Great pick-up, Derek. Never even knew that one existed either.

I know I've been silent since starting the month strong, but back with another...

Best centering south of 8s and up that I've ever seen.

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...-mickey-mantle

Jim Palmer Collection is complete now!

<a href="http://s209.photobucket.com/user/TopekaPalms/media/67Palmer_zpsfd73bec9.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/TopekaPalms/67Palmer_zpsfd73bec9.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 67Palmer_zpsfd73bec9.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s209.photobucket.com/user/TopekaPalms/media/71Palmer_zps87cabc0c.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/TopekaPalms/71Palmer_zps87cabc0c.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 71Palmer_zps87cabc0c.jpg"/></a>

That '67 Palmer looks MUCH better than a 4. Nice lookin' card!

Agreed. Congratulations on completing your collection, K-Nole.

What did you do, a master set of all Palmer's Topps cards? Or, did you go for all the regular issue cards without things like "In Action"?

Thanks guys!!

It just amazes me at the 70's Orioles pitching staff!!

I just went after the regular issue, Palmer, no "In Action" or Leader cards.

I am just now getting back into the hobby. I am one of those guys that left in the 90's and came back recently to collect only vintage along with my son who is 11.

And in doing so, I have 3 ways that we collect.

1) I do this way alone, as my son is not into the "REALLY old stuff", but I collect E120 & E121 American Caramel.

2) Along with my son, we collect HOF regular issue "set". We have completed Brock, Carlton, McCovey, R. Jackson, & now Palmer. We are one card off on, B. Robinson (dreaded 67), My all time favorite player Al Kaline (Rookie 54), Killebrew (Rookie 55) and Carew (Rookie 67).

3) Along with my son, we put together vintage sets. Working on 71 Topps Baseball (hence the 71 Palmer).

Last day in Cooperstown
 

Before we headed home from Cooperstown, my wife encouraged me to go back into one of the card shops and haggle for this one....my first Mantle. Yes, you read that right...my wife encouraged me to go back and buy a vintage card... :)

Nice pickup ^^^ congrats!

Carl, what a nice story. Thanks for sharing. Your wife must have good taste to recognize how drop dead gorgeous this Mickey Mantle card is. One of Topps's best of The Commerce Comet. Or, perhaps she saw the serious longing in your eyes as you looked at this card. Whatever, you depict a deep expression of love from the wife of a devoted collector and devoted husband. After all, you BOTH went to Cooperstown. That says something, too.

Thanks again for sharing. ---Brian Powell

Pleased to add these two to my collection:

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...psbfcbeea1.jpg

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...ps60c3f011.jpg

Great card, Carl! Looks like your wife is not only a keeper, but she has a great eye for centering. ;)

Sweet Mantle pieces, Chris!

Encouragement
 

But, Chuck, wait until she sees what she has unleashed...:)

Finally knocked this off my list to complete this set after about 10 years of chasing....

Great card...that Fleer Williams is a tough one! Great grade too...

My wife and the 56 Mick
 

Thanks for the nice comments on my card and on my lovely wife, everyone! So, she is truly a keeper...after spending seven hours at the Hall of Fame with me on Friday, watching two full games at Doubleday Field with me, and standing patiently by as I examined all sorts of cards at random shops....she saw the look in my eye when I at long last found the 1956 Mantle the morning of our final day in town...all I had bought was about 100 misc ungraded singles, mostly in vg-ex condition, of HOFers and minor stars. But, oh how I admired that Mick...but we'd spent a lot of cash at the B and B, various nice dinners, and I had my 100 cards...so we went to a bakery on the corner of Main St and Chestnut to have a snack before heading home...she asked, "Carl, is there anything else you want to do before we go?" I said, "no, I'm good...." with an obvious twinge of pining.... To which she said, "I don't want you to have any regrets...I know you want that card...let's go negotiate."

So we went back to the shop, took another look, she said "corners are a little rough, but looks good otherwise" (sitting next to me as I examine my cards every other night seems to have rubbed off)...I offered the dealer a very fair cash price which he accepted. And now the Mick belongs to us. :) a truly wonderful moment in my collecting life and continuing, 12 year romance with my wife.

Love this card, centering be damned!
 

... just my type, super sharp corners and aside from that print mark, super sharp image/colors.

