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Presentation Set Heaven - eye candy
Bosox1976
Posts: 8,536 ✭✭✭✭✭
Wow:
https://reddit.com/r/baseballcards/comments/z1y6l3/some_original_1960s_topps_factory_sets_consigned/
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Mike
Bosox1976
Bosox1976
9
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I forget….are these distinguishable from conventionally distributed cards? Are they min size?
I had some 62's from one such set once, about 2/3 graded - and the rest were a little small. I think the belief is that they trimmed up a few cards to improve the look of the centering.
Bosox1976
Gorgeous cards, although I still cannot believe people can't figure out how to photograph cards without their freaking fingernails being the focus of their picture. My general rule, if there's skin of any sort showing with the cards, stay away
they look Too Pretty...not the fingernails...
They thought they were trimmed after for centering? Did they think the employees at topps did it before giving them out? That seems like a crazy task to do to hundreds or maybe a few thousand of these sets. I always thought they were made differently but didn’t know they were thought to be trimmed. I know sgc had no problems grading the small ones back in the day I thought. Do they know how they would trim them or any other details on this?
Thanks for the info these sets are amazing
Some 6-figure cards there. Centering issues here and there...but otherwise stunning! The brightness/eye-popping color of these cards from not seeing the light of day is amazing/unbelievable.
If it is true...that the cards were notoriously short...then it will be interesting to see how many cards avoid the dreaded "MIN SIZE REQ" tag.
I knew that I should not have started a $90,000 kitchen/family room project...right now.
Thanks Mike...for bringing this find to our attention!
I think the print run was far, far smaller for these Presentation Sets. These were for VIPs and friends of Topps only, IIRC. There are some board members here who have owned whole sets (I only bought remnants), who probably know more. I believe they took a little longer on quality control to achieve optimal centering, and just cleaned up the few stragglers with suboptimal centering, hence a few shorties, albeit cut on factory equipment.
Then they were packaged in neat little cardboard holders - mini boxes with number ranges typed onto labels, then the mini boxes were grouped and boxed into set boxes, as in the linked images and sent to the VIPs.
Here is a link to an old set that sold a while back that shows the mini boxes:
https://www.milehighcardco.com/lot-10719.aspx
There are a few threads on this site if you want to search further.
Bosox1976
.38 to mail the entire set.
The U.S. dollar has lost 90% its value since 1962
Updated: November 10, 2022
$100 in 1962 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $986.79 today, an increase of $886.79 over 60 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 3.89% per year between 1962 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 886.79%.
https://in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1962
My cards on COMC
[Extraneous political rant deleted.]
Thank you
The presentation sets were not trimmed but care was taken and the print quality is generally outstanding and the color always pops. Still have centering issues. I bet if you showed the whole set to PSA in the box and then put them in holders at the National they would grade them all. They are often a little smaller than a normal set. Kind of like the difference between Donruss factory sets and pack issued cards. If I ever had the $ and opportunity to buy one I would just binder it and keep the box and enjoy looking at how beautiful each card can be when printed well.
I could've sworn that presentation set cards had a little extra gloss as well.
Brian
mariner Don had a nice '63 set that he shared with us all a few years ago. I believe he said they had a really nice gloss.
That is beautiful stuff. In person would really be awesome. The gloss and stock are just incomparable to packed cards.
"You've gotta be a man to play this game...but you'd better have a lot of little boy in you, too"--Roy Campanella
In case you haven't seen the 62 set highlights from this find - the Mays looks special...
https://reddit.com/r/baseballcards/comments/z2u3js/got_to_open_up_a_1962_topps_factory_set_today/
Bosox1976
Stunning! Thanks again Mike for keeping us up-to-date...
hey @Bosox1976,
Yeah those 62's are pretty cherry looking...
Thanks for posting the link to the '62 highlights. Unfortunately snow will do the Mays in. 7 or 7.5 for it. Mantle has a shot at an 8. 9's are tough. Can't be any white showing on the borders/corners and they're also picky about the print.
Just to close the loop on the 1961 set, it sold last night for just over $43k - and not many of the stars made it to PSA 9. Still gorgeous though:
https://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball/1961-topps-presentation-baseball-high-grade-complete-set-587-/a/50061-80238.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515
Bosox1976
Thanks for showing the results. Beautiful set and really cool it comes with the box.
@Bosox1976 - that is freaking AWESOME!!!
Hiya Mike
Thanx for sharing these and the update buddy.
