Anyone here building a complete 1952 Topps set?

[Brianruns10]

Originally Posted by Zone91

Brianruns10

You have some nice cards for sure....the # 407 is tough!!! In what grade do you want to get the Mantle in?

I am kind of worried about the high numbers they seem to be selling for way more than what they are valued in the SMR.

I have been changing the amount of 52 Topps cards I own in my opening statement because I am currently buying some almost every day.

Post # 1

I think the Mathews is THE sleeper of the whole series. He is a perfect storm of rarity...single printed on the sheet. A HOFer. It's his one and true Rookie card, he was the last card in the set, meaning he comes up with the same problems as the Pafko in terms of wear and tear, and because of his location on the sheet (I suspect the corner) finding a truly centered example is practically a snipe hunt. The one I bought is dead centered on all sides, and I paid a healthy premium over SMR for it...and I don't regret it, as I've yet to see another like it come up on ebay or auction in the two years since I bought it.

As for the SMR, I use it, and I find int pretty handy. The trick is when buying any set, but especially the '52s, quality impacts the value. I've seen mediocre high number cards sell for significantly less than SMR. And I've seen dead centered ones go for almost double SMR. People will pay for that eye appeal that comes with a centered example, and as I've said elsewhere before, if I was offered the choice between a PSA 8 slightly off center, and a PSA 6 dead centered, each for the same price, I'd take the PSA 6 in a heartbeat.

As for the Mantle...I'm gonna hold out for a good one. I share the sentiments of many who feel it is an over-valued card, especially in the lower grades. I'm not a speculator looking to turn a quick profit, but should the need a arise, I want to be able to recoup my money, and I'd hope the card's values would keep pace at least with inflation. So you gotta go with quality, and when I buy the Mantle, it'll be a dead centered card, and I'm gonna aim for a PSA 6.