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Alright . . . I Bit On This One

1951 BOWMAN WILLIE MAYS PSA 8++ GIANTS

I will now be 100% PSA 8 or better.

Comments

  • David - Congrats on the 100 %...... Nice Mays....
  • Congratulations!!!! I have been watching your progress and I am quite impressed with your achievement. Good Job! Your set has inspired me!

    BOB

  • David

    Congratulations! You've done it!
    THE FLOGGINGS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES
  • thegemmintmanthegemmintman Posts: 3,101 ✭✭
    I'm very happy for you David. We can all appreciate the time and money you have committed to that awesome set.

    Congrats image
  • carkimcarkim Posts: 1,166 ✭✭
    Great job David, Your having the week of your life.

    Carlos
  • brucemobrucemo Posts: 358
    Very cool.

    How much of this set did you get from submits, eBay, premium auctions, dealers, shows, and private sales?

    bruce
    Collecting '52 Bowman, '53 Bowman B&W, and '56 Topps, in PSA-7.
    Website: http://www.brucemo.com
    Email: brucemo@seanet.com
  • crazysccrazysc Posts: 291
    Couldn't have picked a better dealer to buy it from - congrats.
    Why do I get the feeling, that some cards are worth money, while others are not?
  • FBFB Posts: 1,684 ✭✭
    Nice going David!

    Is that about what you were hoping to pay? More? Less?
    Frank Bakka
    Sets - 1970, 1971 and 1972
    Always looking for 1972 O-PEE-CHEE Baseball in PSA 9 or 10!

    lynnfrank@earthlink.net
    outerbankyank on eBay!
  • Wow, them's some real Vargha bucks! But then again, it is a Mays RC!

    Congrats David!
    Please visit my eBay auctions at gemint
  • TO DAVID VARGA--CAN WE CLONE YOU AS THE EPITIMY OF A VINTAGE CARD SET COLLECTOR???/---BOY ARE YOU GOOD FOR YOUR HOBBY--RON
    TWINRON
  • theBobstheBobs Posts: 1,136 ✭✭
    Congrats Vargha.
    Where have you gone Dave Vargha
    CU turns its lonely eyes to you
    What's the you say, Mrs Robinson
    Vargha bucks have left and gone away?

    hey hey hey
    hey hey hey
  • AlfiewtAlfiewt Posts: 337
    Wow, that was quick! Great job David.
  • VarghaVargha Posts: 2,392 ✭✭
    Thanks once again for all of the kind words. All but 2 or 3 cards were bought already slabbed. There are many people who have contributed, with most being PSA authorized dealers. Craig Roehrig was the biggest contributor with over 60 cards. Chris Porter is probably the second highest with JP Cohen running third. There were a few from private collectors, including Marc Schoenen who provided me with my elusive PSA 8 Preacher Roe card. The vast majority were purchased on eBay.

    The price was exactly what I wanted to pay for it (other than unreasonable expectations). It went for that price in the Mastro auction this year, but I didn't participate in the bidding as I never imagined that I would have a chance at completing the set this year. I honestly had set a 3-5 year time frame to acquire the last stragglers. Little did I know that I would have the opportunity to complete it this year. Financially, this is money I had planned on spending in the years 2003-2004, so I will not start any new sets until late 2004 or early 2005 unless things radically change for me. I will still be pursuing the occasional PSA 9 card that surfaces for sale. Now I will list my PSA 7 Mays on eBay to try to recoup part of the purchase price. I will set a BIN of $2,500 (SMR is $3,000).

    Quite frankly, I'm stunned that I have been able to put together an "elite" set that is even mentioned in the same breath as Merkel, Branca and Fogel. I really am just a nobody in the collecting world. I guess this gets me my "15 minutes of fame" then among hobbyists. As much as I have spent on this set, I really am just a "white collar" guy with a "stay at home" wife. I can't relate to the guys with "real bucks" (not the devalued "vargha bucks"). So I'm really just one of the guys here on the board, posting about my set accomplishments. I'm glad that I can share some of the enjoyment with everyone. Hopefully there will be a point when I can have the entire set scanned and posted for everyone to look at. I believe that I am at least half-way now towards that end.
  • VarghaVargha Posts: 2,392 ✭✭
    Okay, excuse my shameless plug for the PSA 7 auction . . .

    1951 BOWMAN Willie Mays Rookie PSA 7 NM 50/50
  • carkimcarkim Posts: 1,166 ✭✭
    David,

    I just had to place a bid on you auction,

    Carlos
  • VarghaVargha Posts: 2,392 ✭✭
    You guys are pretty funny. I am reporting you to eBay as "shill" bidders on my own auction.
  • theBobstheBobs Posts: 1,136 ✭✭
    Sir V,

    My bid is damn serious. If I am indeed high bidder, regardless of your reserve, I expect you to sell the Mays to me. I am no shill.

