2020 Recap: Your Favorite Pick-Ups And Why

[Exhibitman]

1947 Sports Exchange Mini Warren Spahn RC. After being repeatedly skunked on a Tip Top I did some further research and learned about this card, so I grabbed a full sheet. I could readily cut it down to a PSA 8 or better, but I don't give a shit; I have no intention of selling.



1947-66 Exhibit Lindell Holloway Back. I picked up my first Holloway Black Cow Sucker back at the 2019 National. This year I was able to fill in the 'no-cow' variation.



I wish I'd purchased it a few years ago.

[gustomania]

Probably my favorite pickup just because I love the 56 Koufax!

[jb67]

Great thread Adam.

I have been looking for the 68 Uniroyal Bench card forever. Pretty much figured I might not ever find one. Then all of a sudden this popped up. Then I managed to find the complete Uniroyal set in the album shortly after that. Funny how you think you will never land something and then all of sudden two opportunities present themselves so close together.

[hcv123]

Had been searching for about 30 years - full story in a thread I started when I got it a few months back. Still "floating" about it.

[DeanH3]

I found myself buying more 50's/60's this year due to the escalation of many pre-war cards. I decided to re-acquire some of my favorites I sold off to help fund my pre-war purchases many years ago.

'57 Mays. Such a tough card to find with nice eye appeal. This one checks all the boxes for me.



'61 Aaron. This pose has always been a favorite. Very different from the rest of Aaron cards.



An impulse buy that I have no regrets about. The clarity of this postcard is awesome. And I've always liked the pose. I was some what surprised at the relatively low population number.

[jchcollins]

I got out of a brief foray into the prewar business earlier this summer, just due to the overwhelming expense of it even in super low grade. Regardless of my available funds or ability to spend disposable income on cards, I apparently have an invisible limit in my brain that just thinks certain things are ridiculous - and to say that did not jive well with prewar vintage is a gross understatement. So, with some of the proceeds there I added these:

‘72 Aaron base card. I’m working on the set, but have always dug the color pop on this. Classic looking baseball card. This one was a PSA 7 that I busted, because I thought it was fairly undergraded once I actually got the card in-hand:



‘55 Bowman Banks. I’m a Cubs fan, and at some point had a raw lower grade copy of this card years ago. Always regretted getting rid of it:



Reggie RC. A card I have wanted since I was a kid, but for some reason had never managed to pick up before:



‘59 Mantle. This one I will admit was very much an LCS impulse buy, but when I saw how clean the surface on it was, I knew I was going to fork over the money. Even in higher grade, you normally don’t find this card without at least some minor print snow or print funk going on in either the background behind his head, or on the red. In my early 20’s, I briefly had a PSA 7 copy back when that was only about a $500 item. This one has a nicer overall surface and color than that one did:



‘71 Clemente. I’ve always just loved the pose on this card, and the fact that it was his World Series MVP year, and kind of Roberto proving to the world once and for all he was the real deal. I have owned it before, but only in lower grade raw versions. I thought a 6 was decent, since truly high grade slabs on this card exploded some time ago:



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[vintagebaseballcardguy]

As I mentioned in another thread, I got back to my 1950s collecting roots this year and sold off some modern and prewar to help finance it. It's been a good year, and I feel pretty blessed. These are the highlights for me. The '50 Robinson isn't exactly high grade, but I love it all the same.

[jchcollins]

Robert I'm still miffed I didn't pickup a '50 Bowman Yogi back in July when I got the Reggie and that Banks card. I nearly pulled the trigger on about 3 of them. Nice cards!

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

Robert I'm still miffed I didn't pickup a '50 Bowman Yogi back in July when I got the Reggie and that Banks card. I nearly pulled the trigger on about 3 of them. Nice cards!

Thanks, it's always been one of my favorite Yogis. And, fwiw, I feel that way about your '55 Bowman Banks. Great card!

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

Thanks, it's always been one of my favorite Yogis. And, fwiw, I feel that way about your '55 Bowman Banks. Great card!

I remember what happened now, I bought a '54 Topps Berra instead. That's probably a more sentimental card for me in terms of my childhood collecting. That would have made this list, but I didn't have a scan handy.

And PS you know I drool over that '52 Jackie. Outstanding baseball card!

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

I remember what happened now, I bought a '54 Topps Berra instead. That's probably a more sentimental card for me in terms of my childhood collecting. That would have made this list, but I didn't have a scan handy.

And PS you know I drool over that '52 Jackie. Outstanding baseball card!

That '54 Yogi isn't a slouch either! Thanks for the kind words about the '52 Jackie. It has always been one of my favorites in the hobby, and I was thrilled to be able to finally get one.

[TUM301]

Nice stuff guys, Robert that Williams Leaf will always be one of my favorites, such an underrated card I M O. Enjoy that beauty for a long time Sir.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by TUM301

Nice stuff guys, Robert that Williams Leaf will always be one of my favorites, such an underrated card I M O. Enjoy that beauty for a long time Sir.

