I'm going to write an article for the SMR regarding '71 Topps. Help, please!
jrinck
Posts: 1,321 ✭✭
Hello,
As one of the biggest critics of the SMR (my self-ordained title), I am taking Charlie's request seriously regarding having people write articles and submitting them for possible publication.
Being that 1971 Topps Baseball is my current focus, I've decided to put together a story regarding collecting this set. I could go out and just pile up what I know about it, but being that this is the elite forum for sportscards I am hoping that others can share their thoughts to make this article more than just a regurgitation of the checklist.
Specifically, I think an article on 1971 Topps Baseball should address the following issues:
1. Why people collect this particular set. Are the black borders a challenge? Is this just a beautiful looking set? Is the year 1971 special to some collectors? Does the lineup of stars and rookies make this set attractive? Did anyone collect this issue back when it was new and are now going back to it with fond memories? In my case the black borders attract me and also because 1971 is the year I was born.
2. How do collectors obtain the cards? This would be geared towards PSA grading purposes. Are all the 7's, 8's, 9's, and 10's out there from freshly opened vending, or were many of these cards simply kept in such good condition by attentive collectors over the years? If the cards come from freshly opened vending, how did collectors find these boxes? How many more unopened boxes might there be out there? What about those, like me, who only buy already graded cards? Is Ebay the best way? What about private sales or from dealers?
3. What are the rarities? A look at the population report is helpful, but hearing from collectors regarding what cards they are having a tough time finding in decent enough shape to grade is more telling. Is the Vicente Romo card (#723) the toughest to find well centered? What about finding ANY of the SP's? Are there any low number rarities? For the longest time I thought it was Dock Ellis (#2) based on the pop report, but the pop on this card has jumped in recent months while others have languished (Don Money, for example).
4. Is there, or will there ever be, a market for low grade samples of 1971 Topps cards? Face it, a banged up '71 is a sorry sight, indeed. Will collectors ever clamor for PSA 2's and 3's? My crossover point is PSA 6. I'll collect only PSA 6 or higher as 5's and below start looking bad. Others have higher standards and shoot for 8 or higher. Anyone looking for 9 or above will probably be looking for a LOOOONG time!
5. Friendships found while collecting this set. The PSA Set Registry has introduced me to some wonderful individuals who I've shared ideas with and even bought cards from for my set. I'm sure collectors of other years and issues can tell the same tales. Perhaps this is the greatest thing to come out of the set registry.
Any info anyone wishes to share would be highly welcome. I'll poke in with more questions as I think of them, and if anyone wishes to touch on items I haven't thought of then please feel free. At the end of the article I would like to give credit to this forum as a whole. There probably won't be enough space for individual names/nicknames, but a nice thank you to the group could easily find it's way in there.
So thank you all in advance! I'm hoping to raise the bar on the quality and depth of the articles in the SMR, and it's too much of a hurdle to do it alone when I've got such a plethora of wisdom only a few keystrokes away!
As one of the biggest critics of the SMR (my self-ordained title), I am taking Charlie's request seriously regarding having people write articles and submitting them for possible publication.
Being that 1971 Topps Baseball is my current focus, I've decided to put together a story regarding collecting this set. I could go out and just pile up what I know about it, but being that this is the elite forum for sportscards I am hoping that others can share their thoughts to make this article more than just a regurgitation of the checklist.
Specifically, I think an article on 1971 Topps Baseball should address the following issues:
1. Why people collect this particular set. Are the black borders a challenge? Is this just a beautiful looking set? Is the year 1971 special to some collectors? Does the lineup of stars and rookies make this set attractive? Did anyone collect this issue back when it was new and are now going back to it with fond memories? In my case the black borders attract me and also because 1971 is the year I was born.
