Topps Venezuelan Mantle Run
 

I finally got my 1960 Topps Venezuelan Mantle/Boyer in hand! As promised, here is a picture of my Mantle run:

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1438394650

Mantles
 

Bueno Chris

Congrats. Now update the collection numbers in your signature.:)

Haha, thanks Sago and Al! I just updated it :) Still missing a couple of pesky postcards and a Meadowgold Dairy card to complete the collection but not in a rush there as I kind of enjoy the hunt.

Do you have that collection available to view on a public site we can link to? I'd love to see some of those.

Hi Jesse, I dont have a publicly available site but do have better pictures of most of them and would be happy to post anything you'd like to see closer up.

Hey Chris, that's fine there was nothing specific I just though it would be cool to see your whole Mantle run. That sounds like quite the collection. I'm working on a run of his base cards and that's been taking me a while. I can only imagine how long it's taken to track down 374 different Mantle cards. If you wanted to post a few of your favorites I wouldn't complain. ;)

Impressive Chris, very impressive!!

OK that's impressive!

My bud Bestdj777 here loves his Mantles. Chris #2 its just awesome. Still looking around for ya on those missing ones.
BTW Jesse here is a photo he displayed a while back in a old thread:

@Bestdj777- How'd you keep the dog from tramping all over the pile? I hope i got the right person, its that pearly white dog, correct? you had posted with your Mick?
http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6fosqvw7.jpg

Thanks Chris, now that I see that picture I think I remember it. Very impressive collection.

Venezuelan Mantles
 

Chris,

Thanks so much for taking the time to post a picture of the Venezuelan Mantle cards. That sure is quite a feat to find and acquire all of them.

They look GREAT by the way!

Thank you all! Chris, the white dog is mine but fortunately she knows better :)

Here are a few of my favorites from the larger collection:
1. 1960 Venezuelan - I saw one on eBay three years ago and almost pulled the trigger. I was saving for an engagement ring and could not pull the trigger. It took me until this past weekend to find another low grade for sale, and still cost 5 times what the eBay one went for.

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...sh8oxrc8d.jpeg

2. 1959 Venezuelan - I bought this from one of my favorite eBay sellers. He had been contacted by his Venezuelan consignor about moving the card. Neither of us new exactly what it was worth or what it looked like. We had a tiny thumbnail image and the card was raw. I pulled the trigger anyway and paid just slightly less than a beater 52 Topps Mantle. It graded out for at a 1.5, so I was ecstatic. And, a lower grade one just sold on eBay for a little more than twice the price I paid for it.

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...ps734c15c2.jpg

3. 1968 Venezuelan - I severely underestimated the value of this card. I saw one for auction and thought for sure it would not hit the minimum bid and I'd be able to negotiate the guy down. It met and exceeded the minimum by a bit, and I thought it would be years before I saw another. As luck would have it, another seller posted one the day after the auction closed with a buy it now of half the opening bid of the other one. Not only that, but it was in much better shape. I clicked purchase immediately and then read the fine print--the guy sometimes uses stock photos. Fortunately, I got the card pictured.

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5h0dvm7e.jpg

4. 1959 Home Run Derby - I purchased a near complete set of these, raw, from a coin dealer on eBay. I had tried to negotiate for just the Mantle but to no avail. I think the Mantle ended up grading out at a 2 and I was able to help some board members add to their sets.

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9ed8dee9.jpg

5. 1962 Post Canadian - This was one of the harder cards I ever added to my collection. It is the most difficult of the Post Canadian variations and is another instance where I managed to catch a listing quick enough to hit the buy it now.

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3cc85280.jpg

6. 1962 Pittsburgh Exhibit 5 of Clubs - I did not realize it at the time, but this is the only one of this variation graded and is the only one I am aware of in existence. I am sure there are more, I just have not seen them. I'll likely part with this in trade at some point, but, until then, I am enjoying owning it.

http://i1345.photobucket.com/albums/...s5d9b5ca5.jpeg

Awesome on all fronts. I love that picture of The Mick in that stance on the clubs card. What a portrait of immense potential.

What a great collection. Thanks for sharing. As rare as so many of those are I can't imagine anyone else has come so close to completing the master set.

Great stuff, Chris! Awesome run of Venezuelans.