really into centered aaron rookies lately, but this is a pop 1 with only 1 higher. although the sig isn't as sharp as I would like, the man is 81 years old so I couldn't resist!

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...pstnrkbmbh.jpg

Never thought about cracking it out to resubmit. Once I get it in hand I will be able to have a better idea. BTW you are dead on. It is a PSA 3.5 but looks much better.

That Aaron rookie card is to die for!!! That is one sweet card. Congrats on the addition.

Insane signed Aaron. Wish I could track down a Mick like that, either 51 or 52. The card alone would be bananas since they rarely are centered that nicely. I've seen people display ten or more at once and they all have really unevenly sized borders.

Sweet card Begsu! Always love the Hank centered like that. Actually i have seen a few reently thats been centered well, in fact i think PWCC had a few nice ones in their latest auction. Well Done.

At MattyC: i remember seeing a signed Mick 51 or 52 elsewhere, i'll post if i run across it again.
Here ya go MattyC, This is from Heritage, where the buyer is offering Make offer:
NOT MINE!!!
http://dyn2.heritagestatic.com/lf?se...oduct.chain%5D

Will bring the level of Aaron awesomeness down a bit but continue the Hammer theme nonetheless.

The magazine is what I believe to be Aaron's first solo cover on a national publication. (First SI wasn't till 1969!)

The two cards are from the 1960 Nu-Card Baseball Hi-lites set. Prices are funny...I see anywhere from $10-$150 for mid-grade. Note that the "beats Yankees" photo is actually Aaron's "beats Cardinals" pic...an error that was corrected in the 1961 Nu-Card Baseball Scoops set.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...7ca7350619.jpg

These two just came in the mail. The Koufax is for a team set I now have 14 of 24 cards for. Am curious if you think it was a good value at $77. It was advertised as EX but has much rounder corners than that grade would warrant. Of course, a true EX would have cost much more than $77.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...d5c0f7ac27.jpg

Nice looking cards Jason.

Just my amateur opinion but if Sandy hand Monte's corners I would say you got a steal, but as is I think you paid a fair price for him.

Yes, I would love to trade corners if I could! I worry there may come a day when I look at my framed 56 Dodgers display and regret these corners. But if that happens, I'm hoping I can recoup most of what I paid.

This was the card that first really sparked my interest in "old" star cards as an 11 year-old back in 1988, in the midst of the Mattingly & Canseco soaked hobby that existed at the time. I found it waiting for me at a wonderful place (which is now long gone) called The Red Lantern Hobby Shop at Cotswold Mall in Charlotte, NC. I think with a little begging and after securing a loan of maybe $20 from my mother, I walked out with this card - worse centered than the example I have here, but sharp nonetheless and a speciman that would still have graded a 7 or at least a 6 today.

Flash forward less than a year - the kid down the street comes off the bus one day and says he has a baseball card I absolutely had to see - it turned out to be an totally destroyed (and waterlogged in its toploader to boot...) '65 Mantle #350. You guessed it...within about an hour I had traded my Sandy for the '65 Mantle. At the time I thought I had stumbled on something which surely should have been on display in Cooperstown (remember I was only 11, and at the time Mantle's status in the hobby and as an icon in the USA in general was only somewhat short of a total God...) I don't regret making the trade because it DID get me my first ever original Mantle card, but still - I have had regrets about giving up that nice '66 Koufax off and on - for nearly 30 years now.

Finally made it right with some birthday cash (I'm 38 now :)) a couple of weeks ago. What a card! It may have been Sandy's last year, but do remember - his swan song (27-9, 1.73 ERA, 317 K's, his third and final Cy Young award when there was only one given in all of baseball...) is the single finest in baseball history. The stat line on the back showing the record 382 strikeouts in 1965 really stands out, too. In the years since my trade for the battered '65 Mantle, I have gone through other Koufax cards - including a '57 Topps which I still have - but until just a few days ago I had never had another '66. It feels good!

On a side note, I was struck by how Monte's name was signed "Monty" on that card. So I did a bit of research and found his 1952 Topps card has him as Monty Irvin (Monford Monty Irvin), too. I wonder when/why "Monty" became "Monte"??

thanks matty! I thought I had a 51 mantle locked down the other week. ended up being a scam (search recent sales on ebay). card never showed, still kinda bummed bc I have been looking for a while. there was a 52 psa dna listed a month or so ago, but it was dog ugly and guy wanted $26K I think.


jb, thanks and if it really is a 3.5 I would crack and resubmit in a heartbeat. not much risk as if trying to crack out an 8 to go for a 9. seems like only upside and considering the day, ya never know...it could come back an easy 6-7 on a good day! lemme know if ya do and what the results are....

Speaking of Monte
 

Recently picked up this lovely '51 for my HOF rookie collection.

Nice looking Irvin rookie congrats! My kind of card! Love the centering.

I know we say it a ton around here but those early Bowman cards are just effing gorgeous pieces. The colors and the backgrounds are so pleasing to look at.

jb,

thanks for the pm. I've known about the other 52 being in the 57 spot, I just needed a quick kick in the arse to get it changed, so here she is...gave up a lil of my centering ocd to concentrate on the registration. the 57 series is a tough one in that regards. even w. my scanner it appears she is a lil washed out on the registration, but she's not...

disclaimer: this isn't a march pickup, I just couldn't figure out how to display a pic in a pm.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...pstwqzh6tu.jpg

I agree when it comes to the 57-- that is one card where one has to weigh image clarity and boldness alongside centering. Both would be ideal but like the 41 Joe D, both problems plague it with the same unfortunate frequency. The two times I have encountered a really nice bold image at a good price point, I pulled the trigger.

