Obtaining Topps High # series in the '60's

[55koufax]

I am wondering if any serious Topps Baseball set collector's recall their collecting (presumably as kids) from the 1960's? I wanted to share my experiences, which were mainly difficulties...

I started collecting in 1964 and did collect every baseball from 1964 to 1970.
As a kid growing up in Southern California, I had numerous resources for Topps cards. The local pharmacy, the local five and dime, etc., etc. I just remember most every year virtually NEVER being able to obtain the last and high # series.

My guess is that cards to wholesalers on the Left Coast mostly never made it here. Does anyone know this to be fact? Please share your thoughts.

[ALR-bishop]

Started in 59. From 63 to 67 ordered sets in series from the Card Collectors Company. Hard to describe the excitement when those packages of individual series arrived. Went back to packs in 68

[rats60]

I started collecting in 1965 and 1967 was the only year that I couldn't find the high series.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by rats60

I started collecting in 1965 and 1967 was the only year that I couldn't find the high series.

I grew up in the DC area and I don't believe the high 66 series ever came to the stores I bought at. To this day the cards from that series look less familiar to me. I think 67 did by contrast.

[IndyDave]

My childhood collection started with 1966 Topps - I was 7 years old.

When I found the collecting hobby through ads in Sporting News and Baseball Digest around 1970 I found I did not have high numbers for 1966 and 1967 - but had them beginning 1968.

By the time I got to junior high, I found out one of my friends had a few high numbers in 1967 - apparently the cards made it to at least the grocery store near his house that my mom never went to.

This was Youngstown Ohio suburbs.

We were also one of the markets that got the entire 1973 set in a single series.

[nolemmings]

Originally Posted by IndyDave

My childhood collection started with 1966 Topps - I was 7 years old.

When I found the collecting hobby through ads in Sporting News and Baseball Digest around 1970 I found I did not have high numbers for 1966 and 1967 - but had them beginning 1968.

By the time I got to junior high, I found out one of my friends had a few high numbers in 1967 - apparently the cards made it to at least the grocery store near his house that my mom never went to.

This was Youngstown Ohio suburbs.

We were also one of the markets that got the entire 1973 set in a single series.

Kind of the same with me in Minnesota-- I was also age 7 in my first year of collecting. I do remember that we had a splattering of high numbers in 1966, only because a neighbor showed me the Twins Team card he had and I was envious. When I went up the street to the store there were none and through bad timing or whatever I never was able to land any. I suspect like you that there was a store or so elsewhere in town that carried them longer. I just remember the '66 football coming out in full force--both sets--and I kind of moved on.