A White Whale Story: The First Complete PSA Set of 1951 Wheaties Premium Photos

1951WheatiesPremium

While last weeks thread was anti climactic, it almost had to be. I spoke no lies then just as I will speak none now. I was not the winning bidder last week, fellow collectors, but there is more than one way to hunt. I racked my brain wondering why a card seemingly of interest to me alone would be soaring. I caught a bad vibe - despite the seller seemingly like a really good guy on the phone and over messages - and got cold feet. But I couldn’t stop clicking back and trying to figure it out; why, dammit, why! Then a memory hit me like a wife that has caught her drunk husband eating a turkey leg before it’s served at a family Thanksgiving dinner; I remembered that I had issued a card bounty to a few folks whom I thought I could trust. After sifting through who seemed most likely to help in my scattered and gray mattered brain, I reached out to that friend, whom I’d made exclusively through collecting. We’ve actually never met face to face. Sure enough, he told me he’d seen it and was on it. So, I figured that with him (and his bidding style) I was in good hands and told him to ‘win the card’ at all costs with the caveat that we may need to trade depending on where it goes, price wise. As such, it went well, I squared quickly and today, on the third day of September two thousand and nineteen, a great and mighty quest has ended and a mighty whale has seen its end after a long glorious battle. In the end, it did not take me with it and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

So without further ado, it is my great pleasure to present to you for your viewing pleasure a rare and unique card and it’s place within a rare and beautiful, complete set.

1951 Wheaties Premium Photos Jack Kramer L

In addition, here are the three really fun ‘set’ photos. The last one is to tide me over until I can get Mr. Kramer in a PSA slab. (Still, I thought it pretty good trickery on my part.)

UPDATE: No more trickery...

Lastly, I know many were following along in this journey; I appreciate it tremendously - the offered assistance, the shared similar stories and the general excellence of the posters and mods here on the Collectors Universe forums. Your messages publicly and privately have made this voyage even more memorable.

While the quest for set completion now comes to an end, the quest for information will continue in perpetuity until such time as I am satisfied that I have learned all there is to know about this enigmatic masterpiece of a set.

Thank you all and God bless.

Happy collecting!

burghman

Wow, that’s a twist worthy of The Crying Game! Congrats!

Air23GOAT

Wow. Congratulations on completing this set. So what now? Bask in the glow of victory?

1951WheatiesPremium

@Air23GOAT said:
Wow. Congratulations on completing this set. So what now? Bask in the glow of victory?

Maybe for a few hours and then again when Jack is slabbed but I have always had some side projects, too. Part of the reason I joined CU was to share what I have learned through researching the set. Put simply, there’s very little concrete information on the set. If you look now on google, you’ll find what I have compiled is probably the best and most complete set of information available. Sadly, not many folks have come forth with anything (concrete, or otherwise) since I began the thread.

I am just enamored with their look and obviously happy to see a complete set together.

JBrules

Great story for sure. Congrats on harpooning your whale!!!

Moonman

That must feel good to complete, congrats!!!

brad31

So happy it ended up where it belonged. Congratulations on your complete set! I really do like the photography particularly the Campy and the Berra.

doubledragon

I just got back from my lunch break, and I see this thread. I am absolutely speechless. A true miracle! Congratulations! I dance on the table tops with you!

DBesse27

Wow, Tim, I couldn’t be happier that you harpooned this leviathan! All the congrats in the world, my man!

doubledragon

I still can't believe it. It seemed so hopeless last week. I'm just so happy for you. Beautiful complete set.

1951WheatiesPremium

@doubledragon said:
I still can't believe it. It seemed so hopeless last week. I'm just so happy for you. Beautiful complete set.

I felt a little duplicitous but I am not made of money so I can’t pay any price without selling something big (and unless there’s time, those usually end up as a loss).

I was only able to cover for what it went for as I had sold a few items in recent weeks - unrelated to this cards appearance.

1951WheatiesPremium

Helpful Information

It dawned on me that some new people may click this thread having no idea at what they are looking. So, if you happen to click on this thread, get here and don't know the significance of this card, you can really dive deep by clicking the signature line in any of my posts.

Short Version: When I send it in, this Jack Kramer card will be the first graded example. This is a passion project, I have been working on the set for a long time and this was the last card that I needed to finish what will soon be the only complete set of 1951 Wheaties Premium Photos on the PSA Registry.

doubledragon

I think in the end, it will be a big relief to finally have this White Whale harpooned because it could be years before another one turns up. When it comes to cards that are this rare, I know how grinding it can be to have to wait for them to turn up. The search can become frustrating. I have been looking for some of Joe Louis's cards for years, and they still haven't surfaced. It can start to drive you mad. Everyday I search, Ebay Italy, Ebay UK, Ebay France, Bonanza Marketplace, Etsy, Amazon, Beckett Marketplace, looking for these White Whales. Everyday I come up empty. Captain Ahab eventually became insane. I'm starting to understand why he went insane. Trust me, getting that Jack Kramer is a huge weight off your shoulders. If anyone needs me, I'll be on my ship stranded in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, totally mad.

Air23GOAT

Yeah I read your link before & I find these cards mysterious & really cool. It made me want to stary collecting them. Or at least learn more about them. Only 12 cards? I can't imagine getting every Jordan card.

NGS428

Congrats Tim! A great story and a great accomplishment!

Stone193

Wow, congratulations Tim!

Great accomplishment - worthy of praise.

