Mike D's 1976 Topps Binder Project

[Mike D.]

I'm hoping folks will tolerate me using this thread to track my latest project.

Inspired by a friend who is working a half dozen Topps sets of various years and putting them in binders for easy viewing, I'm going to undertake a similar project of my own.

I'm going to build a "binder set" of 1976 Topps - the Topps set from the year of my birth!

So, what is a binder set? It's got non-high end, non-graded cards, perfect for flipping through without risking any major investments.

I'll probably aim for an average of EX for the set, with a range of VG-NM depending on what I come up with. Some of these cards might be a bit dinged up. At 43, I'm a little dinged up too.

To add to the fun, I'll likely pick up graded copies of some of the more interesting stars from the set. If I get a graded copy of a card, I'll still get a non-graded for the binder, but may allow for lower grade there to help keep costs in check.

Depending on what I get for duplicates, I may even dabble in some TTM autograph chasing.

I think this will be fun. My 7 year old son will be helping me with the sorting, so it's a nice father-son project!

Now...the 1976 Topps set has 660 cards. Here is the checklist.

The biggest rookie in the set is Eckersley, with cards of Hank Aaron and Nolan Ryan among the more expensive cards in the set.

[Mike D.]

A quick review of my collection turns up exactly ONE ungraded 1976 Topps card, George Brett's second year card, #19:



Other than being pretty OC, it's not in bad shape at all.

So, ONE down....659 to go! To eBay!

[Mike D.]

The first item I needed to procure was the binder and pages.

1 BCW 3" Black Baseball Card Storage D-Ring Album Binder & 50 Pages 9 Pocket - $23.28 delivered

25 Ultra PRO Platinum 9-Pocket Hologram Card Album PagesBinder Sheets - $7.16 delivered.

That's a nice binder and enough pages to hold the entire 660 card set (with one page to spare!)

Total spent on binder set: $30.44

Total spent on graded: $0

[Mike D.]

Next, to pick up some starter lots to get me, well, started. I figure I'll have a lot of sorting ahead of me, then I can start to fill in gaps.

Lot of (495) 1976 Topps Baseball Cards Avg Ex BV $410 Brett Schmidt Yount Yaz - $109.02 delivered



Hey look...it's got a Brett in it! My first duplicate!

Total spent on binder set: $139.46

Total spent on graded: $0

[Mike D.]

Next up:

1976 TOPPS BASEBALL - 100 CARD LOT - ALL DIFFERENT - SEE LIST - EXC-NM - $18.08



These look to mostly be commons, but they're in decent shape and no dups!

Total spent on binder set: $157.54

Total spent on graded: $0

[Mike D.]

One more lot before the big sort starts:

1976 Topps Baseball Assorted Commons Lot 289 Different VG to NM - $31.62



Seemed like too good a price to let them go!

Total spent on binder set: $189.16

Total spent on graded: $0

[Vintagevault13]

Looking forward to watching your progress. I collect 70’s sets and love binders. Looks like you will make quick work of this set .


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[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by Vintagevault13

Looking forward to watching your progress. I collect 70’s sets and love binders. Looks like you will make quick work of this set .

I'm expecting the commons will go quickly, but the stars will take a bit longer. Ain't that always the way?!

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Mike D.

I'm expecting the commons will go quickly, but the stars will take a bit longer. Ain't that always the way?!

Unless you're me. Nearly every set I've finished the last few cards were commons, or were cards of stars that were good enough to not be in commons boxes, but not good enough for the showcase.

[seanofjapan]

There is no more satisfying a feeling than being the collector of a set in a binder with blank pockets for cards you need to go in and then getting one of those cards and sliding it into the pocket reserved for it.

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by seanofjapan

There is no more satisfying a feeling than being the collector of a set in a binder with blank pockets for cards you need to go in and then getting one of those cards and sliding it into the pocket reserved for it.

I'm really looking forward to it. As soon as the third lot arrives, I'm going to dive in and see where it takes me!

