2020 Recap: Your Favorite Pick-Ups And Why

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

I remember what happened now, I bought a '54 Topps Berra instead. That's probably a more sentimental card for me in terms of my childhood collecting. That would have made this list, but I didn't have a scan handy.

And PS you know I drool over that '52 Jackie. Outstanding baseball card!

That '54 Yogi isn't a slouch either! Thanks for the kind words about the '52 Jackie. It has always been one of my favorites in the hobby, and I was thrilled to be able to finally get one.

[TUM301]

Nice stuff guys, Robert that Williams Leaf will always be one of my favorites, such an underrated card I M O. Enjoy that beauty for a long time Sir.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by TUM301

Nice stuff guys, Robert that Williams Leaf will always be one of my favorites, such an underrated card I M O. Enjoy that beauty for a long time Sir.

Thank you. A younger me had one years ago but sold it. I regretted it for years, and I was ecstatic to be able to pick up this one earlier this year. It is one of my very favorites.

[ASF123]

Some beautiful cards in this thread!

[rsdill2]

Great thread.

My 2020 highlights in review:

Bought this raw in January in a lot. Paid less than $300 for the lot of about 10 '54s (rest were commons). Never had a '54 Kaline, always wanted one in midgrade. Wasn't the best scans in the listing so I took a chance that paid off.



Bought this in April. I had a 7 in my set but sold it at a show for $150. Bought this one for $130. Can't beat that.



Bought this in early July. Much like the Kaline, it was one I always wanted and took a gamble on a raw lot. It was a BIN obo, I got it for around $500 thinking it was a 5. Obviously, this one didn't pay off, but I still have no regrets. It's the best looking 1.5 I've ever seen.



Bought this in August. The one in my set wasn't up to par and I like to upgrade stars as I can. Wish I would've upgraded this one a year or two ago but prices continue escalating. This card is almost always o/c l/r, so I liked the centering on this one (although it is slightly o/c top/bottom).



I had a 5 in my set, but this card caught my eye. Upgraded to this for about $50 net.



Something I had been considering a while was refocusing my collection. I have (had) Topps complete sets back to the mid-50s. The mid-70s to today, I never had much attraction to. They were purchased complete, set on a shelf, and I never looked at them. Additionally, I don't plan on holding on to my collection forever, so I also looked at the investment aspect of it: I think holding a few higher $ cards is a better asset, and more liquid, than 50 years of Topps sets. Covid allowed me more time at home to get a plan together. I sold every complete set 1973-2019 individually locally on Facebook, Craigslist, shows, and a few I sold here on net54. I ended up buying a run of Mantle's including:











No regrets from that.

For about $75 net, I upgraded my '64 Mantle (5) to this:



I had a PSA 5 Mantle that was o/c (not qualified, but more o/c than I liked). I upgraded to this and actually made about $50 in the process.



Lastly, I bought this in November. Love the '57s, love Ted (and think he's criminally undervalued), and thought this was a great looking 5.



2020 was a weird year, unlike any year I've ever seen. But it was a fun year in the hobby and I look forward to what 2021 has in store.

[GasHouseGang]

I started getting some Bowman cards. They always kind of were in second place compared to Topps.

[ASF123]

It was a BIN obo, I got it for around $500 thinking it was a 5. Obviously, this one didn't pay off, but I still have no regrets. It's the best looking 1.5 I've ever seen.

How is that even possible?? It's a great-looking card. As someone who wasn't in the hobby to see the rise of PSA and get acculturated to them over time, it is absolutely astonishing that they have any credibility at all, let alone the market-dictating hegemony that they somehow have.

Also - where do you find such amazing lots?

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

I started getting some Bowman cards. They always kind of were in second place compared to Topps.

Well done, David. Those are great! I have always thought of myself as a Topps first collector, and there are still many Topps cards/sets that I want, but I have been buying quite a bit of Bowman this year. I'm about four cards from a '52 set, and I have picked up several '55 Bowmans as well. I also have my eyes on '50.