A 1952 Topps complete set. Starting "the" ultimate post war project

[cardsagain74]

Originally Posted by jasonc

Who is collecting their set all graded, or all raw or a combination?

At this point, most of what I am getting is pretty much all raw, except for a few here and there that have been graded (which are HOF's or High numbers)

I don't know for uniformity if I am going to crack the slabs and have it all raw, or just leave them how they are.


Who here is storing their set in a binder, who is using card savers/top loaders?

I'm getting a combination of raw/graded (not much of a factor in my choices). The better the card, the more likely I've ended up with a graded one. One of the few things where this set has been no different than others!

Top loaders and the usual storage boxes. Not a fan of binders, regardless of something's value.

[cardsagain74]

Too much quarantine buying for this lately

A bunch of commons/minors, a lower grade Snider, and four PSA 1.5 high numbers. The finish line for the low numbers is easy to see, as I now have more than half of them (with just Pafko and Spahn being the only cards of any relevance left).

But the high numbers. Yup.

The four that I just picked up were barely worth it. If that. I was happy paying what I did for the few slabbed grade 3ish ones a few weeks ago, but this was a little different. Need to slightly reassess this balance of need the card/tough to get/maybe the market for them is still going up that fast/but am I still overpaying.

Whenever I see the occasional Jackie R or Mathews go up, a winning bid hasn't come quite close enough to happening yet. Either the card just isn't nice enough to pay "that" for it, or someone else wanted it more at the moment. That could change at any time, but I'm in no hurry.

The Mantle though.....could anyone feel that comfortable paying current market price for it, with how our economy's future could be at the moment?

Holding on for the ride.

183/407

[bks14sr]

Originally Posted by cardsagain74

Too much quarantine buying for this lately

A bunch of commons/minors, a lower grade Snider, and four PSA 1.5 high numbers. The finish line for the low numbers is easy to see, as I now have more than half of them (with just Pafko and Spahn being the only cards of any relevance left).

But the high numbers. Yup.

The four that I just picked up were barely worth it. If that. I was happy paying what I did for the few slabbed grade 3ish ones a few weeks ago, but this was a little different. Need to slightly reassess this balance of need the card/tough to get/maybe the market for them is still going up that fast/but am I still overpaying.

Whenever I see the occasional Jackie R or Mathews go up, a winning bid hasn't come quite close enough to happening yet. Either the card just isn't nice enough to pay "that" for it, or someone else wanted it more at the moment. That could change at any time, but I'm in no hurry.

The Mantle though.....could anyone feel that comfortable paying current market price for it, with how our economy's future could be at the moment?

Holding on for the ride.

183/407

Regarding the Mantle, i have the same feeling as you. $10k for an A is ridiculous in the current state of the economy. Like all other extras or luxury items, these prices will be affected. I would much rather stay liquid or invest that kind of money elsewhere. I was close to pulling the trigger on a PSA 2 a few months back, but no way I'd consider that now.

[cardsagain74]

For the '52 T experts out there: what's going on with this lot?

There must be some rare variations or something I'm not aware of (to be at $350)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1952-TOPPS-...A&LH_Auction=1

[jayshum]

Originally Posted by cardsagain74

For the '52 T experts out there: what's going on with this lot?

There must be some rare variations or something I'm not aware of (to be at $350)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1952-TOPPS-...A&LH_Auction=1

If the tiger on the Frank House card is yellow, that would be a rare variation of that card.

[Republicaninmass]

Snagged 2 High's this week. Down to out 14 more...then upgrades

[cardsagain74]

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

Snagged 2 High's this week. Down to out 14 more...then upgrades

Instead of being down to 14 left, I have about 14 of them

With just Shuba being the highest BV. Hopefully I will land a big one soon so that it's not always feeling like you're right at the starting gate (of such a lengthy venture)

[cardsagain74]

Ah, I see the tiger closeups in the extra pics now.

Thanks!

[LincolnVT]

Great thread! I've made some good progress recently on my lower grade (G -- EX) set. Such a great group of cards...so pretty...this is one of my favorite cards in the set. Now I'm looking for the following:

261, 289, 311, 312, 315, 330, 343, 345, 351, 356, 362, 369, 370, 373, 376, 378, 379, 382, 384, 386, 392, 395, 396, 398, 399, 403, 404, 406, 407.

[Exhibitman]

I am only putting together the HOFers and a few other cards I like (Zernial, Rosen, Minoso, etc.). I am down to a handful of cards I need.

Unfortunately, they are Rizzuto Snider Mays Mantle Reese Wilhelm and Matthews.

[cardsagain74]

A PSA 2.5 Bartirome is now on its way (along with some commons). Am glad to get him out of the way. Because even though the evolution of the market in the last four years for that card is so bizarre, and it could crash at some point, you just don't know if it will get even more impossible in upcoming years.

I'd rather risk mine losing 600-700 in value than have to possibly two or three thousand more for it down the road, or have the supply dry up even more for it.

Down to 34 left now.

373/407

[cardsagain74]

And one more common now coming from Ted. Two updates in an hour

374/407

[Republicaninmass]

Went against my own habits and bought the bvg 7.5.burgess. the ONLY high I've been able to add in months. Thanks again John, it's been fun watching

[campyfan39]

I haven’t bought 52’s in a while. Is the Tony B so expensive because that crazy guy bought so many of them? So did his strategy work?

Originally Posted by cardsagain74

A PSA 2.5 Bartirome is now on its way (along with some commons). Am glad to get him out of the way. Because even though the evolution of the market in the last four years for that card is so bizarre, and it could crash at some point, you just don't know if it will get even more impossible in upcoming years.

I'd rather risk mine losing 600-700 in value than have to possibly two or three thousand more for it down the road, or have the supply dry up even more for it.

Down to 34 left now.

373/407

[irv]

Originally Posted by campyfan39

I haven’t bought 52’s in a while. Is the Tony B so expensive because that crazy guy bought so many of them? So did his strategy work?

I believe that is the case? Many, from what I understand were also purchasing them and then re-selling them to him as he was continuing his quest to purchase as many as he could? (Link below)
https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=211710

[cardsagain74]

Originally Posted by campyfan39

I haven’t bought 52’s in a while. Is the Tony B so expensive because that crazy guy bought so many of them? So did his strategy work?

He succeeded in the value of the card going way up, though naturally there's no way of really knowing how many he had (or if/when he's sold them).

What stands out to me is that he began doing this over 5 years ago (but in all that time, nothing has changed with the card's "toughness" or price trend). Usually when there's a pump and dump or really artificial move higher in an asset's value, the rise and fall happens in just a matter of months. People are impatient to make their quick buck and move on.

But since that hasn't happened yet with the Bartirome after all this time, I didn't want to take the chance of the card (or the perception of it) continuing to get more difficult to find in upcoming years, and it becoming that much more expensive.