December pickups
 

Last month was a great month for the pre-80 board. Lots of beautiful cards added to our collections. Let's try to top that month in December!

Here are the first two cards I've gotten in for my 1975 set. I have to thank 4 Sharp Corners for these beauties.

http://imageshack.com/a/img537/8863/HxCIsR.pnghttp://imageshack.com/a/img537/3586/sJg7V2.png

I can't wait to see what you guys have coming in. Let's have some fun, gang!

Since the other thread is pretty much all about 1971 and 1972 Topps cards, these two seem especially apropos…
Attachment 169838

The Banks is in pretty nice shape and I bought it from a board member, but then you have the 1972 Grote. To all people who collect that set, it is literally impossible to find this card centered both ways. The picture is usually falling off the bottom border. Okay, since I am showing a centered example here, the term 'literally' is technically inaccurate. So let's just say, my statement is literally the closest thing to literally that you can literally find to describe this card. It is NEVER centered. Oh great, now I inaccurately used 'never.' But you all know what I mean...

Damn, crop out the labels on those two 75s and I'd say 9s or even a 10 for that Morgan. Amazing what gorgeous cards are out there.

The Ryan RC is admittedly off a hair left/right, but for $175 I could not say no.

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...ey-jimmie-foxx

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...-mickey-mantle

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...-steve-carlton

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...pps-nolan-ryan

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...-mickey-mantle

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...pps-nolan-ryan

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...pps-fiskcooper

December pickups
 

Nice '54 Topps Brooklyn Dodger Billy Herman came in today's mail. For some reason, I always thought it was strange that Topps produced a card of a coach...

Attachment 169852

And speaking of centering, today's late mail call brought me this 1970 Aaron upgrade. This card is very, very close to being perfect. Love it!!!!
(The large scan makes those lower corners look a million times worse than they actually are.)

Attachment 169861

December pickups
 

My first Ruth anywhere near the years he was alive (1952 Topps Look n See) + a 1939-1946 Salutations card of the Splendid Splinter--

Attachment 169888 Attachment 169889

Attachment 169890

The Chiti is the only actual December pickup. These 4 are my total collection of '53 Bowman Color for now... I am going to enjoy putting this together!

Wow, what gorgeous cards!! Hard to believe they are more than 60 years old.

Thanks, Jason. It is a lot like I just woke up and "discovered" '53 Bowman Color not long ago, and now I can't get enough! That will be my 2015 project.

I was just admiring your Ruth and Teddy Ballgame. Good job!

I didn't even realize that Herman coach card existed. I'm reminded of the 1964 Whitey Ford where he is named as pitcher and coach...also the 1933 Goudey Tris Speaker.

Great job on that Stan 53B. One of my favorite baseball cards. Charming image and color hues.

Thanks, Matt. That Musial is one of my top gotta have post war cards. I have enjoyed looking at your recent pick ups. That Ryan was a good buy!

While engaged in conversation with my co-worker, I mentioned to him that I am putting together a 1968 Topps set and only need two cards; Bench and Ryan rookie cards. My co-worker doesn't collect cards but he said that he has a Bench rookie that he won in a grab bag back in the early 1980's. Today he brought in the Bench card and gave it to me! He wouldn't take any money nor let me buy him lunch. Too cool!!

That is awesome!! Nice gesture, and congrats on the pickup

That's funny, in the other thread where you mentioned the '53 Bowman Mantle, I just posted the Musial was the first big card I wanted from the set. That's a real beauty you have. The centering is great, and that's been the sticking point the few times I've almost pulled the trigger.

Bill, I need to buy a Mantle, and you need a Musial. Maybe Santa will help us. Good luck with the hunt!

December pickups
 

Added another 1947/66 Exhibit to my collection to go with Ted Williams. This time it was Mickey Mantle. I have to admit the price was so freaking cheap that it may fall in the "too good to be true" category...at the same time the eBay seller seemed to have a very good reputation, had a ton of good stuff, and explicitly sold this as an original.

Okay, there's your cue to burst my bubble and tell me it's from 1980 or a counterfeit from Malawi. :-)

Attachment 170011

Picked up this Exhibit lot as well, entirely for the Hank Aaron. Not sure what I'll do with the other guys (Mickey Vernon, Vic Wertz, Harry Breechen)!

Attachment 170012

1973 Topps Mike Schmidt
 

Love the Schmidt...so funny story...I had this thought to do a collection and display of the Dodgers record setting infield (Garvey, Lopes, Cey, Russell)...every Topps card of each player as a Dodger. Figured it would be cheap. And then I remembered Cey's rookie card. Oh Schmidt!!

Hey it's been a real challenge for us Dave Hilton collectors too :) j/k

Too bad Topps' screw-up of 1973 has cost you so dearly in 2014. They already had the Penguin on a rookie card in 1972, so if they did their job right, Cey would've been on his own card in 1973 and not chained for eternity to that no-good Schmidt. ;)

Trying to think of what other players were featured on two "rookie" designated cards...

