What is the rarest topps high numbers ?

[NateMack]

I think the 66 and 67 SPs are the toughest to find, followed by the 62 rookie parades and the 61 high numbers. Just my opinion. Of course any of these are easy to find with an unlimited budget...

52 highs are not under consideration for me...

[Rookiemonster]

How rare is the 1953 topps Willie mays ?

[BillP]

Originally Posted by NateMack

I think the 66 and 67 SPs are the toughest to find, followed by the 62 rookie parades and the 61 high numbers. Just my opinion. Of course any of these are easy to find with an unlimited budget...

52 highs are not under consideration for me...

As a collector of late 50's/60's sets, I'll go with these:

1966 card #591 Jackson rc - just because it's out of control
1967 card #605 - Shannon - centered
1962 card #572 - had tough time with it.
1959 card #512 - Bob Gibson rc - underrated

[ALR-bishop]

Adam mentioned the 55 and 56 Hocus Focus sets. I assume most would not count then because they involve only a baseball subset. But having done all the Topps sets I do agree with he and Mr Hornish that those two sets are the hardest Topps issued at retail sets to complete. Most likely because they were ugly, small, poorly developed, poorly cut and flimsy. Other than that they were great .

I have finished the 56s but am still 2 short on the 55s

[Harliduck]

Originally Posted by BillP

As a collector of late 50's/60's sets, I'll go with these:

1966 card #591 Jackson rc - just because it's out of control
1967 card #605 - Shannon - centered
1962 card #572 - had tough time with it.
1959 card #512 - Bob Gibson rc - underrated

Hard to argue those are tough..especially a centered Shannon...I have three and only one is somewhat sort of centered...lol.

I do remember putting together my 66 set that there were times when #570 Mahaffey and #555 Perranoski literally had ZERO examples of any kind on Ebay. That is a rare feat itself. I actually got those cards off an old dealer who lurks this sight and lived near me. He emailed me with a killer deal on 10 or so EXNM 66 highs that I immediately gobbled up (Grant rookie included). I still owe this site and that gentleman for that find...about 4 years ago...


EDIT to add that I just looked at Ebay and there are indeed examples of #570 and #555 up now...just crazy at the time.

[BillP]

Thx John, as far as the 66 highs go, Peranoski is always off center L to R, and Willie Davis #535 top to bottom. And I'll go further to say, as I have before, that the very tough Sp's: Clarke, Coleman, Tigers, #544, #591 are diamond cut a lot. So finding those centered should have been in the top 5. I still say that the 66 Sp's were printed on multiple different sheets with these 5 and a few others by themselves on 1 sheet. p
Off on a tangent here, but I like to here opinions on the 66 highs.

bill

[mikemb]

Originally Posted by BillP

Thx John, as far as the 66 highs go, Peranoski is always off center L to R, and Willie Davis #535 top to bottom. And I'll go further to say, as I have before, that the very tough Sp's: Clarke, Coleman, Tigers, #544, #591 are diamond cut a lot. So finding those centered should have been in the top 5. I still say that the 66 Sp's were printed on multiple different sheets with these 5 and a few others by themselves on 1 sheet. p
Off on a tangent here, but I like to here opinions on the 66 highs.

bill

Bill -

I also love the 66 high numbers. It is not the best picture, but here is my uncut partial proof sheet of 12 high numbers, including some SP's.




The Lindblad/Stone Rookie card does not have their positions listed.



Mike

[BearBailey]

I agree with the 66's being the hardest, followed by 67, 62, then 61 but don't think those 61's are nearly as hard, not easy but not as hard. 1952 is highly sought after but with an unlimited budget are much easier to find than any of those 4 60's sets. I remember it taking over a year to finish the last 5 cards in that 1966 set, every Willow Grove show and th e National couldn't find them and then finally got lucky at a show where a guy was breaking a complete set, lucky until he told me the price of those 5 "commons" but finished the hunt.

[redalpha7]

For me I had tough time finding 1966 Horace Clarke in decent condition at a good price. Especially hard since I am a Red Sox fan