Started 1963 topps set……anything I should look out for?

[Elberson]

I’m 14 cards away from finishing off my 3rd 1966 set…..so just a waiting game…..the fun part for me.

So…..with all my free time….. I started a 1963 topps set and was curious if there’s something I should look out for? I see the normal E/V’s…..any not listed? Or hard to find?

I need 70 cards (mostly the stars) for completion and 22 upgrades (mostly common’ish cards)

The rose RC I will get a graded copy

[Harliduck]

I've actually built this set twice...first time I wasn't happy with my original "lot's" purchases as most of my commons were VG...its a rough looking set with all the colors if the cards aren't crisp, so I sold my first set, and then built an EX plus set. Here are some of my learnings -

* Yes, the Pete rookie is the only card from the 60s I have kept graded. Way too many fakes out there. I bought a nice reprint (easy to do, lol) for the binder and have my graded Pete in my graded card case. Sounds like your on top of that

*just an overall observation that isn't notice when you have this set in a binder...but a group of cards in a box shows the cards have a natural "curve" to them unlike any other year. I've always wanted to know why that is?

*There are some fun variations that are easy to collect. First up are the 1962/1963 Rookie Stars for numbers 29 and 54, there are versions with both years. I have both in my binder

*I think this is one of the best years of the "combo" stars cards. Some really neat, and not cheap, combo's like Bucs Blasters, Friendly Foes, Pride of the NL, Power Plus, and Bombers Best with Mantle to name a few.

*There are a couple of Checklist "color" and other variations, again, easy to get and I've added them to the binder.#'s 102, 274, 431, 509

*I think the World Series subset is one of the best, although the card "Maris Sparks Yankee Rally" has a right handed batter pictured!

*Gaylord Perry shows up on a 1963 Rookie Stars card with a bubble picture, although he had is own 1962 card? Strange...

*Stan Musials last card...

*Card #341 Jack Baldschun has a variation...a white stripe through his body on the secondary picture on front. I actually found the variation listed as a regular common...tells me not everyone knows about this accepted variation. So should be easy to get

*A minor variation on card # 376 Johnnie Wyatt...on the back there is a line break or a straight line...another easy to get accepted variation

*On card #387 Al McBean there is a variation where in the cartoon on the back the "A" is either colored in, or it's not. I found this one again as a regular common...seems easy to get

*Card #454...Art Fowler...on the back the number 454 is either not boxed and in white like other cards (common), or comes in the corrected white box 454. I do NOT have this variation, it can be expensive and this one is well known...well known that for a long time I was hoping to find one listed...I have not. Been a while since I've looked for it...but I'd like to eventually have that variation

*#470 Tom Tresh, not his rookie, but seems to command a premium. Mid high numbered Yankee

*card #496...Rookie Stars featuring Steve Dalkowski commands a heavy premium. I bit the bullet and over paid on this one for sure and have a nice exmt example, but it seems to continue to grow in value so money well spent. Dalkowski's only card and has quite a story...puts this card in high demand

*High numbered Rookie Stars carry a premium outside the regular obvious ones. Minor starts like Rusty Staub and Dave McNally are pricey. Overall the high numbers aren't going to kill you, but still command a premium....especially in EX plus condition. But it's not 66 or 67 ish...but it's not 65 or 69 ish...lol. More like 64 ish.

*I usually get the big cards first, but for some reason my Mickey Mantle base card was the last card I needed to complete. I freed a PSA 5...

*With ebay and all that, nothing is really "hard" to get...but the mid highs were the same in availability and cost as the highs for me. Cards like Harmon Killebrew in the mids was costly to get a nice EX plus version.

*I don't focus on centering as much as I do sharp corners...but there seems to be more centering issues than most sets. After I completed it, I went through and upgraded several mis cut cards...just because

*Having the Stargell rookie and the Clemente in the high numbers is cool...ONCE YOU GET THEM...

*Just for fun, I would recommend you also add to the chase the 63 Fleer set to put at the back of the binder. When I look through this set it's always nice to flow right into the Fleers...of which I love.


Those are some of my learnings...there may be other variations that I don't know about, but those are the ones I chased. Good luck on the Dalkowski card...I'd knock that one off quick...good luck and have fun!