Attachment 142808

Brett
 

Picked up a '75 BB set, which included this Brett:

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/q...ps40d0979f.jpg

Added a couple of PSA 7 1961 high numbers. They're both available for trade…

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6e8eace4.jpg

Tuttle
 

Nice cards Darren. Tuttle has his chaw bulge. He was one of several players that developed oral cancer. I think Bret Butler and Curt Flood were among others

Add Bill Tuttle and Tony Gwynn to that unfortunate list. I loved Tony as a player. I met him and experienced one of those rare moments when a players off the field personality was even more amazing than his athletic ability. Mr. Gwynn is the epitome of class and is in my prayers. Sorry for straying off topic:o

REGARDING "MY WIFE AND THE 56 MICK":

Dear Carl,

Truly, I thank you for opening up and sharing the whole episode of your trip to Cooperstown, climaxed by the last minute decision by your wife to commence negotiating for that 1956 Topps Mantle! That's precious. You know, sometimes a card will carry an extra large measure of sentiment based upon the story of how you acquired the piece. I feel this one will always have a special glow for you. Further, a sense of, "How much does my wife love me?" Whenever you look at that card, you will often be reminded of your wife's love to you.

Interesting. Twenty-six years ago, prior to a Mr. Mint phone auction, I broke down and told my wife how very, very badly I wanted a certain Mickey Mantle card that he was auctioning. I sensed it was a chance of a lifetime. Ultra rare in high grade. Ultra beautiful. Ultra expensive. We talked over how we could fund it, if I won it. I will never forget her tender understanding of the situation, her compassion towards my feelings and thoughts.

As it turned out, I won the rare Mantle. I have always remembered and have been thankful to God for His help to win the card, and to my wife for her encouragement to fight for it. Without her support, I doubt that I would have pursued it as vigorously as I did, and thus would have lost out. Indeed, it has also turned out exactly as I sensed---the chance of a lifetime.

Wishing you and your darlin' the very, very best. ---Brian Powell

Thanks, Brian! Great story - one of the best aspects about collecting cards is the ones that have meaning beyond the card itself. It's the player, the moment, the deeper connection. I have a handful like that and my Mick, much like yours, will always have that resonance!

Great reply, Brian, and I have to ask....

if you don't mind sharing, which Mantle did you buy 26 years ago, do you still own it, and, if so, can you please post a scan/picture? Either way, thanks for sharing. :)

Mantle
 

Ultra rare. The 61 Dice and 67 Stand Up come to mind. Great stories guys

Briggs Meats?

Hi guys. I apologize for taking so long to respond. I've been with my family and can now break away.

The card I spoke of is a 1953 Stahl-Meyer Franks. Ultra rare it is not. Ultra rare in high grade, by all means yes. When interviewing metro New York dealer David Festberg for my book, he replied very blase and matter-of-factly, "they're around."

Indeed. Though what he should have included with his assessment was another "around". The condition of most survivors is around PSA 1 / SGC 10 Poor, with more than a few of them being stuck with the ST qualifier for stain.

The number of available survivors on eBay is about seven at the moment. They tend to stay put [ALTHOUGH AN SGC 1.5 WITH NICE EYE APPEAL JUST RECENTLY LEFT THE BAY, THE VENDOR'S LISTING SAYS IT IS NOW NO LONGER AVAILABLE]. Understandably, most collectors have no clue and cannot fathom the conception of paying several thousand dollars for a baseball card that's heavily-creased, bearing four streaks of hot dog stains (sometimes on both sides), having a strange blueish-purple ink code number stamped on the card's front, pin or tack holes at the top, and occasionally is found sun-bleached from years of being proudly displayed in a youngster's bedroom.

Of course, being a Mr. Mint phone auction, Alan was not offering such a normal specimen. Quite the antithesis.

Now I'm afraid I might disappoint a few of you. I cannot post a scan for the simple reason my aforementioned wife does not want me to do so. I'm still awaiting word from the publisher concerning the book I wrote, NEVER CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN. In chapter 13 I present a lengthy provenance of this particular card and the promotion from whence it came, with a full-page photo comprised of an artistic presentation along with the graded card, to which I truly hope my critical, cynical, hard-to-please and impress fellow collectors will even find smashing. I'm sure you will understand then my need not to play my own spoiler.

Again, I reiterate my sincere thanks to Carl for sharing his wonderful story.
---Brian Powell

Well I, for one, look forward to seeing the card in chapter 13....good luck with the publisher!

Thanks Carl. Your kind encouragement means a lot right now. As I wrote on the back cover, "Written by a collector for other collectors." --Brian Powell