Sports Cards Mania

Tim Salmon

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 24, 2005
3,296
I finally found an undamaged Clemens to finish the Archives ‘53 Fan Favorites set, and I received it today.



I’ve already started working on my shortlist of vintage cards. These were my two biggest wants:

 

Bergs

funky and cold
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2005
21,627
I finally found an undamaged Clemens to finish the Archives ‘53 Fan Favorites set, and I received it today.



I’ve already started working on my shortlist of vintage cards. These were my two biggest wants:

Niiiiiiiiiiicccceee
 

Tim Salmon

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 24, 2005
3,296
The '53 Paige is probably my #1 vintage goal right now. Love it!
It looks great in person. I think PSA/SGC 2-3 is the sweet spot for vintage cards, as long as the centering is tolerable. They generally have minimal or no creasing, and the damage is mostly scuffs or rounded corners that don't detract too much from the visual appeal.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 13, 2021
11,947
I sort of prefer vintage cards that have a little wear and tear on them; it adds character. An absolutely pristine card that’s 80 years old does little for me, except make me wonder where it’s been hiding all this time.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,850
Haha, I feel your pain. I sold a 2009 Bowman Draft Blue Chrome Refractor Auto of Mike Trout for roughly $30,000 less than what they go for now.
I sold a 1969 Lew Alcindor rookie card for $50 back in the day.

That was a lot of money to me.

SIGH
 

AlNipper49

Huge Member
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 3, 2001
44,855
Mtigawi
lol I figured someone would say something. I was out planting a sosh-inspired wildflower plot before the rain hit!
 

saintnick912

GINO!
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 30, 2004
4,968
Somerville, MA
Liked how the red in the design and photo matched with the gold border, and how the blue ink looked with the blue line around the edge. Not a high end card by any means (this variant is /50) but had to buy. Sorry for photato quality.

63079
 

Fishercat

Svelte and sexy!
SoSH Member
May 18, 2007
8,266
Manchester, N.H.
Also for those with kids, and honestly for some without, Big League is kind of fun this year. t's not going to make you money barring some absurd luck, but the price point is right ($50 for 18 hobby packs), the inserts are very fun, the checklist has some good names on it (I think it's Yoshida's first main release Topps card...of course my box didn't have one even as probably the most desirable base rookie in the set), and there's at least a small chance of something really cool coming out of it. A lot of the higher end rookies are hidden behind the blue foil (1 per box) and red foil (1 per 5 boxes) variants which might lend them to hold some value but also make them very difficult to find. The inserts are kiddy (of course) but a few of them - Roll Call in particular - are great fun. Autos also aren't as hard as you might expect to hit - the base is 1:57 packs (about one per three boxes) and with the parallels I think it probably pushes it closer to 1 per 2.5-3 boxes.

I'm not saying to go buy out your stock of Big League of all things but it's a surprisingly nice kid friendly product that I'd probably recommend over two blasters at this point.. A sampling below from the box I got which, outside of the auto, went to odds.

View: https://imgur.com/a/aKW0JCv
 

Fishercat

Svelte and sexy!
SoSH Member
May 18, 2007
8,266
Manchester, N.H.
I have a number of cards from the '50s but unfortunately as a kid in grade school back then, I had no idea they might be worth something in the future and would write "Retired" or "Traded" or add stats from the next season in the blank spots on cards. My favorites were the '53 Bowman black and whites.
This will be a bit nerdy, but in alignment with Petagine, I have an affinity for vintage with some marks on the back in that ilk. Makes it all feel more nostalgic
 

Fishercat

Svelte and sexy!
SoSH Member
May 18, 2007
8,266
Manchester, N.H.
I've had to have spent thousands of dollars over the years on cards and had a handful of those great experiences - that first auto, early relics, ripping open boxes and packs and all of that glory we all love. However, until now, I had never hit a 1/1. And as a baseball collector, this one is just kind of hilarious to have be the "one". With that said he's one of my favs so...