BTW...I too have/had 3 66 sets. I'm down to two right now...one of my favorites. Congrats on that...

[mikemb]

*I think the World Series subset is one of the best, although the card "Maris Sparks Yankee Rally" has a right handed batter pictured!

I agree with you on the world series subset but the Maris Sparks Yankee Rally card I thought had Maris as the runner at first base and possibly Elston Howard at bat.

Mike

[ALBB]

Originally Posted by Harliduck

I've actually built this set twice...first time I wasn't happy with my original "lot's" purchases as most of my commons were VG...its a rough looking set with all the colors if the cards aren't crisp, so I sold my first set, and then built an EX plus set. Here are some of my learnings -

* Yes, the Pete rookie is the only card from the 60s I have kept graded. Way too many fakes out there. I bought a nice reprint (easy to do, lol) for the binder and have my graded Pete in my graded card case. Sounds like your on top of that

*just an overall observation that isn't notice when you have this set in a binder...but a group of cards in a box shows the cards have a natural "curve" to them unlike any other year. I've always wanted to know why that is?

*There are some fun variations that are easy to collect. First up are the 1962/1963 Rookie Stars for numbers 29 and 54, there are versions with both years. I have both in my binder

*I think this is one of the best years of the "combo" stars cards. Some really neat, and not cheap, combo's like Bucs Blasters, Friendly Foes, Pride of the NL, Power Plus, and Bombers Best with Mantle to name a few.

*There are a couple of Checklist "color" and other variations, again, easy to get and I've added them to the binder.#'s 102, 274, 431, 509

*I think the World Series subset is one of the best, although the card "Maris Sparks Yankee Rally" has a right handed batter pictured!

*Gaylord Perry shows up on a 1963 Rookie Stars card with a bubble picture, although he had is own 1962 card? Strange...

*Stan Musials last card...

*Card #341 Jack Baldschun has a variation...a white stripe through his body on the secondary picture on front. I actually found the variation listed as a regular common...tells me not everyone knows about this accepted variation. So should be easy to get

*A minor variation on card # 376 Johnnie Wyatt...on the back there is a line break or a straight line...another easy to get accepted variation

*On card #387 Al McBean there is a variation where in the cartoon on the back the "A" is either colored in, or it's not. I found this one again as a regular common...seems easy to get

*Card #454...Art Fowler...on the back the number 454 is either not boxed and in white like other cards (common), or comes in the corrected white box 454. I do NOT have this variation, it can be expensive and this one is well known...well known that for a long time I was hoping to find one listed...I have not. Been a while since I've looked for it...but I'd like to eventually have that variation

*#470 Tom Tresh, not his rookie, but seems to command a premium. Mid high numbered Yankee

*card #496...Rookie Stars featuring Steve Dalkowski commands a heavy premium. I bit the bullet and over paid on this one for sure and have a nice exmt example, but it seems to continue to grow in value so money well spent. Dalkowski's only card and has quite a story...puts this card in high demand

*High numbered Rookie Stars carry a premium outside the regular obvious ones. Minor starts like Rusty Staub and Dave McNally are pricey. Overall the high numbers aren't going to kill you, but still command a premium....especially in EX plus condition. But it's not 66 or 67 ish...but it's not 65 or 69 ish...lol. More like 64 ish.

*I usually get the big cards first, but for some reason my Mickey Mantle base card was the last card I needed to complete. I freed a PSA 5...

*With ebay and all that, nothing is really "hard" to get...but the mid highs were the same in availability and cost as the highs for me. Cards like Harmon Killebrew in the mids was costly to get a nice EX plus version.

*I don't focus on centering as much as I do sharp corners...but there seems to be more centering issues than most sets. After I completed it, I went through and upgraded several mis cut cards...just because

*Having the Stargell rookie and the Clemente in the high numbers is cool...ONCE YOU GET THEM...

*Just for fun, I would recommend you also add to the chase the 63 Fleer set to put at the back of the binder. When I look through this set it's always nice to flow right into the Fleers...of which I love.


