Quote:
Originally Posted by Nunzio11
All great advice thanks everyone. I'm looking at 61, 62, 63 and 64. Not sure which I'm going to focus on yet. Gauging prices availability etc. Definitely going to take time.
Outside of no big name rookie cards is there a reason 64 Topps doesn't seem to carry the weight as the other sets?
|
I have tried all different ways. Best value is to buy complete as Sean says, but it is a tad boring as it just becomes accumulation. If cash flow is not a challenge, buy multiple complete sets, build the best one possible, and then resell. As I got to the 50's, I found that the value is so concentrated on the big rookies - Clemente, Koufax, Killebrew in '55 and Aaron, Banks, Kaline in '54 - that any set that already included them, they were low grade or they would have been sold individually. And, if it was a strong grade, that individual card price was already built into the set. Therefore, I bought near sets that were missing the big dogs and then searched for the exact example that fit with the set. I would also upgrade so that I was uniform across the board. Patience is your friend and if you keep your eyes on B/S/T, you can find some deals that are a fraction of what you might pay on Ebay.
As far as your question above, I think that it is a combination of the lack of rookie cards and expensive high numbers. The biggest rookie if I recall correctly is Niekro. The Rose second year card and the Mantle are probably the two most expensive cards and there are no condition issues. The cards are also pretty meh and probably my least favorite '60's set (along with '68).
'61 has a really expensive high number series with the All-Star cards. There are 5 Mantles to complete the set as well which has some additional cost.
'62 has the wood grain borders. While Perry and Brock don't kill you as far as rookies are concerned, it does have the Ruth subset, and the high numbers with the parade of rookies cards that add cost.
'63 has the Rose which, depending on condition, can be up to 1/2 the value of the set - usually more like 1/3 or 1/4 - i.e $700 of a $2500 set. This is a beautiful set with the two pictures and the fantastic backs.
It has been a few years since I completed those, so I am trying to go by memory. Good Luck!