1947 Tip Top Bread Set Scarcity?

[Archive]

Posted By: Richard

Greetings, anyone out there collect the 1947 Tip Top Bread set? I am wondering what the scarcity is of these cards. Also, are any cards SP from the set?
Thanks

[Archive]

Posted By: Paul S

This post really belongs on the...oh nevermind!

[Archive]

Posted By: shane leonard

I have the only graded Tip Top bread set known to exist and have been trying to upgrade it for the past three years. These cards do not show up on Ebay or any of the auction houses. Those that do show up are either the reprints or are in horrible shape. I passed on a set back six years ago when I was offered the opportunity to buy any set(s) that I wanted from an old collector. He was getting out of the card market and basically had every set from 1930's to present. I purchased $50K from him and then he consigned the rest to Mastro and REA. My last choice was between Butter Cream, Batter ups and Tip Top. In the end, I had enough money to buy the Batter ups or the Butter Cream and the Tip Top. I picked the batter up, but really regretted not buying the other two. I bid the tip top bread set up to $8700 in the Mastro auction, but got cold feet because I did not know enough about it. After the auction, I spoke to my friend and he told me that the Tip Top set was one of the hardest sets to complete out of all of them. He told me that it took him 23 years to complete that one because of all the SP cards.
Mastro has auctioned off two complete sets over the past 7 years and I bought one of them. I bought two incomplete sets as well in hopes of making another. The SP cards are very difficult to find. I probably have 100 cards towards the second set and believe it or not I have most of the SPs from it. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at shaneleo@aol.com. I really like this set and think it is a sleeper.

Regards,
Shane

[Archive]

Posted By: Richard

Shane, thanks very much for that informative post. I have seen a few for sale on ebay but I am concerned buying raw cards from the set since their are reprints out there. I hope to acquire the Warren Spahn one of these days.
Thanks

[Archive]

Posted By: shane leonard

Out of all the stars in the set, the Spahn is by far the toughest to locate. The Yankee cards are perhaps the easiest to locate. I might have an extra Spahn in my collection if you are interested?

Shane

[Archive]

Posted By: Phil Garry

I have a couple of them, Yogi Berra & George Kell, which I believe I picked up from Steve Verkman at Clean Sweep Auctions. I believe he ususally carries a decent number of these and their condition is usually pretty decent. Prices are generally pretty fair too.

[Archive]

Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

I highly recommend to anyone interested in this set, to buy a complete one. Next to the 1949 LEAF BB set,
this Tip Top bread set must be the 2nd toughest post-WWII BB card set to complete.

St. Louis Browns players seem to be most available and Yankees players are not too difficult to find (with
the exception of Charles Wensloff). Players from the following teams were Short-Printed.....

Boston Braves
Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers





TED Z

[Archive]

Posted By: ernest reyes

I've been working on a tip top set for at least 5 years and in my experience the Chicago teams are the hardest to find. I'm 20 cards to completion.

There is a reprint set out there, but are easily distinguishable due to the typeface on the front of the card. Also, the paper stock is different and the reprints have a bit of gloss on them. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way. I've probably bought 5 to 10 fakes over the years.

http://dodgersblueheaven.blogspot.com/
http://imageevent.com/ernestreyes
http://mywantlist.blogspot.com/

[Archive]

Posted By: Paul

I've always thought it was a shame that they didn't print many cards of the great players who were on the verge of retirement. There is an Ernie Lombardi, which is one of my favorites, and a Stan Hack. But, no Greenberg, no Billy Herman, no Joe Medwick, no Arky Vaughn, no Red Ruffing, no Al Lopez. Of course, at the other end of his career, Jackie Robinson would have been nice. Still, I think it's a great set with rookies of Spahn, Berra, Kiner, and Kell, not to mention the great Joe Garagiola.

[Archive]

Posted By: Paul S

My understanding is that 47 TTB is not a set at all, in the precise definition of the word. I think the cards were distributed only in the geographical region of their respective team. This is sort of implied above but not really stated.

[Archive]

Posted By: shane leonard

Ernest,
I see you bidding on these all the time. I didn't realize that you were making this set. I have many duplicates if you are interested in talking. I don't think building this set one card at a time is realistic since everyone needs SPs and they just don't show up.

I have enjoyed working on the set even though some may not feel it is a legit set because of it being regional. The Brown cards are seen much more than any other team.

SL

[Psychooh]

Originally Posted by Archive

Posted By: shane leonard

Ernest,
I see you bidding on these all the time. I didn't realize that you were making this set. I have many duplicates if you are interested in talking. I don't think building this set one card at a time is realistic since everyone needs SPs and they just don't show up.

I have enjoyed working on the set even though some may not feel it is a legit set because of it being regional. The Brown cards are seen much more than any other team.

SL

I know this is a very old forum post, but do you still have duplicates of you 1947 tip top set. I am looking for three to complete my original set - no reprints. ( Waitkus, t. Tucker, and l. Jarvis). Thanks so much