had complete runs 1958, 1959, and 1960.

he kept his traders, and basically had a double set of 57s, with all the key cards. However, he was missing ONE card from either set of 57s

Sherm Lollar.

That was the only one needed, and it was just a few bucks to top off the 57. Go figure!

[Republicaninmass]

t9 Joe Jeanette, passed on one and probably shouldnt have

[Volod]

Most of my sets' last cards had no rhyme or reason to them. 1951 -55 Topps and Bowman - the last card could have been the first in most cases, except for the '51 Bowman, where predictably, I waited too long to find the Mays and Mantle and eventually had to pay through the nose to complete the set. Since the Republican brought in oddball sets, I have to say that the Murphy card in the Topps Ringsides was especially difficult to find in nice condition, as befits its historical status, and the Rembrandt card in the '53 Topps L&S was my last one - I didn't believe it was really scarce until it took me seven years to complete the set.

[Tomman1961]

1974 Topps-Rick Wise
1973 Topps- Schmidt
1941 Playball-Ruffing
1940 Playball-Shoeless Joe
1939 Playball-a low number common I can not remember

[Rich Klein]

Was the last one I found --- and I ordered a complete series from Card Collectors Co and the who series was green tints.

I spent three years in the 1970's trying to find that darned Skowron card,

1979 Topps Al Fitzmorris took several months for me to get in 1979

1963 Fleer Checklist I remember

1967 Topps Tom Seaver took me forever in the 70's

1969 it was Ron Brand and another 6th series common I needed

One of my favorite 1980's -- conversations as a dealer ---

I learned what cards were tough "

C: How much is the 1967 Topps Alomar ---

M: $5

C: Beckett says the card lists at 50 cents

M: Here is the address to Beckett Publications, send them your money

M: Then the next line -- how long have you been looking for this card:

C: 2 Years

M: Think about it, there is a reason I'm at the price I am at

Regards
Rich

[Bigdaddy]

1961 Topps Bob Clemente, not one of the tough high numbers, but many are OC.

Also the 1966 Topps Horace Clarke - that tough Yankee.

[Rich Klein]

But I think I actually picked up 1-2 1968 Lee May's at the National. Still working on unpacking

[roarfrom34]

1976 was the first year I ever put a set together from packs and I'll never forget that the last card I needed was the infamous John Balaz

[betafolio2]

For the 1959 Topps, Mickey Mantle (no surprise there!).

And for the 1968 Topps, it actually came down to two cards, which I won simultaneously: Mayo Smith and Mickey Lolich.

[Jim65]

I started putting my 1965 OPC set together in the late 80's and still need Warren Spahn to complete it. Someday I will coem across a nice Spahn and I'll be finished.

[novakjr]

Still compiling a bunch of cards for sets from the 70's. So far the '74 master set is the only one I've actually completed. I seem to keep getting sidetracked and just never get around to finishing the others, but will get to it soon.

Anyways, the last card I needed for the '74 set was card 599 the San Diego small letter variation. And of course, a few months later, I was looking through the set and noticed that I'd somehow misplaced the AS card with Reggie Jackson...Still can't find the damn thing.. So I guess I'm on my last card for a second time..

[Volod]

Originally Posted by novakjr

....I was looking through the set and noticed that I'd somehow misplaced the AS card with Reggie Jackson...Still can't find the damn thing...

Don't you hate when that happens? Years ago, I was looking through my set of 1951 Topps CMAS that I kept in a locked file drawer - just took them out to admire them for a moment, and - 'hey, what the?' - the Ruth and Wagner cards were not there. I'm wracking my brain trying to think how they could evaporate: misplaced? theft? wife found the key? UFO aliens? After several hours searching my den and nearly at the end of my string, it occurs to me to go to another file drawer that contains some old team cards, and there are the two fugitives, still hiding where I stupidly left them a couple of months before.

[DHogan]

1967 Cookie Rojas. I cannot find one that's nicely centered in EX or better condition.
1985 Topps #536 Kirby Puckett
1993 Topps #276 Paul O'Neill
1994 Topps #214 George Bell

[Rich Klein]

I know we have had discussions about 67 high numbers on the board but I truly think the PG's have the distribution correctly especially when it comes to the double/printed cards

That was always an easy sell iln my dealing days

Rich