These cards are stunning - some just a touch away from perfection.
I placed a bid on the '61 presentation set but didn't make a serious run at it since I already have a graded 1961 set. I'm also torn about breaking up these sets. I may chase one of the other two but I have to figure out how I'd deal with combining with my set while keeping the presentation set intact. The final sale price wasn't bad. There were $35k in graded cards and some of those values are a bit old and and probably conservative at today's prices. With the value of the non-cherry picked cards that can still be graded, I think the winner will do quite well.
The 1963 set is up on Heritage now - and the Stargell popped as an SGC 10!
Here's the description if you don't want to follow the link:
1963 Topps Presentation Baseball High-Grade Complete Set (576). Could you imagine what it would be like to open an original factory set of baseball cards from the 1960's? That is what is offered at auction today. For a brief period of time, Topps produced exclusive factory sets of their yearly issues to be delivered to team owners, players, company representatives and baseball dignitaries. Sy Berger, the Vice-president of Sports & Licensing at Topps and grandfather to modern baseball cards would include a note in each box. Sy Berger's original note is gone, but to find a set with the original mailing box and the 5 custom holders that they came in is a true find. These were produced on an extremely limited basis and today are referred to as "Presentation Sets." Consigned by the family of a former-Philadelphia Phillies executive, we are proud to offer an undisturbed relic of baseball card history. A truly new-to-the-hobby factory set of 1963 Topps baseball cards.
A total of 28 cards have been graded by SGC. Highlights include: Graded - SGC Gem Mint 10 : 3 cards, #'s 138 Mays/Musial, 157, 553 Stargell; SGC Mint+ 9.5: 5 cards, #'s 151 Pirates, 213, 264, 410, 416; SGC MINT 9: 7 cards, #'s 187, 208, 243, 274 Checklist, 278, 373, 378; SGC NM-MT+ 8.5: 3 card, #'s 210 Koufax, 250 Musial, 490 McCovey; SGC NM-MT 8: 8 cards, #'s 173 Bombers Best, 200 Mantle, 242 Banks/Aaron, 380 Banks, 400 Robinson, 412 Koufax/Drysdale, 470 Tresh, 558; SGC NM+ 7.5: 1 card, #537 Rose; SGC EX-NM 6: 1 card, #472 Brock. Ungraded - #'s 1 Aaron LDR (EX/MT), 2 Mantle LDR (EX/MT), 3 Aaron/Mays LDR (EX/MT), 18 Buc Blasters (NM), 25 Kaline (EX/MT), 115 Yastrzemski (EX), 120 Maris (EX/MT), 169 Perry (EX/MT), 228 Oliva (NM), 275 Mathews (EX/MT), 300 Mays (EX/MT), 320 Spahn (EX), 340 Berra (VG/EX), 345 Robinson (EX), 390 Aaron (NM), 415 Gibson (NM/MT, factory small), 440 Marichal (NM), 446 Ford (NM), 500 Killebrew (VG/EX), 525 Fox (NM), 540 Clemente (EX, factory small), 544 Staub (EX/MT). Grades 40% NM to NM/MT (some better), 53% EX to EX/MT, 7% lesser (including factory small). SMR value exceeds $23,000.00
Guide Value or Estimate: $30,000 - up.
https://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball-cards/sets/1963-topps-presentation-baseball-high-grade-complete-set-576-/a/50062-50699.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515
Bosox1976
Always thought the ‘61 Mantle was the nicest card of him and that one is only a dream for me.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
good luck on the sale the set looks amazing.
Nobody on these forums consigned those sets. They came from the family of a former Phillies GM.
Awesome!. Come oh HA have like more than 4 pics for this auction.
Nice set!
my mistake
I did not read through all of the comments but I remember readings something about these years ago that they have slightly more glossy surfaces as well.
30 years ago there was a man from my hometown that used to come into our family's business who had a run of Topps Presentation Sets. I have no idea how he got them. He would never consider selling them because he was going to give them to his son. He has since passed and I'm sure the son got them. I would have loved to have just seen them.
I broke a 1963 Presentation set for a friend of mine whose mom was one of the big shots Secretary when Topps was in Sunset Park Brooklyn. She worked at Topps for decades. “Charles” said they gave the sets out to employees and guests. I submitted 50-60 cards from the set and got several PSA 10s and many 9s including a Mantle and Mays 9. The Rose was a 7. I think there were 5-6 common 10s.
There were a lot of mini sized cards