I've enjoyed the journey and your passion buddy.

1951WheatiesPremium

@Air23GOAT said:
Yeah I read your link before & I find these cards mysterious & really cool. It made me want to stary collecting them. Or at least learn more about them. Only 12 cards? I can't imagine getting every Jordan card.

Well, this most recent batch gives me hope for future set builders, if any exist. The Rizzuto, Hogan, Schalow and Kramer (obviously) were tough to find. And the Mantle will set you back some dough. But it’s a great hunt, that is for sure.

1951WheatiesPremium

@NGS428 said:
Congrats Tim! A great story and a great accomplishment!

Thanks very much! This set will still keep me searching for further information for a long while, I’m sure.

1951WheatiesPremium

@Stone193 said:
Wow, congratulations Tim!

Great accomplishment - worthy of praise.

I've enjoyed the journey and your passion buddy.

Mike - help helps. More than you know.

How’s Mr. Lemon?

Stone193

He's prominently in front of my Play Ball gum ball vending machine. Thank you again.

JoeBanzai

WAY TO GO!!!!

1951WheatiesPremium

@JoeBanzai said:
WAY TO GO!!!!

Thank you kindly, Joe.

It’s been a fun ride; I really wasn’t sure I would be able to pull it off. The card went passed my price point but I just didn’t want to leave the set incomplete any longer; seven years longer would have been too much for me.

TheThrill22

What a great story, thank you for sharing!

1951WheatiesPremium

Jack is on his way to Newport Beach.

The next time I see him, he’ll be ready to join the set permanently.

Fun stuff, baby!

doubledragon

@1951WheatiesPremium said:

@JoeBanzai said:
WAY TO GO!!!!

Thank you kindly, Joe.

It’s been a fun ride; I really wasn’t sure I would be able to pull it off. The card went passed my price point but I just didn’t want to leave the set incomplete any longer; seven years longer would have been too much for me.

And the thing about it is, it could have easily been YEARS. we often lose track of time when looking for something really rare. The time spent looking for it goes from days to weeks, then from weeks to months and so on. The next thing you know, it's been a year. I've been looking for a 1980 phoenix boxing legends Joe Louis card for years, and still haven't seen one surface. It becomes frustrating. I'm glad you landed that Kramer, because it starts to feel like you're doing hard time looking for certain rare cards.

JoeBanzai

@1951WheatiesPremium said:

@JoeBanzai said:
WAY TO GO!!!!

Thank you kindly, Joe.

It’s been a fun ride; I really wasn’t sure I would be able to pull it off. The card went passed my price point but I just didn’t want to leave the set incomplete any longer; seven years longer would have been too much for me.

Your very welcome. I have been looking for the Killebrew 1967 disk for at least 20 years. It would "complete" my Killebrew collection. I just can't afford the price. They never seem to come up on ebay and the last one I heard about through the "grapevine" was over $1,000.00. I think it had a big crease in it as well.

Of course I saw one WAY back in the day for a hundred dollars or so, but didn't know what it was, so I passed.

GREAT to see you finish the set at last!!!

originalisbest

Great job completing the very tough '51 set! I've enjoyed watching your passion for it! :-)

1951WheatiesPremium

@originalisbest said:
Great job completing the very tough '51 set! I've enjoyed watching your passion for it! :-)

Thank you! There is a complete set (it’s in SGC slabs) as well. That one belongs to one of the three guys who has attended every national. I’ve peppered him with questions over the years and he’s a very knowledgeable guy but as yet I’ve never sat down with him and picked his brain. Maybe in AC 2020.

The fire for knowledge still burns. I’d love to know more about them but information is as rare as the cards themselves; about the manner of release (if any), the definitive explanation of use or intended purpose, the production run. And time is not my friend in this situation. I imagine most of the people who would have worked on it themselves are quite old or gone and even their direct descendants would have some wear on their treads, too.

@JoeBanzai

You say you’ve been to The Ballpark store? Next time you go, can you see what you can get out of Cal for me? Conversation is often more fruitful than emails...

1951WheatiesPremium

@TheThrill22 said:
What a great story, thank you for sharing!

You do the long version of the short?

Just curious...

Jack Kramer logged in at PSA

doubledragon

Congratulations on the only PSA complete set on Earth.

TheThrill22

@1951WheatiesPremium said:

@TheThrill22 said:
What a great story, thank you for sharing!

You do the long version of the short?

Just curious...

Jack Kramer logged in at PSA

Long version. I'm old and have time on my hands.

1951WheatiesPremium

I’ve never really been a patient person...

Thank you to Jackie C. and Joe Orlando for being tremendously kind and helpful to me from the very beginning to the very end. You’ve made a little fish feel like a king.

Thanks to Calvin at The Ball Park (Minnesota) for his kindness and generosity.

Thanks to everyone who followed along. It’s been fun. Really fun. And special.

Jack hits the pop report tomorrow.

DBesse27

That’s crazy how quick that popped! Congrats Tim!

doubledragon

That was fast! 100% complete. Nice job.

1951WheatiesPremium

Thanks to the express submission level...?

1951WheatiesPremium

DBesse27

So awesome!

kingnascar

...and they lived happily ever after

1951WheatiesPremium

1951 Wheaties Premium Photos - Complete PSA Graded Set

doubledragon

That's what I call one heck of a family portait. You knocked that set out.

Stone193

Nice!

1951WheatiesPremium

@Stone193 said:
Nice!

Thanks!

brad31

They look great all together.