Which 52 Topps do I buy: PSA 6 Mays, or PSA 7 Runnels?

[Brianruns10]

Hello all,

I'm stuck with a tough choice, and maybe you all can nudge me in one direction or another.

Heritage Auctions is doing their annual spring sports card sale, and there are two cards In particular I'm eyeing for my '52 Topps set: 2 Pete Runnels (red back) PSA 7 and 261 Willie Mays, PSA 6.

Both have the same estimated sale price, around $2K. Both have very similar centering, with terrific eye appeal. Both are PSA (for my registry set) and both fall in the grade range I seek for my set, PSA 6-7.

Alas, I can only afford one.

On the one hand, it's WILLIE MAYS. 9 times out of 10, that'd be the card to buy. And I DO covet that card.

But the Runnels card is something special...population wise, it's almost as tough to get in near mint/mint as the Pafko. If we compare Runnels to Mays at PSA 7, Mays has 80 graded examples, with 95 more that graded higher. The Runnels, by comparison, has only 31 examples at PSA 7 and a mere 13 grading higher.

So there's another part of me that figures...I'll have more opportunities to buy a nice Mays in PSA 6 in the future, of which there are 168 graded in addition to the higher graded examples. But it might be a great while longer before I find another Runnels that is so nice, and it may be the better opportunity.

So what say you all? Do I go for starpower and pick up the Mays, one of the crown jewels of the '52 set, or do I go for the sleeper, a common card that is far, far more difficult to find in high grade condition?

Below are links to the two cards so you may see for yourself what I'm looking at:

http://sports.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=7105&lotNo=80473

http://sports.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=7105&lotNo=80454


Thanks all!
BR

[hammer]

Buy the Mays, Hall of fame player.

[KCRfan1]

With out a doubt, I buy the Mays. If you wait, you will pay much more for that card down the road than if you had to buy the Runnels later. The other reason I buy the Mays, is the Runnels is a Red Back. I would rather have a Runnels Black Back as it would be a more difficult card to find in nice condition. Just my two cents worth......since you asked.

[Brianruns10]

hoo boy you guys are gonna make it tough. I was leaning to the Runnels, but you make a great case for the Mays, so now I may be leaning back thataways....

Luckily I have plenty of time to think. Thanks for the input so far!

[Vintagevault13]

I would buy the Mays also. I think the price for Mays will rise at a faster rate than Runnels in the future.

[cdn_collector]

Without hesitation, Willie Mays.

Cheers,

Richard.

[111gecko]

Buy the Mays if you can. Pick a price you are comfortable with though and stop there....My guess is the Mays goes for $3,000+ with fee.

-52toppsbuyer

[Brianruns10]

Originally Posted by 111gecko

Buy the Mays if you can. Pick a price you are comfortable with though and stop there....My guess is the Mays goes for $3,000+ with fee.

-52toppsbuyer

Yep I will have a good plan in place. Sold my PSA 4 '52 Robinson for a nice profit to help pay for this one.

I've studied the Ebay sales of late, and three PSA 6 Mays with as good or better centering sold from 1800 to 2100, so I hope to land somewhere in there. Fingers crossed!

[Paul S]

Or, you could save money by buying my Mays and use the difference to go after the Runnels

[pclpads]

Originally Posted by Vintagevault13

I would buy the Mays also. I think the price for Mays will rise at a faster rate than Runnels in the future.

+1 Five years from now, you probably won't be able to afford the Mays w/o taking out a second mortgage. Runnels? Much less so. Disregard the pop for each card for a moment. It is a HOFer vs a common. Don't forget the BP juice is steep - 20%! - and will eat you alive as the bidding increases.

[Rich Klein]

Mays

[Brianruns10]

Originally Posted by pclpads

+1 Five years from now, you probably won't be able to afford the Mays w/o taking out a second mortgage. Runnels? Much less so. Disregard the pop for each card for a moment. It is a HOFer vs a common. Don't forget the BP juice is steep - 20%! - and will eat you alive as the bidding increases.

Oh boy how...that's the fun of bidding through Heritage...you have to know not only how much to bid, but WHEN to bid it, before someone else gets in a bid suitably high that the next bidder will too far exceed the SMR when factoring in the BP.

[pawpawdiv9]

Yep, i know the hype there far to familiar at HA. I always factory in the BP, I place my bid what it be at market value , if i truely want the card. If i get outbidded, then i am ok with it. I may, and only may rethink it, if it has dead ball centering or something that seldoms comes up.
Pretty much, go for the Mays

[Bocabirdman]

This might be over-stating the obvious but there are more PSA examples of Willie because, well, he is Willie. The Pete Population likely will increase in response to his inflated pricing by more people submitting him. This in turn will stall the increase trend and probably reverse it. In 5 years Willie will be 5 years more expensive. Will Pete?

[autograf]

Just got a SGC60 Willie and I'm immensely happy with it. I have a Runnels BB in about VGEX condition. I'm not a registry guy, so that's not a big consideration. Mays is tough t fond wel-ecntered. Good luck whatever you decide......great set!

[glynparson]

I'd buy runnels much easier to find another mays in my opinion.

[glynparson]

Super expensive for years and they have not come out of the woodwork.