View: https://imgur.com/a/zUInbsJ
 

Fishercat

Svelte and sexy!
SoSH Member
May 18, 2007
8,266
Manchester, N.H.
My remark was just a response to marks on backs of cards: when you try to sell them, the value plummets. I'm ancient, don't have a family to pass them on to and am trying to avoid throwing them away but it is difficult to figure out what they are worth.
They hurt the value but there's definitely a subset of collectors who care less about marks, especially on the back of the card, than the market on the whole does.
 

Fishercat

Svelte and sexy!
SoSH Member
May 18, 2007
8,266
Manchester, N.H.
I guess what I'm really trying to ask is how does one deal with cards like that?
When I bought cards as a kid, there was also gum included in the pack and my biggest hope was to get Red Sox players. As an adult, I got cards through games I attended with a couple of baseball groups, about 150 parks over the years, and we were usually given "welcome bags" that included baseball cards, a lot of them off-the -wall varieties.
Others here would probably be better off to answer it to be honest, and a lot depends on the cards themselves. If you have a few samples of the better ones in your collection that you're looking to potentially pass along, it'd give me an idea on the suggestions to make.
 

Fishercat

Svelte and sexy!
SoSH Member
May 18, 2007
8,266
Manchester, N.H.
As an aside, if you love burning money in the fastest possible manner, Topps Dynasty is on their website for a positively absurd $825 a box (for one card).
 

Bozo Texino

still hates Dave Kerpen
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
11,730
Austin, Texas
I've had to have spent thousands of dollars over the years on cards and had a handful of those great experiences - that first auto, early relics, ripping open boxes and packs and all of that glory we all love. However, until now, I had never hit a 1/1. And as a baseball collector, this one is just kind of hilarious to have be the "one". With that said he's one of my favs so...

View: https://imgur.com/a/zUInbsJ
 

runnels3

Member
SoSH Member
If anyone's passing through Brattleboro, I highly recommend the new card store on Main St. Trying to give the owner lots of business so he'll stay afloat.
Kind of a unique store with a Brattleboro high school hall of fame in back. Lots of other good stuff. Guy has connections with Ted Williams daughter Claudia
who lives in the area so there's a fair amount of Splinter's stuff too.

Lucky Lansdownes
128 Main St
Brattleboro VT
Wed-Sun
 

YTF

Member
SoSH Member
If anyone's passing through Brattleboro, I highly recommend the new card store on Main St. Trying to give the owner lots of business so he'll stay afloat.
Kind of a unique store with a Brattleboro high school hall of fame in back. Lots of other good stuff. Guy has connections with Ted Williams daughter Claudia
who lives in the area so there's a fair amount of Splinter's stuff too.

Lucky Lansdownes
128 Main St
Brattleboro VT
Wed-Sun
Thanks my wife and I stop in Brattleboro 3-4 times a year (Sam's, Twice Upon a Time and a few other places), I'll have to look him up.
 

runnels3

Member
SoSH Member
Not at all. And if I had a Mantle or Kaline Monarch card they'd be in there. But the fact is the NL was so far ahead of the AL in the 60s. In all star games alone the NL was 12-1-1 from '60-'70. 12-1-1 !! Beyond the Supergroup there was Cepeda, McCovey, Marichal, Gibson, Banks, on & on. And then the NL kept rolling through the '70s. 11-1 from '71 to '82! My one regret being from Boston was missing out on all that amazing talent.

But I digress. Anyone have a nice Shohei to show?
 

Lose Remerswaal

Experiencing Furry Panic
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
@runnels3 already replied more kindly than he should have, but WTF, Lose? That read really poorly. Unless your "just a coincidence" comment was directed at general mangers of AL teams in the 1960's.
That’s where it was directed. I am familiar with the poor racial progress of many teams in MLB, especially our Boston Red Sox.

and it is something I think needs to be talked about, as “kids these days” may not be aware.
 
