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!