2. How do collectors obtain the cards? This would be geared towards PSA grading purposes. Are all the 7's, 8's, 9's, and 10's out there from freshly opened vending, or were many of these cards simply kept in such good condition by attentive collectors over the years? If the cards come from freshly opened vending, how did collectors find these boxes? How many more unopened boxes might there be out there? What about those, like me, who only buy already graded cards? Is Ebay the best way? What about private sales or from dealers?
3. What are the rarities? A look at the population report is helpful, but hearing from collectors regarding what cards they are having a tough time finding in decent enough shape to grade is more telling. Is the Vicente Romo card (#723) the toughest to find well centered? What about finding ANY of the SP's? Are there any low number rarities? For the longest time I thought it was Dock Ellis (#2) based on the pop report, but the pop on this card has jumped in recent months while others have languished (Don Money, for example).
4. Is there, or will there ever be, a market for low grade samples of 1971 Topps cards? Face it, a banged up '71 is a sorry sight, indeed. Will collectors ever clamor for PSA 2's and 3's? My crossover point is PSA 6. I'll collect only PSA 6 or higher as 5's and below start looking bad. Others have higher standards and shoot for 8 or higher. Anyone looking for 9 or above will probably be looking for a LOOOONG time!
5. Friendships found while collecting this set. The PSA Set Registry has introduced me to some wonderful individuals who I've shared ideas with and even bought cards from for my set. I'm sure collectors of other years and issues can tell the same tales. Perhaps this is the greatest thing to come out of the set registry.
Any info anyone wishes to share would be highly welcome. I'll poke in with more questions as I think of them, and if anyone wishes to touch on items I haven't thought of then please feel free. At the end of the article I would like to give credit to this forum as a whole. There probably won't be enough space for individual names/nicknames, but a nice thank you to the group could easily find it's way in there.
So thank you all in advance! I'm hoping to raise the bar on the quality and depth of the articles in the SMR, and it's too much of a hurdle to do it alone when I've got such a plethora of wisdom only a few keystrokes away!
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Comments
I would make sure there is a section regarding the various ways people try to "doctor" the cards through recoloring and such. And also the steps PSA takes to make sure any 1971s that make it into a PSA holder are free of these types of trickery.
Mike
I think that you should email your post to the top 5 participants on the 71 Topps Registry. Those folks have been living and dying for the set and some of the more aggressive climbers are not that active on this board.
Sets - 1970, 1971 and 1972
Always looking for 1972 O-PEE-CHEE Baseball in PSA 9 or 10!
lynnfrank@earthlink.net
outerbankyank on eBay!
John
Wait until I enter my last submission, I should be back in #3 LOL
John - make it top 6.
Sets - 1970, 1971 and 1972
Always looking for 1972 O-PEE-CHEE Baseball in PSA 9 or 10!
lynnfrank@earthlink.net
outerbankyank on eBay!
Aside for trimming and obvious coloring of cards, I've seen cards with extensive marker bleeding too. For those you are not familiar with this, marker bleeding is when someone uses a black magic marker on the front of the card to color touch the white spots. The marker ink soaks through the card and "bleeds" on the back.
The most insidious example I've seen was on an 85 Topps W. Moon RC. 85 football is another black bordered set. A dealer friend of mine bought the card, sent it to PSA and received it back ungraded. He couldn't figure out why. I looked over the card and saw no evidence of trimming, and no bleeding. The card was well centered and looked great. As I was turning it over I found the reason. Someone had colored the card (expertly I might add) from the side! It seemed the person used the side of a marker (rather than the point) and let enough ink bleed in from the side of the card to cover up a white edge. You could only pick up the bleeding by looking at the side of the card.
And the more I think about it, those that provide extensive information, including quotes I might use, will get their names mentioned.
As for doctored cards, I might actually make a play to try to obtain some so I can become more familiar with spotting them. I've already done the Crayola thing, so I've got that base covered! Perhaps I'll just go on Ebay and look for some MINT-looking raw stars. There's a reason they aren't graded, and I want to find out what those reasons are!