December 2023 Pickup Thread

[Harliduck]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

So. Kind of a surprise, kind of not - this wound up happening at LCS #2 yesterday. I am focusing set collecting efforts more towards 1963 and away from ‘67 lately - as I realized in the end it’s a lot easier to pay $10 or $15 for no-name high numbers than it is $100 or more. You’ll notice this is well below my usual grading standard for postwar vintage. Whatever, maybe it’s getting older as a collector, maybe it’s something else, but I’m just not spending $2K or more on a PSA 5 or 6 range example. This card won’t win any beauty contests, but here’s one of life’s true facts about the Pete Rose rookie card - neither will most high grade copies! The ‘63 floating heads are among Topps’ stranger choices I guess. I don’t think the cards are downright ugly, but it’s hard to make a case the other way that they are gorgeous as well. The Rose, as has other examples of rookie cards throughout history - became iconic regardless while not necessarily being the Mona Lisa. While this is no doubt a well deserved 1 (multiple creases, corners are gone, surface crap) I think it still retains decent eye appeal for what it is. Either way - this represents a huge check mark on my list for ‘63 Topps. Of course when discussing that set, the invariable question comes around - “Do you have the Rose?” Also trying to forget at the moment the MUCH nicer copy of this card I briefly had for about the same price point circa 5 years ago. Oy…




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Congrats on the Rose card John! It's funny, I've owned two of these in my life, and to date, they are the only ones I've ever seen in person...such an iconic card regardless of the floating heads or condition. First time I put the set together I had an SGC 5...and it cost me $500...I then sold the set...immediately regretted it...and when I put it back together I ended up buying an SGC 4...and now looking at comps, the $900 I paid was a good deal...well, now. Love yours....COOL. The 63 set is fun to put together...lots of pesky floating head cards like the Dalkowski (SP?)...and the Stargell...Oliva...even some minor stars...just lots of cool rookie cards. Clemente in the highs is cool too...

[Harliduck]

Crappy story...was going through some sets the other night only to find that the last page of my 1958 Topps set was MISSING. Only explanation is the page was stolen...cards and sheet missing. Made me sick to my stomach. Could have happened in the last 2 or 3 months...and we have had lots of visitors to the house...and with 4 older daughters they have had guests over. We have one guess...but...

Anyway, had to replace that last page...most were easy and I quickly just bought some nice EX BINs...picked up a nice Spahn AS...the big one is the Mantle AS. Won this last night in an auction...a little OC and looks like some erased pencil on top, but nice enough as it matches the VG, VG/EX of my set. I was shocked what I won it for...went to bed with a much higher bid and woke up to quite a shock. Anyway...now only need the Aaron AS to be back to a complete set...

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Harliduck

Crappy story...was going through some sets the other night only to find that the last page of my 1958 Topps set was MISSING. Only explanation is the page was stolen...cards and sheet missing. Made me sick to my stomach. Could have happened in the last 2 or 3 months...and we have had lots of visitors to the house...and with 4 older daughters they have had guests over. We have one guess...but...

Anyway, had to replace that last page...most were easy and I quickly just bought some nice EX BINs...picked up a nice Spahn AS...the big one is the Mantle AS. Won this last night in an auction...a little OC and looks like some erased pencil on top, but nice enough as it matches the VG, VG/EX of my set. I was shocked what I won it for...went to bed with a much higher bid and woke up to quite a shock. Anyway...now only need the Aaron AS to be back to a complete set...

Nice replacement Mantle, but that sucks if your cards were stolen!

I got lucky yesterday - forgot the cleaning crew people were coming, and left a pile of nice 63's sitting out on my desk in the guest room / office. Probably 500 dollars worth of cards easy, including a graded Koufax.

When I got home after 5, the cards were all there, right where I left them. I knew we trusted these folks when we hired them, but glad that trust still seems well placed. My cards are insured and usually well put away, but sometimes you realize something like this and it makes you feel uneasy...

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Harliduck

Congrats on the Rose card John! It's funny, I've owned two of these in my life, and to date, they are the only ones I've ever seen in person...such an iconic card regardless of the floating heads or condition. First time I put the set together I had an SGC 5...and it cost me $500...I then sold the set...immediately regretted it...and when I put it back together I ended up buying an SGC 4...and now looking at comps, the $900 I paid was a good deal...well, now. Love yours....COOL. The 63 set is fun to put together...lots of pesky floating head cards like the Dalkowski (SP?)...and the Stargell...Oliva...even some minor stars...just lots of cool rookie cards. Clemente in the highs is cool too...

Thanks John. I briefly owned a PSA 5 of the Rose probably 3 years ago; sold it for about what I just paid for this one, and of course regretted that. Sometimes lower grade cards carry a bit of character with the patina, and at least for right now, that's how I feel about this one. The rest of my set will be nicer, but the card still carries eye appeal. Later on, as my interests become more specific I might consider upgrading it if I consolidate some of the rest of my collection. As with the rest of the high number big rookie cards from the 60's, it's still an awfully expensive card even in a PSA 1.

Yeah I love '63 overall, just an iconic design and among the most colorful of the decade. '67 might have the best pictures, but to me '63 is the best combo of design and pictures in the 1960's. Funny you mention the Dalkowski, that's on it's way to me from ebay right now, actually. I have most of the other major stars (Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Clemente, Koufax...) and need to dig in on the commons now. The Clemente high # is very cool, great pose. It may be my favorite card in the whole set.

Happy Holidays!