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Bergs

funky and cold
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2005
21,627
That’s where it was directed. I am familiar with the poor racial progress of many teams in MLB, especially our Boston Red Sox.

and it is something I think needs to be talked about, as “kids these days” may not be aware.
Fair enough. Your phrasing made it seem as though you were questioning @runnels3 on his collection choices.
 

nolasoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 11, 2004
6,930
Displaced
I finally found an undamaged Clemens to finish the Archives ‘53 Fan Favorites set, and I received it today.



I’ve already started working on my shortlist of vintage cards. These were my two biggest wants:

So many years later, and I still want to wretch when I see Fisk in a White Sox hat.
I love that Jackie Robinson card. Good luck getting yours!
 

Oil Can Dan

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2003
8,015
0-3 to 4-3
I think I am going to try to put together a 1956 set. Been thinking about that one for a long time and I just love the overall look. The fronts are awesome with the background picture and the backs are awesome too with the little factoids and cartoons. The only expensive rookie card is Luis Aparicio but there's a ton of HOFers, including Mantle and Campanella who had a few years away from Topps due to contractual obligations with Bowman. Not including variations there are 342 cards. Not ready to fully dive in but I think I'm about to put my toe in the water...
And so it begins. One down, 339 to go...

64231
 

Fishercat

Svelte and sexy!
SoSH Member
May 18, 2007
8,266
Manchester, N.H.
I'm excited to see that '56 set grow. It's a very satisfying experience to build a vintage set. I also love that Williams Bowman custom. Two great shares!
 

Fishercat

Svelte and sexy!
SoSH Member
May 18, 2007
8,266
Manchester, N.H.
One of the more interesting trends I've been seeing since Fanatics went on their tear is that card companies, particularly Topps, are really pushing alternative motivators.

SGC announced their Bowman $9 special - they did this last year for Bowman Chrome and this year for Topps Series 1, but it slashes grading costs of 2023 Bowman to $9 for a period of time. Even as someone who doesn't grade, I've gotten a few cards pulled from breaks that I might send over to SGC at that rate. Sadly the best card I pulled had enough damage to tank a grade that so that will likely be a raw sell or just holding in case he catches fire if/when he gets called up, but there's a few interesting ones to give SGC a shot.

SGC Home (gosgc.com)

There has also been unofficial but offered by big name bounty programs - first for the full Golden Mirror set from Topps S1 and now for the Druw Jones superfactor auto from Bowman as a lottery style incentive. Both require either huge financial investment (I think the bounty winner for the Golden Mirrors opened up hundreds of jumbo cases to build it) or absurd luck but it's clear they're testing out some different methods on odds, promotions, etc. to see where it might move things.

Also this year's Bowman, weird player selection. The best auto I got is a 26 y/o getting his first Bowman card (he can mash interestingly enough, kinda surprised he hasn't gotten a try yet). Brandon Walter is in there for the Sox, also similarly aged. I know COVID kind of messed a lot of this up so there's a player backlog but I'm used to teenagers and international guys getting Bowman 1sts, not mid-20 somethings. I doubt it'll matter long term but it does take a little of the excitement out of it.
 

Oil Can Dan

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2003
8,015
0-3 to 4-3
I'm excited to see that '56 set grow. It's a very satisfying experience to build a vintage set. I also love that Williams Bowman custom. Two great shares!
The '56 set is going to be a slooooow grow. For one I don't have any discretionary money right now, and for two I started working on the '59 set in 2004 and with a few years of inactivity here and there I'm still the Mantle short of completion. I'm itching to dive in but I have to be patient. Right now I'm just bargain hunting (and failing!) on PSA 7 commons.
 

Bergs

funky and cold
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2005
21,627
A few of my recent grabs, along with a pic of my Yaz shoebox. There's no 1960-1980 Topps base set cards in the shoebox (except for my lesser '61, '69, '70, and '74), as they are all in my wooden complete team set box I posted a pic of upthread.

yaz_202305.JPG
 

Ed Hillel

Wants to be startin somethin
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2007
43,592
Here
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