Those are some of my learnings...there may be other variations that I don't know about, but those are the ones I chased. Good luck on the Dalkowski card...I'd knock that one off quick...good luck and have fun!

BTW...I too have/had 3 66 sets. I'm down to two right now...one of my favorites. Congrats on that...

Wow,
nice recap experiences putting that tough set together

[Gorditadogg]

Hey John-

I appreciate your comments on the 63 set. Dalkowski I think is especially tough to find centered, that's why the graded population in PSA 8 and above is so low.

[Harliduck]

Originally Posted by Gorditadogg

Hey John-

I appreciate your comments on the 63 set. Dalkowski I think is especially tough to find centered, that's why the graded population in PSA 8 and above is so low.

Al...after reading this I had to pull the binder and check mine out. While mine is "pretty crisp" (a little loss of red there on the upper left), but yes, mine is also rather OC. Thumbing through it seems most cards have a certain degree of OC...I gotta imagine to those folks with OC OCD struggle with 63s!

[Harliduck]

Originally Posted by mikemb

*I think the World Series subset is one of the best, although the card "Maris Sparks Yankee Rally" has a right handed batter pictured!

I agree with you on the world series subset but the Maris Sparks Yankee Rally card I thought had Maris as the runner at first base and possibly Elston Howard at bat.

Mike

Well that would explain a lot! Learn something new every day...

[stlcardsfan]

Originally Posted by Harliduck

Al...after reading this I had to pull the binder and check mine out. While mine is "pretty crisp" (a little loss of red there on the upper left), but yes, mine is also rather OC. Thumbing through it seems most cards have a certain degree of OC...I gotta imagine to those folks with OC OCD struggle with 63s!

John, your Killer there in the pic looks pretty nice. That's one of the tougher cards in the set. #500 as I recall.

[Harliduck]

Originally Posted by stlcardsfan

John, your Killer there in the pic looks pretty nice. That's one of the tougher cards in the set. #500 as I recall.

Thanks...and yes it is, those mid-highs are no different than the hi's. Harmon is my favorite player, so I spare no expense on his set additions. I think I have like 15 of those and thats the best of them besides my SGC Harmon collection.

[jmoran19]

Good luck, I’m down to needing 4 cards to complete my set, 3 are from the 400’s

[BearBailey]

I always found the first 3 series relatively common and last 4 series are equally rare/difficult to find. Rose, Stargell and McNally Rcs can all be pricey unless you are patient. I also agree to add the 63 fleer set.

[BillP]

Originally Posted by ALBB

Wow,
nice recap experiences putting that tough set together

ive gone a bit further on variations with this set: 1 the 11 series 5 cropping variations of which mcbean is one. 2 each checlist has a variation. either banner color or font size. the boxes shape containing the number can help. 3 shilling red bat or not. 4 lock red scratches or not. 4 series 1 miscuts where white, yellow or blue shows in the lower banner. 16 cards in play here. 4 for each banner color. card 105 is an example. 5 bombers best. corrected focus on mantles bag between legs. 6 buhl with blue banner, although this may be color fading. billp

[Harliduck]

Originally Posted by BillP

ive gone a bit further on variations with this set: 1 the 11 series 5 cropping variations of which mcbean is one. 2 each checlist has a variation. either banner color or font size. the boxes shape containing the number can help. 3 shilling red bat or not. 4 lock red scratches or not. 4 series 1 miscuts where white, yellow or blue shows in the lower banner. 16 cards in play here. 4 for each banner color. card 105 is an example. 5 bombers best. corrected focus on mantles bag between legs. 6 buhl with blue banner, although this may be color fading. billp

Good call out on the Bombers Best, I forgot about that one. Nob or no nob. I have yet to get that variation but at one time was looking for the right one...need to revisit...

[packs]

Don't get a lot of chances to show off my Dalk:

[stkuhl]

My experience with the 63 set was that the 6th series cards were actually harder to track down than the 7th series cards. The prices on the 7th series stars was kind of eye opening but the no name 6th series cards were tough to locate. Good luck with the set. I didn't like the set at first but the colors have grown on me.

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by packs

Don't get a lot of chances to show off my Dalk:

Nice card and auto. Always show off your Dalk when you get the chance.