Collecting Panels
 

For the player and set collectors out there, when working on Bazooka and Topps stamp issues, do you go go for the panels and, for the stamps, all player combinations featuring your player, if just for the individual card?

As a Mantle collector, I've never particularly cared for anything more than the card featuring Mantle. But, I'm curious as to others thoughts. Thanks!

Chris--- i had a Mantle/Aaron stamp...i thought it was a cool piece, but i sold it because it was a oddity that others might want , i will stick with cards and maybe a few postcards.
I also picked up some post cereal 6 -panels..with some Hofers on it...just not my thing.
When working on Bazooka..be careful on fakes..I read somewhere about watching the border-lines and dots. There was a great article somewhere describing this. forgot where.

I remember seeing them. Interesting stuff but not my thing either. As for the bazookas, I finished my set. I studied them pretty carefully before buying and all of them look real, smell real, and have the correct lines/dashes. The 59, which was the most expensive, was graded so no concerns there.

I love panels myself but they can be hard to display. The 61 and 62 stamps though are a perfect size in duo format with the tab.

Thanks for weighing in Dave. Are you a set collector, a player collector, or some combination?

I love your the vintage topps gum you have (I'm assuming based on your site) in your collection. At some point I hope to get companion pieces like that to round my collection out.

Go for the original form
 

I have been collecting Roberto Clemente for years now. My favorite items are the complete boxes I have including all of the Bazookas (except for 1960) and Post cereal and Nabisco Team flakes full boxes - just incredible and a SUPER challenge!

Do you go ahead and buy the individual cards as well as the boxes? I can definitely see the interest in the complete boxes. I wish they were a little bit more affordable, cause I would add a few to my set.

NOT usually..
 

In the case of 1960 where I do not own a complete box, I have a full panel. The individual cards are of little interest. While pricing for the boxes is considerably more than the panels, I think there is A LOT of upside given the scarcity of the boxes. When I first started collecting I did have singles or panels until I acquired the boxes. Still searching for that 1960 box. To drive myself a little crazier, from 1960-1967 there are 2 box variations with the bazookas - a 20 piece box and 25 piece box. The cards themselves are the same size, but in the case of 1960-1962 the boxes are different sizes and designs and 1963-1967 the boxes are different sizes! I am still looking for a number of the variations. Happy collecting.

I love the Topps panels. I keep my complete (except for the 1962 Battey / Clemente; Callison / Mays; O'Toole / Hansen) sets in 9 pocket pages.
Doug