April Pickups
 

No joke - getting April started off right. Added this iconic card to my collection.

http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/...ps67b5598f.jpg

Now that is the way to start the month off. Congrats!!!

Very nice, Shaun! I have two cards on my "want list" right now, and that's one of them. Sweet cardboard!

Thanks - I've been coveting it for a long time so I'm glad to finally add it to my collection.

WOW. I love that card and everything about it. Good show!

With like 5 major auction house coming out with catalogs...sure there be some major 'grabbage' or 'sticky fingers' showing up at a great deal. We need to pool our $$$ and hit the lottery. There is ton-age of items and I WANT THEM ALL!!

C@rl P@rk
 

Hey guys, first time poster after lurking for awhile. I was a big time collector as a kid during the junk wax era, have collected Carlton Fisk cards (raw) off and on since I was 10, and recently started buying graded cards. Loving getting back into the hobby and buying the primo cards I couldn't afford or trade for when I was a kid. I recently picked this up quite reasonably - I think it's a beaut - aside from the centering - nice edges for a '71, sharp photo. I think this would have qualified as a PSA 8OC on a different day! But maybe the beauty is just in the eye of the beholder in this case... :)

Nice Blyleven rookie. I'm a stickler for centering (personally), but your card doesn't bother me all that much. I'm a HUGE fan of cards that look better than their technical grade. Kudos to you.

Oh, and welcome to the board! Lots of great/knowledgeable people here. No other forums compare. At least W/R/T pre-war.

Welcome Karl...that's a sharp Bert.


Picked up another Killebrew for my SGC collection...41% done for the Basic Set...


http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/ODEwWDUzMw...S9TzT/$_57.JPG

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/OTU5WDE1OD...Sy2mn/$_57.JPG

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMj...TL1CW/$_57.JPG

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/$(KGrHqIOKjI...lIO-w~~_12.JPG

http://www.qualitycards.com/pictures/8202032002.jpg

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/OTY4WDE1OD...TIM6m/$_57.JPG

Thanks Derek and John! This seems to be a site about love of the cards and hobby, and from what I've seen so far, not one where things quickly devolve into flame wars and stupidity. Love it here. And John, your 75 Killer brought a huge smile to my face....that was one of my prized cards when I was growing up. I remember scoring that one in 1985....my first card of a bona fide Hall of Famer, and a card as old as I was....that went right into my vaunted 9 pocket sheet with my 1982 Fleer Ripken and 1985 Topps Gooden. :)

I haven't picked up many cards lately,so I was happy to get this in the mail today.

Moved this to the pre-war thread.

68 Ryan
 

Here is my pick up for the month. Can't wait to see how this one grades. I get it in hand on Wednesday.

Ryna and Banks
 

Assuming the tape is on the loader that looks great, Brad

I have always liked the Greatest Moments cards, nice Banks Steve.

Picked this up today for my HOF rookie psa collection.

Yes I'm assuming the tape is on the loader as you can see the tape line go past the card (I hope). HA!

Great story as the guy said he started collecting when he was 10 in 1968 and his mother kept his cards and he didn't know it until he was moving her out her house and in with him. He said they were just laying in three shoe boxes. Pretty cool to get one from the original owner.

Not sure if I posted the strip yet but just picked up the page.


http://host.jwcinc.net/712533/brent/2014_3/310B1_2.jpg


http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMj...TNhUQ/$_57.JPG

Got some grades back from SGC today.
 

Got this Ryan free with the purchase of the Cobb. The Cobb came back and SGC 60 and the Ryan came back and SGC 80. Now I can't wait to see what the other Ryan I just picked up comes back as next week as it blew this one out of the water.

This must be the month of the Twins as I received my Blyleven this month too.

http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/...ps23962076.jpg

Nice Bert there, Adam. Let's see if there's a Bert hat trick this month in the pick-up thread.

Where the cards at?? It's been a few days since the last post...

April Mantle pickups:

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1e84c273.jpg

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...ps92aacd51.jpg

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...ps289aad3b.jpg

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1397337922
http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...pse3a575ab.jpg

I've been waiting a bit for this one and I'm happy to finally get it!
http://www.net54baseball.com/picture...ictureid=14620

Down to 7 for my low number 1952 Topps set. Another 31 to have both RED and BLACK versions of 1-80.......

http://www.net54baseball.com/picture...ictureid=14660

http://www.net54baseball.com/picture...ictureid=14661

Nice! I am also working on the 52 low #s, but at a slower pace. Definitely envious of you being so close. Are you going to tackle the high #s or move on to another project?

Ed



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome to the forum Karl. Those 71's and their black borders are tough. Those are great looking corners on that one. I collected those from their packs as a kid....all long gone now. :( Congrats on your pick up....

Ed.........that's a tough one.......I've got 11/97 of the high numbers. The tough part is finding them centered and in VGEX to EX for decent prices. Seems like they're getting more expensive. I've picked off a couple here and there but then I have to think about the 4-5 big $$$ high numbers.....I'm not all in on them as of yet.....still working on some other 1960's Topps sets at the same time..........

