[jingram058]

Well, I have begun putting together a complete set that I had thought unapproachable: 1962 Topps baseball.

I am doing this very much on a budget, poor/low grade raw cards. This is by design. I like only raw cards, and poor cards just like I had as a kid, traded, flipped, creased, you name it.

This morning, I'm up to 350 out of, what, 597? I started down this path last year, so I think I am coming right along, and my wife actually supports me in this.

This actually feels like a hobby. It's great fun acquiring all the players out of the era I remember and love. I remember one Saturday morning when I was 9 years old an older neighborhood pal, who was going off to some sort of prep school, came over to our house with a big box of stuff he thought I would want. Hardy Boys books, comic books, Boy Scout stuff, and, a huge lot of 1962 Topps cards. At the time, I was just getting into baseball cards and I was busy collecting 1967 Topps, eventually putting together an entire set from packs. But I liked those older 1962 Topps cards. I liked the "wood paneling".

Well, eventually I moved on, the cards went under the bed, and after I moved out and then into the Navy, my mom finally got rid of all the stuff I no longer wanted, including baseball cards.

Now I have a full 1953 Bowman color and b/w set, only lack 5 cards from the full 1969 deckle edge set, a whole bunch of other pre and post war cards, tobacco cards, and now, a whole bunch of 1962 Topps. All the Mantles, Koufax, Musial, Maris, Mays, Aaron, all the "heavies". Low grade, but I have them. Well over halfway. I might as well go for the whole thing. Might be challenging, what with green tints and high numbers, but why not give it a go?