    Shillito Bandito
    Where have you gone Dave Vargha
    CU turns its lonely eyes to you
    What's the you say, Mrs Robinson
    Vargha bucks have left and gone away?

    hey hey hey
    hey hey hey
  • MantlefanMantlefan Posts: 1,079 ✭✭
    I plan on winning this auction and then giving you negative feedback! Seriously, great set. Can't think of any thing else on this planet that's 51 years old and looks that good.
    Frank

    Always looking for 1957 Topps BB in PSA 9!
  • Mantlefan,

    My wife is a lot younger than that card and I'm not sure she looks that good. (God I hope she doesn't read this.)

    wayne
    1955 Bowman Football
  • BigKidAtHeartBigKidAtHeart Posts: 1,799 ✭✭


    << <i>Okay, excuse my shameless plug for the PSA 7 auction . . .

    1951 BOWMAN Willie Mays Rookie PSA 7 NM 50/50 >>

    Is it just me, but does this PSA 7, not look Better than the PSA 8 he just paid $8K for?!!?

    It is hard to tell for sure - but the centering and corners look much better on the 7!!
    imageimage
  • coachhcoachh Posts: 529
    First, congrats on completing the set. I can only dream of completing either of the 2 sets I am working on.
    2nd, I agree with BKAH. I like the centering on the 7 better than that on the 8. The 7 would be a great card to have.
  • VarghaVargha Posts: 2,392 ✭✭
    The 7 definitely has better centering. I seriously doubt that it has better coners though. Kris posted a pretty marginal scan for such a high dollar card.
  • qualitycardsqualitycards Posts: 2,811 ✭✭✭
    David - Congrats! on assembling a fantastic set. I'm working on what it seems is a million sets, and I'm not that close to completing any, so I appreciate your effort and dilligence. At least I can live vicariously through you, and I think a card or 2 of that set came from me, so that pleases me as well. Seems that you landed The Mays at a good price, not that $8K is peanuts...Good Job...jay
  • unishipuniship Posts: 492 ✭✭
    Vargha, congrats from me too!!! Now, your next task should be to post those scans of your entire 51 bowman set when you can so we can all enjoy it all the more. You seem to be a true asset to the hobby. Congrats again.

  • mikeschmidtmikeschmidt Posts: 5,756 ✭✭✭
    David:

    Major congratulations. Do you think you will ever try to trade/upgrade this card for the centering? Nonetheless, it is a great addition to one of the truly superb sets of all time. It is great to root for one of the small guys, and tracking your progress on this has been one of the most exciting achievements from the 1950s graded card era. All too often some of us see the big $$$ guys add superb cards out of nowhere, with PSA 8s and 9s just dropping into their sets. Yours is an achievement in patience and persistence.
    I am actively buying MIKE SCHMIDT gem mint baseball cards. Also looking for any 19th century cabinets of Philadephia Nationals. Please PM with additional details.
  • boggs301012boggs301012 Posts: 1,135 ✭✭
    Nice job on that set. I saw that card on ebay and was going to email you. But I thought to myself he will find it! And you did. I'll trade all my Boggs card for you set.image And I 'll throw in......MS's cards
    x
  • Way to go Vargha! It is great to see good things happening to a good guy.
    "We don't own these cards, we just hold them for awhile." -- Jay of Quality Cards
  • VarghaVargha Posts: 2,392 ✭✭
    Marc -- the card is "good enough" in my opinion. I'm not a 50/50 centering freak. For the money it takes to get a "high end" Mays PSA 8, I would rather spend the difference on PSA 9's.

    Boggs -- did you say all of your Boggs cards? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm . . .
  • Nice job Dave! Great collection.

    Best Regards,

    Sky
    "Some people know the price of everything and the value of nothing"

    "Give me a reason to fly, and I'll be there"
  • Vargha,

    I'm just curious, you said it would be a while before you start another set. Which set are you thinking about doing next?

    wayne
    1955 Bowman Football
  • mikeschmidtmikeschmidt Posts: 5,756 ✭✭✭
    He told me privately that he was going to undertake the 1965 and 1963 sets.
    I am actively buying MIKE SCHMIDT gem mint baseball cards. Also looking for any 19th century cabinets of Philadephia Nationals. Please PM with additional details.
  • MS,

    That's great - for just a few Vargha bucks I can get him started!!!

    Wayne
    1955 Bowman Football
  • VarghaVargha Posts: 2,392 ✭✭
    I am considering 1948-49 Leaf in PSA 7+. But who knows . . .
  • Vargha - Outstanding achievement! Since my 69' Topps effort has been a patient lifelong pursuit I can certainly appreciate the restraint and patience it must take to build and complete an early 50's issue such the 51' Bowman. Completion is the collectors dream. I hope to accomplish that dream at least once in my lifetime but for now will live vicariously through the efforts of the special collectors on this registry board. Congratulations David!
    RayB69Topps
    Never met a Vintage card I didn't like!
  • Vargha,

    Thanks for sharing your extraordinary set with us, especially the images. It's amazing that a vintage set from the 1950's can be completed at such a high grade. Your achievement has set a new level for the rest of us to strive towards!

    Ron
    Ron Sanders Jr.
  • BigKidAtHeartBigKidAtHeart Posts: 1,799 ✭✭


    << <i>Okay, excuse my shameless plug for the PSA 7 auction . . .

    1951 BOWMAN Willie Mays Rookie PSA 7 NM 50/50 >>

    DANG!
    I did not get it!
    image
    imageimage
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