Checklist Collectors?

[mintacular]

Anyone a checklist collector? Not really myself but I just bought one (the 4th/5th series) for my '57 set (marked) for $50. Just wondering if anyone is hardcore for the unchecked ones, etc. Although this set I am builiding is EX-MT or better I just can't stomach/afford paying several hunred bucks for a damn checklist. And I find endearing the checks, on this latest one, the original owner wrote "x" = don't have.

In terms of price, I notice that by the early 70s "unchecked" cards really don't hold much value but have never understood did vintage collectors just give up on actually checking the boxes when 1970s hit? Where is the cut off? Thanks.

[steve B]

The late 50's checklists were inserts along with other offers. so many of them would have been thrown out almost right away. The later checklists were numbered as part of the set, so you needed the checklists to complete the set. So more got saved, either checked or unchecked. Usually checked.

Many of the 60's checklists were double prints across two series, giving kids still more reason to hate them and throw them out. Who wants a card listing cards you can't even buy yet?

By the early 70's the hobby had matured slightly. There were places that actually sold full sets, and sorting by number got a bit more popular. Mid 70's this was a little more common. And by the late 70's there were checklist books. So unmarked checklists were more comon as time went by.

I collect them, but not fanatically.

My favorite checklist story was the first batch of donruss in 1981. The collation was horrid. Dad enough that the dealer I went to sent a bunch back if I recall it right. One guy got 11 Yaz and 4 random other cards which was great. Another got 11 checklists and 4 random cards of which one was another checklist! Not so great.

Steve B

[mintacular]

That's alot of stuff I didn't know. Are you saying the 50s checklists were not sold in packs, and if not, how exactly were they distributed?

[ALR-bishop]

I am not a checklist collector per se, but in collecting all the sets, needed all the checklists

For 57 I have 8, the 4 CLs with both the Bazooka and Blony backs. There are also 4 contest insert cards May 4 and 25, and June 22 and July 19...and the Lucky penny insert card...and the Lucky Penny and Chain send away itself.

The checklists were inserts in the packs. Even the marked CLs from 57, particularly 3 and 4, cost some bucks

[steve B]

Just 56 and 57 were pack inserts. Ad inserts lasted till 1960.

What I'm not sure about being younger is if in say 56 every pack had a checklist or if they were random inserts. If every pack had one, I can see nearly all of them getting thrown out. Same for 57, most kids would have tossed the ads, and after the first couple, all the checklists as well.

As late as 76 I got free cards from a kid that wanted the gum, not the cards. He bought packs and threw the cards away just outside the store.

Steve B

[Doug]

If I was putting together a set my OCD would probably kick in and require me to have the checklists (unmarked of course) to consider my set complete, but I've never had that kind of patience so I just stick to collecting single cards. :)

[mintacular]

Would the insert count as a "card" in terms of how many you got? So if '57 had 5 cards in a pack would the checklist count as one of those 5? Speaking of '57s I just bought the 4th/5th series CL (that is marked) for $50 and I feel like that was quite a good $