Thank you. A younger me had one years ago but sold it. I regretted it for years, and I was ecstatic to be able to pick up this one earlier this year. It is one of my very favorites.

[ASF123]

Some beautiful cards in this thread!

[rsdill2]

Great thread.

My 2020 highlights in review:

Bought this raw in January in a lot. Paid less than $300 for the lot of about 10 '54s (rest were commons). Never had a '54 Kaline, always wanted one in midgrade. Wasn't the best scans in the listing so I took a chance that paid off.



Bought this in April. I had a 7 in my set but sold it at a show for $150. Bought this one for $130. Can't beat that.



Bought this in early July. Much like the Kaline, it was one I always wanted and took a gamble on a raw lot. It was a BIN obo, I got it for around $500 thinking it was a 5. Obviously, this one didn't pay off, but I still have no regrets. It's the best looking 1.5 I've ever seen.



Bought this in August. The one in my set wasn't up to par and I like to upgrade stars as I can. Wish I would've upgraded this one a year or two ago but prices continue escalating. This card is almost always o/c l/r, so I liked the centering on this one (although it is slightly o/c top/bottom).



I had a 5 in my set, but this card caught my eye. Upgraded to this for about $50 net.



Something I had been considering a while was refocusing my collection. I have (had) Topps complete sets back to the mid-50s. The mid-70s to today, I never had much attraction to. They were purchased complete, set on a shelf, and I never looked at them. Additionally, I don't plan on holding on to my collection forever, so I also looked at the investment aspect of it: I think holding a few higher $ cards is a better asset, and more liquid, than 50 years of Topps sets. Covid allowed me more time at home to get a plan together. I sold every complete set 1973-2019 individually locally on Facebook, Craigslist, shows, and a few I sold here on net54. I ended up buying a run of Mantle's including:











No regrets from that.

For about $75 net, I upgraded my '64 Mantle (5) to this:



I had a PSA 5 Mantle that was o/c (not qualified, but more o/c than I liked). I upgraded to this and actually made about $50 in the process.



Lastly, I bought this in November. Love the '57s, love Ted (and think he's criminally undervalued), and thought this was a great looking 5.



2020 was a weird year, unlike any year I've ever seen. But it was a fun year in the hobby and I look forward to what 2021 has in store.

[GasHouseGang]

I started getting some Bowman cards. They always kind of were in second place compared to Topps.

[ASF123]

It was a BIN obo, I got it for around $500 thinking it was a 5. Obviously, this one didn't pay off, but I still have no regrets. It's the best looking 1.5 I've ever seen.

How is that even possible?? It's a great-looking card. As someone who wasn't in the hobby to see the rise of PSA and get acculturated to them over time, it is absolutely astonishing that they have any credibility at all, let alone the market-dictating hegemony that they somehow have.

Also - where do you find such amazing lots?

[JollyElm]

2020 was a stellar year for my love affair with cards having qualifiers, so here's ten of them. Yes, I'm cheap, and would much rather save a crapload of money by grabbing cards with supposed 'problems' than dropping a sack of cash on something that was deemed to be a tiny bit better by some unknown grader. Most of the time, I seek out ones that look completely normal to any sane person.


A trio of sick 1970's rookies. The Brett is more off-centered than I usually prefer, but what the Eck's up with the OC on Dennis? He looks pretty sweet!! The coveted Schmidt rookie has some snow...boo hoo...but is otherwise a freakin' sharp cornered, centered 9...

1975minibrett228psa9oc.jpg1976eckersley98.jpg1973schmidt.jpg


Then there are these all time greats, looking pretty fine. The Bench has some invisible gum/wax residue. If there's ever another group sub, I'll crack him out and wipe away the schmutz for a regrade...

1974ryan.jpg1961robinson.jpg1969bench95psa7st.jpg


These two green tints are impossible to find in PSA 9 (with or without qualifiers), having POPs in the low single digits. Very few exist, and if one of them ever shows up, you'd have to drop a boatload of money to obtain it. No thanks. I'll grab ones with phantom print defects for a song...

1962geiger117PSA9pd.jpg1962score116PSA9PD.jpg


Joe Morgan's 1972 high number is extremely costly in a straight PSA 9, and this one looks as close to 'normally' centered as possible, so I done grabbed it. And the Mick? Who wouldn't have grabbed him and his buddies at a very reduced price...

1964topps331albombersmantlePSA9OC.jpg1972morgan752psa9oc.jpg

[rsdill2]

Originally Posted by ASF123

How is that even possible?? It's a great-looking card. As someone who wasn't in the hobby to see the rise of PSA and get acculturated to them over time, it is absolutely astonishing that they have any credibility at all, let alone the market-dictating hegemony that they somehow have.

Also - where do you find such amazing lots?