I think we have may the same father, matty!

51s
 

Thanks! Those 51s really are great cards. I have been lucky to get Mays, Ford and Irvin with great centering. Definitely amongst the highlights of my collection! Still don't have the Mick...maybe one of these days.

Very nice. Back in my pseudo-dealer days I had one with just gorgeous registration and that blue-green background hue that is so hard to find, but it was O/C about 75/25 left to right and I eventually got rid of it.

I am a little behind on my scanning but I recently picked up some key additions to my Post-War Cardinals collection.

http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/...psxxjn3xl4.jpg

I also picked up some odd ball stuff and a few 1955 Double Headers. The 1961 Topps are both blank backs and the 1960 Miller is a Venezuelan (my first!).

http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/...psqt8chmxk.jpg

And last I picked up some 1954 Bowmans, I am contemplating putting together a low grade set. This would be my first attempt at any set older than 1973 Topps.

http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/...psqaijf1vu.jpg

Won a 1968 Topps set in the BST auction. Here are some key cards. The Ryan graded PSA 5 and the Bench PSA 6(ST).

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...s950jkvua.jpeg

Looks like the Ryan/Koosman is a 1968 Milton Bradley card.

+1

set pickups
 

Pretty nice mail day for me:
raw commons for my 55 set
SGC commons for my 56 set
PSA commons for my 58 set

Thanks for the look!

Added 2 HOF RC's

Very nice HOF RC's, Dan.

Not a card, but thought this was still relevant to share. Just received the LOA for this today!
Attachment 183135

What a unique find! Super.

I never post my pickups here because quite frankly I feel a it intimidated by most of the high grade cards. I am a collectors collector. I enjoy the beaters with good eye appeal.
Having said that the card I have been wanting for a very, very long time arrived today. A special thanks to Pete Sycks for working so well with me to make sure I add it to my collection. I was hoping it would be the final card needed for this set completion but it was mailed so fast and I am still waiting on the arrival of a few more from other members as well as an auction site. Now on to my next project.

Here it is. The only 52 Mantle I ever wanted.
Drew

Beautiful card Drew and congrats on completing your set!

Great looking card Drew!!

Drew very nice Mantle pickup and congrats on set completion.

March Pickups
 

My first '47 Bond Bread card.

Attachment 183271

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...65f629ffb8.jpg

A moderate upgrade. OC but better than what I had.

Jon


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

drew,

keep posting them! and don't ever feel intimidated. I can sit and look at mantles all day long whether they are 1's or 10's. ironically enough, I sealed a deal with pete on this same card (not exact same, obviously). so far it's been smooth sailing both customer service and price wise!

bobc,

I just picked up a raw 47 bond bread berra. didn't pay much for it at all (maybe $30-$40) and was listed as an original, but have you ran into many repro's or have any info to share on this set?

I'm sure there are others here that know far more about these cards than I do. I believe the square-cornered versions may be of questionable authenticity. I just think the cards are cool and this Feller came at a good price.

Sounds like you should ask the auctionhouse for a real Ryan/Koosman since you don't have a complete set. ;-)

dan,

that cepeda card is tough. nice card!!! the winny aint too shaby either. you just do hof rc?

Hey Bob, I mostly collect MLB Player HOF RC's along with autographed baseballs for each. If I get a good deal I'll add a prewar HOF RC now and then. I try to get as many of the possible HOF RC's for each player as I can get. I'm also close to completing a 1969 Topps set.

I just checked out some of your collection, very nice! Especially the Mantle set. Good luck!

usps claims "rain, sleet or snow" delivery but doesn't mention anything about having to navigate thru a quarter million drunks. so, st pattys day is pretty big day here in savannah (3rd largest parade, I think) so it pretty much shuts everything down here including the mail.

however, nothing like a nice aaron sandwhich for the hangover!!!

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...psygzov8uk.jpg

Bob - nice work on those Aarons. Both look solid for the grade.
While that card has been shooting up in value of late, I still feel there is growth to be had based on Mr. Aaron's place in history, etc.
Also, literally one of my favorite cards from an aesthetic perspective as well - the background orange coupled with the old Braves logo really stands out.

Good job.

(now, i am in search for another low graded exampled to add to my collection).

yossarian,

thank you and i totally agree. why the natural all time homerun king's cards are still somewhat low considering puzzles me, i am more than happy to keep picking them up when they are nice and centered, regardless of the grade.

personally to me, i think the 1.5 looks better than the 2.

Agree on the Aaron RCs. They do look very nice for their grades, especially the 1.5. To me, Aaron is everything good about baseball--a guy who came from humble beginnings, faced tremendous adversity, persevered, accomplished the impossible, and ultimately used his fame and wealth to create opportunities for others.

I keep hearing the same things about the Aaron RC escalating in price recently but hard to tell from my results. Listed two for sale on Net54, both with near perfect centering, one was a 3.5 and the other was a 4 and I was barely able to squeeze out $800 for the 3.5 and couldn't even get $900 for the 4 and ended up consigning it to an auction house. Like everything else, they will probably escalate once gone from my collection.:D

Just arrived a crease free "2" Mantle
 

Nice pick up on the 53 Mantle. Great color and look for a 2. Congrats!
Drew

that's a solid 2 mantle! one thing about the 53 (for me, atleast) is the lower left hand corner and how often it gets chipped and turns white. even your's w/ the corner wear doesn't display it which is a good thing, imo. cheers!

to this day, i have still yet to find my 53. it's always centering issues and a good corner or a dead centered one with a chipped up lower left corner.