Sunday, June 17, 2018

No Sleep till Brooklyn greats are checked off my '57 needs

More big name pickups for my 1957 Topps setbuild!


My first playing-days card of the great Roy Campanella! PSA 8! Check out those corners! You could floss your teeth on them babies!


This is his last card as an active player. He was tragically paralyzed in a car accident in January 1958, and didn't get a card in '58 Topps (though they did salute him with a special Symbol of Courage card in '59).

Searching eBay completed (sold) listings for PSA 8 versions of this card gives you this list:
$50.00 +$4.00 shipping
$228.73 +$3.00 shipping
$239.50 +$6.00 shipping
$240.50 +$6.00 shipping
$338.00 +$4.00 shipping

The fact that I'm bragging about this buy should clue you in to which one was my purchase. Sure, the other cards might be better centered, but still, I'm happy to save a couple hundred bucks comparatively.


Also picked up Roy's teammate Pee Wee Reese! This one is "raw" (ungraded) and has some creases and rough corners, but was a very fair deal, so I'm ok with it.


Thanks to a previous owner, possibly a kid in the late 50s (though that ink seems pretty bold for being 60 years old) reminding us all Reese was an All-Star. Ten time all-star, in fact! This is his penultimate card, getting a final card in '58 Topps.

Speaking of Brooklyn Dodgers greats bowing out.. I love '57 Topps, but the biggest bummer for me is they didn't include a final card for Jackie Robinson, who retired after the 1956 World Series rather than be traded to the hated rival NY Giants. That would have been a great card, with complete career stats on the back 'n all. Sigh. Oh well. One less expensive card for me to chase, I suppose. (If/when I complete 1957 Topps, I should whip up a custom Jackie [similar to Bob Lemke's effort] to supplement the set.)

HOF '57 Dodgers still on my wantlist include Koufax and the Drysdale RC. If anyone happens to have one available for trade (or other '57s I need), please let me know.


Thanks for reading. Last call for my big "Manniversary" contest! I'll keep it going for a little while longer to give time Monday to folks who don't have the chance to read card blogs on the weekends, but the entry period will come to a close soon.

17 comments:

  1. i can't remember if i already entered your contest.

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  2. Congrats on the cool pick-ups! It seems like you got quite the deal on that Campanella, and just because it was a little off center... I really don't get it!

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  3. Nice scores Gavin! That Campanella is a beauty. I've often thought the same thing you mentioned here, that it's a shame Robinson didn't get one last card in '57. I'm interested to see your take if you ever take a crack at it!

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    1. That'll be a fun one. I'd probably keep it a true Dodgers card other than 'shop up a Giants card.

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  4. Topps was 0 for 3 from 57 to 59 by not doing true final tributes for Jackie , campy, and pee wee

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    1. Bummer! Seems true final tributes really were a rarity back then.

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  5. I think I got my Campy for $15 (raw). '57 will be my next vintage set after I kill off what I have going. Have a head start in that I'm done with the Dodgers team! If I get a big lot along the way, you're my first trade partner.

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  6. That Campy is one of my most wanted cards at the moment. Great finds!

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    1. Thanks! Here's to you landing a Campy soon!

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  7. I've been 3 cards away from completing the '57 Dodgers team set for a couple of years now. One of them is Campy. I basically blame my indifference for the '57 set.

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    1. It's the "Polaroid set".. the first real color photos in a Topps set. Gotta love it!

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  8. I'm assuming you're planning on keeping that in the graded slab? I know you 'prefer' non-graded but you get slightly concerned about fakes (which makes total sense). An 8 also seems good enough that it really starts ballooning the card value.

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  9. You're crossing off some killer 57s lately. That Campy is incredible!

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  10. Congratulations on picking up that Campy. It's insane how much an OC qualifier can affect a card's value. I picked up a PSA 9 (OC) 1967 Topps Roberto Clemente for under $100 a while back. A PSA 8 with no qualifier sells for over $300. PSA 7's sell for around $120 to $140. I'm completely content with my OC qualifier.

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  11. Nice addition.

    Qualifiers are generally accepted as taking a card down two grades, so looking at what you paid for yours compared with other PSA 6s it would still be a solid deal. But comparing it to straight 8s isn't exactly an apt comparison.

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