The Milton Bradley Ryan completely perplexed me and if I ever decide to move it, I will likely crack it out and/or resubmit. I posted about it when I got it back from PSA: https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=292063

I'd say 50-75% of my purchases are on eBay with the balance from here, local shows, and auction houses. Both the Kaline and Ryan were eBay purchases. Like many on this board, I spend more time on eBay than I care to admit. Saved searches are your friend.

[rsdill2]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

A trio of sick 1970's rookies. The Brett is more off-centered than I usually prefer, but what the Eck's up with the OC on Dennis? He looks pretty sweet!! The coveted Schmidt rookie has some snow...boo hoo...but is otherwise a freakin' sharp cornered, centered 9...

That Eck and Schmidt are really nice. You've got a great eye for qualifiers.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

2020 was a stellar year for my love affair with cards having qualifiers, so here's ten of them. Yes, I'm cheap, and would much rather save a crapload of money by grabbing cards with supposed 'problems' than dropping a sack of cash on something that was deemed to be a tiny bit better by some unknown grader. Most of the time, I seek out ones that look completely normal to any sane person.

Nice cards, Darren. My Brett RC is close to dead centered, but yours has nicer corners. Also that's a nice '72 Traded Morgan. Mine is NM but off to the side maybe 70/30. Very difficult card to find even close to well centered.

[quitcrab]

I picked up a partial 1961 Topps sheet. Missing just one column, so it’s 120 cards not 132. Has Gibson and Drysdale and Spahn.
Scott

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

I started getting some Bowman cards. They always kind of were in second place compared to Topps.

Well done, David. Those are great! I have always thought of myself as a Topps first collector, and there are still many Topps cards/sets that I want, but I have been buying quite a bit of Bowman this year. I'm about four cards from a '52 set, and I have picked up several '55 Bowmans as well. I also have my eyes on '50.

[rats60]

Picked up the Clemente Plak with Santo & Wynn. I alreay had the one with Yaz and Killebrew, but couldn't pass this one up for the price.

[Jim65]

My favorite pickup is my latest. 1977 TCMA Lynchburg Mets Stu Greenstein variation. Most people would not know or care about this card but according to most minor league collectors I have spoken to, there are less than 5 and I know only one other collector who owns one. First photo is the common version, second is the rare variation.

[71buc]

Although I am not generally a card guy I do dabble in some. I added Topps Rookie cards of Ernie Banks and Frank Robinson. I saw the spike in prices on such cards and had been procrastinating for many years so I grabbed nice copies while I could still afford them. I also picked up a 1971Bazooka Gum box with Clemente on it. However my favorite card pick was a lot of 1971 Pirate Action photos.

PSA claims there are 17 cards that comprise the 1971 Pirates Action Photos set. They include a Vic Davalillo. I have never seen one nor is there one on any registry. I will believe there are 16 until someone shows me a Davalillo. There is scant information about these. They are a tough issue judging by the PSA population reports which show the Clemente as having the highest population at 10. There are no complete sets in the set registry in either PSA or SGC. This is the only complete (?) set I have ever seen. I can understand the rarity. They measure 4.5" X 7.125" and are condition sensitive as the paper stock is thin. It is essentially similar to that of magazine pages. Thankfully these managed to survive and good shape with the Clemente being in the best condition.

[JLange]

I was fortunate to find some rare and unusual items for my Cleveland Type Cards collection:

-1960s Beisbolistas (Mexico) #106 Pedro Ramos
-1950s Pleybol Card (Mexico) #112 Beto Avila
-1953 Northland Bread for Energy Label Al Rosen
-1962 Sears Little Pro Jimmy Piersall
-1959 Kit's Manufacturing Co. Rocky Colavito card
-1960s Cleveland Indians Team Issue Tito Francona

I am starting to take this aspect of my collection more seriously, as I add interesting types from the 1950s to 1980s, and slowly chip away at pre-war Es, Ms, Rs, Ts, Ws and foreign issues.

[Kevvyg1026]

I presume that is a series 3 slit. Can you post a scan of it?

[gustomania]

Ok, so clearly liked this one so picked up another from MattyC

Originally Posted by gustomania

Probably my favorite pickup just because I love the 56 Koufax!

[Natswin2019]

This is probably my favorite post war pick up from this year. It was my first ever "big card" purchase after returning to the hobby.

[irv]

I've struggled with this question but I've concluded that picking up my last 3 cards to finish my 52 Topps low number run was likely the collecting highlight of 2020 for me.

I have also picked up some other great cards this year including my Page bio back/err on a 52 Topps Johnny Sain card, but I can't leave out some of the great hockey card purchases I made prior to the huge price increases everyone is now familiar with.
Real happy with those and my decision to pursue some of the cards I had in my youth.

[leaflover]

I think the HOF'ers from the '54 set might become a quest for 2021.

[smrtn240]

Please sell me your strip card David