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by steve B

Unless you're me. Nearly every set I've finished the last few cards were commons, or were cards of stars that were good enough to not be in commons boxes, but not good enough for the showcase.

Yeah, you may be right. I just sorted the first two lots down in 100's (the 3rd lot should arrive Friday) and I have more stars than I expected.

It'll be fun to see what's missing, what I have for dups, and which cards will need upgrades (I noticed a bunch of checklists and team cards that have been checked off - I think I'll need to upgrade those).

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Mike D.

Yeah, you may be right. I just sorted the first two lots down in 100's (the 3rd lot should arrive Friday) and I have more stars than I expected.

It'll be fun to see what's missing, what I have for dups, and which cards will need upgrades (I noticed a bunch of checklists and team cards that have been checked off - I think I'll need to upgrade those).

Building sets is a lot of fun.

It's probably easier now than it used to be.
My 1988 Topps set was built from packs bought new, and big box lots. The last card I needed was Canseco. which had slid to being a 25-50 cent card by that time. Nobody would put one in the display case, and they were never in the commons boxes. Everyone had them, probably lots of them. But they were all buried in a box in the back room somewhere. And understandably, nobody wanted to mine the back room for a monster box of 88 Topps to sell one card that might not even be in there.

Finding one once I realized it was the last card I needed took 2 years... not that I looked really hard, but I did look a lot harder than I usually do.

I sort of work on all sets continually. Some I have finished, most not. I still haven't finished 1973... which I started in 1973...
74 took until maybe the late 90's and I don't have all the variations yet.
75, not yet
76 not yet
77- 83 finished!
All the older stuff I've been "working on" since sometime between late 77 and maybe 1984.

I describe my pace as glacial.

[jakeinge]

Originally Posted by Mike D.

I'm hoping folks will tolerate me using this thread to track my latest project.

Inspired by a friend who is working a half dozen Topps sets of various years and putting them in binders for easy viewing, I'm going to undertake a similar project of my own.

I'm going to build a "binder set" of 1976 Topps - the Topps set from the year of my birth!

So, what is a binder set? It's got non-high end, non-graded cards, perfect for flipping through without risking any major investments.

I'll probably aim for an average of EX for the set, with a range of VG-NM depending on what I come up with. Some of these cards might be a bit dinged up. At 43, I'm a little dinged up too.

To add to the fun, I'll likely pick up graded copies of some of the more interesting stars from the set. If I get a graded copy of a card, I'll still get a non-graded for the binder, but may allow for lower grade there to help keep costs in check.

Depending on what I get for duplicates, I may even dabble in some TTM autograph chasing.

I think this will be fun. My 7 year old son will be helping me with the sorting, so it's a nice father-son project!

Now...the 1976 Topps set has 660 cards. Here is the checklist.

The biggest rookie in the set is Eckersley, with cards of Hank Aaron and Nolan Ryan among the more expensive cards in the set.

I actually have several in binders. Let me know if you're interested and I can take a closer look as to what I have.

[Mike D.]

Three more missing cards picked up via Sportlots for $1.78:



Also sold 4 low-grade "All-Time All Star" cards for $1.99 on eBay auction.

10 cards missing

26 upgrade candidates

Total spent on binder set: $272.61

Total spent on graded: $147.63

Total recaptured via sales: $8.97

[Mike D.]

One more missing card filled in:

#200 AL Victory Leaders - $1.70



9 cards missing

26 upgrade candidates

Total spent on binder set: $274.31

Total spent on graded: $147.63

Total recaptured via sales: $8.97

[Mike D.]

Another graded card picked up on eBay:

1976 Topps Mike Schmidt #480 PSA 8 - $36.11 delivered.



Total spent on binder set: $274.31

Total spent on graded: $183.74

Total recaptured via sales: $8.97

[Mike D.]

Also, sold low-grade "All Time All Stars" (Wagner, Traynor, Grove, and Cochrane) for $1.99 w/ free shipping on eBay.

Total spent on binder set: $274.31

Total spent on graded: $183.74

Total recaptured via sales: $10.96