Dale Murphy comes to mind, with 77 and 78.

Danny Tartabull had Rated Rookies in both the 85 and 86 Donruss sets.

Lou Pinella may be the strangest; didn't he have a rookie in 1964, then another rookie in 1968, then the AS Rookie Cup Card in 1970? What's up with that?

Any others?

I think I've seen "RC" next to just about any Ruth on eBay, even the 1948-9 Leaf!

Yeah, Piniella had three full out rookie cards -- 1964, 1968 and 1969!!!
Don Baylor also comes to mind, being featured on both 1971 and 1972 rookie cards.

Matt, that's wild about Tartabull. I never knew he had two Rated Rookie cards. The '86 was always the one I went for. I never thought to look for an '85 card.

Ron Cey must have the best counterparts on two different rookie cards, '72 with Ben Oglivie & '73 with Schmidt, of course.

And he was no slouch himself.

Bill Davis
 

Toops Rookie Card King...1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 & 1969

Three more additions to my slowly-growing 1975 Topps set. It's harder finding these cards in really nice condition, and without any obvious print defects, than I thought it was going to be.

http://imageshack.com/a/img674/9807/sRxDyL.pnghttp://imageshack.com/a/img538/1238/tz4rEN.pnghttp://imageshack.com/a/img908/6379/nJ2Kuv.png

These cards look really great when they're lined up. I also have to say I really like these new PSA slabs. They stack nicely.

Time to do some more shopping! :p

That's awesome. He must've had a friend at Topps.

Also wild that Pinella had a 69!

And after all that, after all those cards touting him as a "rookie star" year after year, Bill Davis eeked out a career .181 AVG with one home run, and 5 RBI.

He had as many rookie cards as he had career RBIs.

Phil Niekro has a 1964 and 1965 rookie.

Finally picked up a Brett RC. Not bad for $200.

Attachment 170248

That's hysterical.

Great Brett!

Gorgeous! Great snag at a great price!!

December pickups
 

Here's one of a small group of nice '66 Bazooka singles I received yesterday.

Attachment 170363

Wow, he looks ghoulish!

Looks like he is about to club someone...

1961 Marichal
 

I decided to buy some post-war cards today from Tony at Monster Cards at a show in St. Louis - love this Marichal. Great color even if a bit OC.

A few more from Tony - thank you!
 

Tony gave me what-can-only-be-described-as the deal of all deals on these 3 beautiful cards - 2 favorites and Rickey.

Hey Mike, well done. I live in the St. Louis area and have bought hundreds maybe in the thousands of cards from Tony over the years in my set building endeavors. A great guy and the fairest, most honest dealer I have ever encountered.

Gaylord Perry went from having his own RC in 62 to sharing one in 63.

Another neat fact, Mike Cuellar was in 59 and 60 Topps and didn't appear again until 65.

December pickups
 

This will be a December to remember. Leading off, what may now be the best card in my collection, thanks to a fellow board member.j Up next, my first card of Chuck Klein. Hard to believe but these two guys were second and third in all-time HRs by National Leaguers at the time Hank Aaron broke into the majors.

And then pulling up the rear, a nice upgrade over my prior 1974 Aaron, a 1969 Banks that I thought looked nice for the price, and a Joe Morgan rookie card.

Attachment 170518

Attachment 170519

Attachment 170516

Attachment 170517

Attachment 170520

I've brought this up before, but it bears repeating. The '69 Banks is ridiculously hard to find centered. Well done!

The photo of '74 Aaron card was taken in Kansas City during the All-Star game in 1973. You can see the Royals score board in the background!

December pickups
 

Yes, I was really happy with the shape the Ernie Banks was in. I'm not as big on condition as many of you, but another card I had to really hunt for with even decent centering was the 1972 Hank Aaron in Action. So many of these are really, really bad.

And great eye to identify the 1974 Aaron photo as KC. It probably also goes down as Hank's biggest smile on a card.

Finally, in my haste, I forgot to include Mr. October's rookie card. There definitely some wear, particularly on the bottom edge, but it was one I needed for my "Big 50" board, essentially a collection of the 50 best players I can (maybe) afford, focusing on cards from the 1933-1969 sets.

So without further ado, here he is...REGGIE, REGGIE, REGGIE, REGGIE, ...

Attachment 170536

From a difficut condition-sensitive set
 

http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/204295...SHANTZ_NEW.JPG



.....the bottoms of 1953 Topps really exaggerate any hint of wear....high grades are difficult to find and centering of course is all over the place like any '50's Topps set. I like this one....he's still alive and living in Pottstown Pennsylvania.

Chuck Klein's 1930 season has to rank up there as one of the best of all time. Just dominant.

Sweet Shantz! Much better centering than mine!