Some "Hand Me Down" Mantles from the big brother. Sure as hell beats the hand me down clothes I used to get when we were kids! These will look great in my "Low Grade/Big Eye Appeal" Mantle Basic Set.

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

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

That 55B is a fantastic looking card.............need that one for my set!

See, Greg, I knew I should have charged you a markup!

With beauties like those, i hate to put mine on here, but since i am into the E120 & E121's, these came in the mail Saturday...

<a href="http://s209.photobucket.com/user/TopekaPalms/media/002_zps08ffd62b.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/TopekaPalms/002_zps08ffd62b.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 002_zps08ffd62b.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s209.photobucket.com/user/TopekaPalms/media/O_zpsc4555043.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/TopekaPalms/O_zpsc4555043.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo O_zpsc4555043.jpg"/></a>

@Matty/Greg..Nice Mantles guys.. too bad my brother is more modern era. I had to pass the 88 Donruss cards to someone :D

@Knole..yeah i been looking at your additions on the SGC boards. Keep in mind this is the post-war section. Still neat to show off those.

Dangit, i got this "April Pickups" thread mixed up with the "Pre War" one:o

Thanks Leon! And great place you got here.

Beautiful 55B Mantle! That's a hell of a hand me down ;)

...

Beautiful card. Congrats! Glad you landed a nice one. I love the nice, even wear on this.

Thanks, Chris! Yep, no creases, but it has some well loved corners. :)

WOW! Man...I feel like the last guy on earth without a 311...

CONGRATS!

I'm right there with you! Congrats, that is a great looking 311!

Well done JOB CW...glad to have helped you.
As i said in our PM, i know it will set in the bank, but try using it as your desktop background or screensaver so you dont miss it as much or put on a phone.
I love mine every time i am in my bedroom. I look at my new display of my RC's.
Sorry guys, no looking thru my windows.:eek:
FYI: Those searching for a #311, there is a very nice PSA 4 being sold by JustCollect..looks very nice with a minor bit of corner ding and is a 'B" variation:cool:

311
 

Very nice Chuck

...

CW,

Heartfelt congrats-- it was a long search but the patience paid off as you have one of the two best-looking 3's I've ever laid eyes on (the other being my old one!). Centering like that on a #311 does not come around too often. In fact it is downright impossible to find. 99.9% of the #311's that come up are poorly centered, forget centering like your new specimen. Yours makes only FIVE I've ever seen below 9-grade that are perfectly centered like that.

It is a great new piece to what was already a world-class collection. Glad to have provided any small measure of help and counsel along the way, my friend. Just a gorgeous, gorgeous card!

I just noticed that when I admire a #311 Mantle, I have to look back like after the fourth time to even notice the sticker grade; all I stare at is central image and centering.

Best,

Matt

I departed a bit from my usual this month and grabbed two awesome pieces. The first is a gorgeous 52 Topps Pafko that I got off of a board member (thanks Tony!). I don't know what it is about this card, but I felt I had to have it.

The second is a Don Sutton autograph that I got in person today. This is the first baseball autograph I've gotten in person for over 15 years, so I was very pleased with it. I wish I had something better on me to get signed though.

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...psa350fb1c.jpg

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...psd3f6b6df.jpg

Got this nice Joe DiMaggio in the mail today. My first Joe D, and my first Venezuelan card. It will be hard not cracking this card out of the holder, might send to SGC to get it back into a better looking holder. From looking at past sales this exact card was in a SGC holder when it was sold by Huggins & Scott on 10/12/12 for considerably more than I just picked it up for.

<a href="http://s209.photobucket.com/user/TopekaPalms/media/71FRobinson_zpseb88670d.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/TopekaPalms/71FRobinson_zpseb88670d.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 71FRobinson_zpseb88670d.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s209.photobucket.com/user/TopekaPalms/media/68Palmer_zpsf3bad9d5.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/TopekaPalms/68Palmer_zpsf3bad9d5.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 68Palmer_zpsf3bad9d5.jpg"/></a>

1955 JD McCarthy PC - Jim Bunning
 

Super lucky on this one!

I picked up a large lot of JD McCarthy PC's and was pleasantly surprised to find that the Jim Bunning in the group was postally used and canceled in 1955...two years before his widely recognized 1957 Topps rookie card!!

Time to update my "rookie" checklist!

http://photos.imageevent.com/derekgr...%20Bunning.jpghttp://photos.imageevent.com/derekgr...g%20_back_.jpg

Love those Venezuelan Retirado cards.......50 in the set I think. Have a couple of them. Have had more in the past. Don't know why PSA would label that as MC.....that's what those cards are. You'd think they'd have some notations in their 'system' that would say all Venezuelan cards are pretty much cut like that. Great card though and a good price if I remember about what you paid for it when you discussed it a few threads ago...........

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