1966 Topps Baseball Set Nuances
minibeers
Posts: 216 ✭
I'm 49 cards away from completing my 1966 set and I'm loving every minute of it. I'm new to this board and have to say I have found it to be extremely informative as well as fun. Anyway, this is my second time around on this set (it is my birth year). The first time around was when I was 11 years old (1977) when I found 2 major collections at different garage sales. The first collection cost me .50 and the second one $25. Those were the days! Out of those 2 collections, I had about 80% of the set. I remember #571 Dave Roberts was the final card in the set and it took me a long time to find it. I also remember #561 Choo Choo Coleman being a real pain to get my hands on. A few months ago, I saw some nut pay $100 for a raw one listed as NRMT. Whaaa?
After 1981, I became overwhelmed with collecting after the Topps monopoly was broken up. I felt like it was all or nothing. So, I chose nothing. I gave up collecting and baseball (the strike pissed me off). I sold my collection which financed a car and moved cross country in 1990.
Thirteen years later, I've got the house, the wife, the kids. I started to feel bad that I didn't have the cards to pass to my kids and, as of about 6 months ago, here I am! I'm in the thick of it again and I think it is more fun now than it was when I was a kid. Well, a different kind of fun. Fun nonetheless! So, I'm on a mission to buy all my cards back. Wish me luck!
OK, here is the punch line: I haven't seen a lot of info regarding the 1966 BB set anywhere. Can any of the sages of wisdom on this board give me some more insight on this set? Toughies? Other weirdness? Any info would be highly appreciated.
Scott
After 1981, I became overwhelmed with collecting after the Topps monopoly was broken up. I felt like it was all or nothing. So, I chose nothing. I gave up collecting and baseball (the strike pissed me off). I sold my collection which financed a car and moved cross country in 1990.
Thirteen years later, I've got the house, the wife, the kids. I started to feel bad that I didn't have the cards to pass to my kids and, as of about 6 months ago, here I am! I'm in the thick of it again and I think it is more fun now than it was when I was a kid. Well, a different kind of fun. Fun nonetheless! So, I'm on a mission to buy all my cards back. Wish me luck!
OK, here is the punch line: I haven't seen a lot of info regarding the 1966 BB set anywhere. Can any of the sages of wisdom on this board give me some more insight on this set? Toughies? Other weirdness? Any info would be highly appreciated.
Scott
1966T, 1971T, 1972T raw and in 8s
1963T Dodgers in 8s
Pre-war Brooklyn 5s or higher
1963T Dodgers in 8s
Pre-war Brooklyn 5s or higher
0
Comments
Have some of those myself. Are you collecting raw or slabbed and if slabbed in what grade. Those make a big difference in the feedback you get.
Fuzz
Scott
1963T Dodgers in 8s
Pre-war Brooklyn 5s or higher
298
511
544
those are your tougher 8s
if i can help lmk.
pc32@pacbell.net
just 2 cards away in 8,9 or 10.
Centering is definitely an issue with graded 66's. The borders are narrow and can go outside the guidelines for in grade centering standards pretty quickly. 66' cutting processes also produce a significant share of diamond cut cards in this issue.
The good news is that because of this there are many really nice MRMT/MT and MINT cards that end up in straight 7NQ holders when submitters put these cards out for grading that are mildly OC (but outside the PSA standards for an 8or 9NQ). Watch carefully for these and you can pick up some really nice cards.
The discovery of this set is unfolding as some new players including myself set out on this adventure. I really like the photo editing on this set. Topps editors (and photographers for that matter) seemed to take special care in positioning the players so that they fit nicely around the upper left hand corner diagonal stripe. Take a close look at your cards and see what I mean.
Lastly, A NRMT set is a Really nice set. If you put your thumb over the number on the label the majority of the cards in this grade are flat out SWEET!
Best of luck from a fellow 66'er.
RayB69Topps
My 66' set is currently 23+% complete.
TILT
sweet 16 types.
Based on activity I've seen and some kind notes from pc (you're right, money is the ticket to freedom - I'm almost free!) it seems this set is not getting a lot of attention by collectors in general. RayB, I'm glad you're in the fray. Perhaps I have some extras you might need.
For what it is worth, the Beckett Guide and SMR are way off when it comes to the 66 Rico Pettrocelli and Ron Santo. I paid WAY too much for the raw ones I acquired and I've been watching them for a while now. I noticed pc has the rico card listed as a toughie in 8. Do you think the Santo is going high because of nutty Cubs fans (not to mention nutty bosox fans for rico) hoping he gets into the HOF or is the card really tough to find?
To all nutty Cubs fans: Go Cubbies! When Prior and Wood mature a bit they will be better in the post-season. To all nutty Red Sox fans: I can't even begin to fathom the pain you all feel unless you count the Yankess beating my Dodgers two years in a row (77, 78). That was not fun. Anyone want to guess how I feel about the Yankees?
Alright, move along. Nothing to see here...
Scott
1963T Dodgers in 8s
Pre-war Brooklyn 5s or higher
PC is truly a master in 66 T BB. I'd give him an honorary PhD in that set. Rico and Santo are both fairly tough in high grade (8 or better) and both have a cult like following that insure their cards are never too cheap. Others fall into this group referencing the $124 psa 8 Tug McGraw from a couple of months ago.
In '7' or better, the set is not too difficult if you are patient. Many of the killers in 8 that PC correctly mentions are not too bad in 7. Not many collectors are on this set at the moment and cards are relatively inexpensive. If you can live with a qualifier, this baby was free when I checked last. I picked up several 9oc's that weren't that oc and still looked good in the $3 range. 8oc's can be had by the stack. The tilt on these can be pretty bad. I have numerous raw sets and have found no real obsticles. Hi numbers are challenging and SP's are pretty difficult raw. I would recommend spending the extra and picking those up slabbed. In 7 and sometimes 8 they can be had cheap right now and make a great value for the $ spent. They have been slabbed in big numbers compared to current demand.
A last note to you 66 guys. I will return to finish sometime down the road. I haven't updated in more than a year and still have 3 of the top sets which I plan on finishing and have made some progress on a fourth which I am undecided on at this time. Best of luck to you all.
Fuzz
when you're ready i can sell you a 5th